|
Make Your Presentation More Interesting:
Tell a Story!
By Kelly Vandever
Far from the bedtime stories of childhood or the pop culture of films, novels and television shows, a business presentation may not seem like the appropriate place for a story. After all, business presentations are where we talk about hard facts. Business presentations are where we let the data influence logical decision-making. Business presentations are no place for a story. Or are they?
Why Stories?
People love stories. We can't help ourselves.
Think back to the last presentation where the presenter told a story. Did you
listen more intently? Did you
think to yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder where this is going?" Did you feel engaged? Stories draw us as an audience into a presentation. Being drawn in helps us connect better with presenter and with the presenter's message.
More than that, stories help us make the abstract more concrete. In business, we often have to deal with concepts that are hard to visualize if we haven't experienced them for ourselves. A story can help create that picture of what the idea looks like in real life. The more concrete we can make an idea and tie it to something our audience already knows, the more likely our audience will understand and remember our message.
So...how do you tell stories? Consider the following guidelines.
3 Tips for Storytelling in Presentations
Make the stories personal. When telling stories, talk about things you've experienced or observed. This help you ensure originality and that your audience won't get bored because they just read the story on the internet. Plus, because you're the presenter, the audience wants to hear your insights. Telling personal stories gives the audience a glimpse into who you are and how you think. Stories help them to learn about you and like you. And if they like you, they're more likely to listen to your message.
Have a point. When telling a story, be sure to have a point. The story doesn't have to directly relate to the subject you're speaking on but it should have a lesson that illustrates the bigger message you're trying to deliver. The value of the story will be lost if you can't tie the lesson of the story back to the information you provide. So tell the story and make your point.
Include emotions. When telling a story, include an emotional element that will connect with your audience. Business or not, we're all human beings and emotions touch us as individuals. While logic may seem the dominate business theme, emotions tie into business decisions too. Adding an emotional element to your story will help strengthen the connection of your audience to you and to your message. The emotion can range from humor to empathy depending on the subject and the point you're trying to make. Regardless of the emotion, stories that touch your audience, whether with laughter or tears, will make your message better understood and more memorable.
Summing It Up
A business presentation should still contain the facts and figures needed by decision makers to make the right call. But by using stories to enhance the logical information, your message will more profoundly resonate with your audience. Use the value that stories bring to movies, novels and television in your next presentation. Make it personal, have a point, touch the emotions, and you see how you better connect, communicate and contribute to your next business audience.
|
