Have you ever listened to a story and halfway through thought, “Wait, what’s the point here?” If you’ve been there, you know how painful it can be.

That’s why the most powerful and efficient way to tell a story is to start with the point. Why? Because when you lead with the point, you immediately give your audience the direction you want them to listen in. Without that, people wander. They get confused. And your story—well, it loses impact.

In the Velocity Mindset, I share a story from years ago when I was on a plane. The captain came on the intercom and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to be delayed 45 minutes.” Now, he could have stopped there. And if he had, what would passengers think? Frustration, anger, speculation.

But that’s not what he did. He started with the point: “Your safety is our number one priority.” Then he told the story: “The indicator light shows there may be an issue with our hydraulic systems. We have mechanics on the way, and it will take about 45 minutes.”

By starting with the point, he framed how we listened. Suddenly, the delay wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was about protecting lives. People understood, and they relaxed.

That pilot modeled exactly what I’m teaching you here: Point. Story. Application.

Point: He led with “Your safety is our number one priority.’ That gave us the lens to hear everything else.
Story: He explained the hydraulic issue and the delay. The story wasn’t random—it served the point.
Application: He made it clear what it meant for us. Yes, we would be late 45 minutes, but because our lives were more valuable than being on time. That’s why everyone accepted the delay instead of resisting it.

So the next time you tell a story, remember this: velocity is speed with direction. Your point is the direction—it’s the outcome you want your story to deliver. And when you frame it that way, your point becomes the lens through which your audience sees everything else.

When you control the lens, you control the outcome. That’s how you create velocity.

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