The story needs to be as interesting as the object. If there is some baggage about this, then they need to talk that through, not relegate it to a position below the object, the print, the photograph, the painting. I don't expect the story to be conversational and anecdotal. I expect it to be a prepared text with some criticality of language. By the first presentation the anxiety is as palpable as cream cheese.
People give it a shot and try to be present.
And even if they only have a toehold on confidence and conviction, they begin to identify early on how possibly destructive anxiety is and that it's manifested for a particular reason. It is not balanced with enough preparation so that you can identify a place for yourself where you can say a few simple, honest things that are supported. If you start with an apology, you have instantly ruined any opportunities for the work to live and have any resonance. Nine out of ten people find a way to apologize for their work in the first weeks. I ask them to think about why they are apologizing.