As a presenter, your primary objective is to keep your audience engaged and entertained. Whether you are pitching your next big business idea or presenting a product demo to potential clients, the focus should be on selling your idea and not sharing a bullet point list of bare facts. While there are quite a few ways to achieve this, storytelling is a powerful way to grab the attention of your audience and influence them to purchase your product or service because it works in the same way successful movies and shows work.
Stories usually build suspense by establishing a main character, presenting a challenge, and providing a fitting solution that makes the life of that character better than it was. Using storytelling in presentations can evoke emotions like trust and kindness. This motivates your audience to listen more closely and increases their likeliness to agree with your ideas. A well-told story can leave a lasting impact on your audience’s mind.
Analyze your audience
It is important to learn about your presentation’s audience before the session so you can understand what will work best with them. Frame your presentation story based on the information you have gathered about your audience. Weave the story into a narrative that will appeal and resonate with the audience you are presenting to.
Add personal stories to generate empathy
When it comes to storytelling, it always helps to add some personal anecdotes about your own experiences that your audience can relate to. This establishes a common ground with the listeners and generates empathy, making it more likely for people to agree with your ideas and take act favorably after your presentation.
Improve engagement and trust with stories
According to research, stories engage parts of the brain that are activated only when you actually experience something. Steve Jobs was a well-known proponent of generating engagement using storytelling in presentations. He presented a compelling narrative during every Apple product launch rather than just laying out the technical specifications of the new product. This resulted in making consumers sit up and take notice, building a world-wide base of loyal Apple users.
One of Steve Jobs’s most famous quotes is about storytelling: “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
Describe the future with a story
When you are presenting to an audience, describe the potential future they could have if they purchase your product or service. This can help them envision the impact it will have on their lives and inspire them to act accordingly. Sharing success stories in the form of testimonials and case studies of customers who’ve seen the impact of your product or service acts as compelling social proof to potential customers. By listening to a story of someone in a similar position, the audience tends to imagine their future if they made the same decision. Help your audience see a better future and inspire them to take action with a story.
Human beings are wired for storytelling and we process information best when it comes in the form of a narrative. Consuming information through stories captures the imagination of the audience and enhances the likelihood of information retention. You can also record your story and add it to your slides if you want to mix things up and keep it entertaining for your audience. Structure your next presentation in the form of a story to ensure maximum engagement and entertainment for your audience throughout your presentation.
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