The Five-Second Moment: How Stories Win in Business
Matthew Dicks
59x Moth Story Slam Winner, Author
STORYWORTHY
The Core
Every Good Story is One Five-Second Moment
The five-second moment is a transformation or realization
98% of your story is context to bring that moment into clarity
Your audience experiences the flip with you
This moment is the same in movies, novels, speeches, pitches
The Eileen moment"First of all, I don't like that cheeky smile of yours." — That's when I knew she had confidence and was ready to step forward.
The Framework
What Makes a Story Stick
Why change matters
Change has universal appeal. Everyone has transformed or shifted beliefs. Stories about change connect across any audience.
The dinner test
Slightly elevated conversation. No weird dialogue tricks, sound effects, or performance art. Talk like humans talk.
Your vulnerability
Tell your story so you can be vulnerable. If it's someone else's story, you can't reveal anything about yourself.
The Playbook
Four Ways to Keep People Listening
Stakes: Make it clear why this moment matters. What's at risk? What's the downside?
Surprise: Your audience should be surprised. Steve Jobs mastered this. Don't let them predict what's next.
Suspense: Keep them wondering. Hold back just enough that they need to know what happens.
Humor: The riskiest but most powerful tool. Dare to be funny even if it doesn't land.
Matt's truth about humor"Everyone wants to have been funny because being funny means you take a risk. If it doesn't land, that hurts."
Nostalgia is your best friendTalk about how things used to be when rolling out new products. The 1980s, outdated processes, old technology—it's always funny and relatable.
Humor Tactics
Two Strategies That Always Work
Nostalgia: Funny facts from the past. "The first VCR was 22 pounds with a cord remote thick enough to trip my brother." Upgrade, new product, show how much things have changed.
One Unlike the Other: List two normal things, then one unexpected thing. Two expected, one weird — the contrast is funny. Sesame Street got it right.
The safety netUse humor within a story so if it doesn't land, you're still telling a story. People won't even realize you were trying to be funny.
Contrarian
What Everyone Gets Wrong About Story
✗Storytelling is optional in businessINSTEAD →✓ Without story, you're forgotten before you leave the parking lot. People don't remember pie charts. They remember how you made them feel.
✗Stories should start with actionINSTEAD →✓ Start at the end. Know your five-second moment first. That shapes everything about your story's shape and impact.
✗Being forgettable is safer than standing outINSTEAD →✓ Standing out with story is not risky—being forgotten IS the risk. Story is what separates you from the herd.
✗Tell your story naturally, don't plan itINSTEAD →✓ Great stories are meticulously architected. Plan stakes, surprise, suspense, humor. Then deliver naturally.