Bam! Pow! Sok! Attention Everyone!
Stories biff up your presentation skills! As a presenter, if you have not included stories then you and the people sitting in your audience have been missing out, big time. The reasons for adding stories are endless. Stories add spice to your speaking. They connect you with your audience. Stories support the points you make, and they stimulate the memory banks of your listeners. Powerful presenters practice storytelling.
Even though we are invested in the bells and whistles of technology, we still lean forward to hear someone tell a good story. Stories help us connect. In fact, stories are one of the most powerful communication vehicles you can use as a presenter. Whether you are presenting a proposal, asking for a budget increase, or rallying your team to reach their goal, it’s the relevance of your stories that will propel people to action.
A relevant story is a story that connects with your listeners on a personal level in some way. It has meaning for them. When we hear about other people’s experiences we build a bridge to our own. As a speaker and skilled presenter you create a certain level of involvement for your audience through the stories you tell.
Use stories to support your points. Forget the data dumps. An overload of facts and too many figures is no way to build a relationship with the people sitting in front of you. The creators of TV commercials discovered that a long time ago.
Look back at any 1950’s car commercial and you will see someone on the screen, dressed in a suit talk about horsepower, tires, seating and style. The focus was on facts. Watch any car commercial today. The primary focus is not on giving you facts, but on tapping into your feelings. They put you into the driver’s seat of your imagination.
Tell stories to stimulate. Albert Einstein said, “Logic will take you from A to B; imagination will take you everywhere.”
Stories capture our interest; nudge our memory banks, and stoke our imagination. They not only transport us to unusual places, introduce us to different people, adding to our ‘life’ experience, but they can also entertain, inspire and teach. Whether it’s the latest star sightings on Entertainment Tonight, or another Reality TV escapade, a night at the movies, or an evening at the theater or just having friendly chit chat with a friend over a cup of java, the elements of storytelling are everywhere. We use them in conversations with each other every day. So, why not hone your ‘story’ skills and weave them into your presentations?
Whether you have to stand up and speak in front of a group or give an in-depth presentation to your peers, you know that your speaking success depends on the connection you build with your listeners. People have been telling stories since the beginning of time. Through the ages, stories have warmed our hearts and nourished our souls. Anthropologists tell us that stories are part of our psyche. Through them we learn about ourselves, about each other and understand the world around us. Stories, quite simply, are part of who we are: develop your presentation skills – increase your connectivity.
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