A nice, new slideshow from Anecdote/Shawn Callahan, entitled The Essentials of Business Storytelling (embedded below), succeeds on several levels.

I’ve discussed the dilemma of slideshow storytelling (or even just slideshow presentation) more than once in this space. Can a slideshow stand on its own without narration? Some slideshows on SlideShare have audio narration, but most don’t. I just uploaded one from my recent presentation in LA that absolutely makes no sense without narration; I’m hoping to add an audio track to it.

And if a slideshow doesn’t offer an audio track (and isn’t delivered live by a presenter), will it have too much text on each slide to be aesthetically pleasing?

The Anecdote show does indeed stand on its own but still has attractive, appealing slides that aren’t crowded with type. (I will say that when the slideshow plays at its own pace, I couldn’t always finish reading each slide before the next one appeared, but then I’m a slow reader.)

The focus of the show is story recognition. Can we spot a story when we see/hear one? That discussion culminates in our being directed to Anecdote’s new The Story Test, which I wrote about here.

The slideshow does contain some very text-heavy slides when it gets into comparing a story with a non-story, but the viewer has the opportunity to view and absorb them several times as the story criteria are discussed.

Jon Thomas, in his recent Q&A here, said:

[SlideShare is] the first technology created for mass access and consumption of slide decks without a presenter. I believe there is a distinct way to design a presentation to be consumed on SlideShare or any other non-live environment (more akin to an eBook), and there’s a distinct way to design a presentation intended to be presented live, with a presenter.

I believe The Essentials of Business Storytelling can work both ways. And it offers stories, to boot.