Storytelling: The Most Powerful Form of Communication

Information

Most of us invest a lot of time when creating a PowerPoint presentation. We all aim to have an impressive presentation that contains interesting and useful content, attractive layouts, and eye-catching visuals.

As presenters, the thing to keep in mind is that the success of a presentation (and how compelling and memorable it is) will be decided by the audience alone.

Gaining maximum impact from your presentation, and driving your audience to take action, all comes down to how well you present it. The most conducive way to do this is through storytelling – the oldest form of informative communication.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is pretty much just as the word suggests, it’s about telling stories.  When you tell a story, the person (or audience) listening tends to be more engaged and instead of just listening to the words you are saying, they are using their imagination and visualising the story in their minds. This then stimulates feelings and emotions.

When executed correctly, good storytelling during a presentation will successfully influence and persuade an audience to your ideas.

Below are two ways to easily incorporate storytelling during your next presentation.

1. Share your personal journey

A fantastic way to introduce storytelling at the start of a presentation is to let your audience know your own personal journey. That is, what was it that lead you to be standing in front of them today? What lead you to your current role or for you to be presenting your products, services, or pitch?

By doing this you are humanising the brand you are representing, and your audience is more likely to connect with you.

2. Include any setbacks in your storytelling

A great story isn’t always about things running smoothly. If you have experienced any setbacks, obstacles or hardships with your product, service, or project, then include that in your story.

For example, if you were presenting a new product. To engage your audience, instead of solely talking about the product’s features and benefits, you could tell them the story of how your product came to be. You can let them know about all the trials and setbacks that you encountered along the way.

By doing this you take the audience on the journey with you, and they experience the low times and struggles. It then allows you to tell them how you bounced back, rectified any problems, and progressed to where you are today.  This sets up the audience with a positive outcome which also contributes to humanising your brand.

Here are some other positive gains of storytelling during a presentation

  • You are more likely to engage your audience
  • Your audience’s imagination will be stimulated
  • You will connect with your audience (they will relate and empathise with you more)
  • You are more likely to persuade and influence your audience
  • Your presentation will be memorable
  • You may inspire your audience to take the action you want

Here are some characteristics of good storytellers

  • They are strategic. They make sure they tell the right story and that there is a point to it.
  • They understand storytelling is not about them and they don’t stroke their own ego or brag about personal achievements. They understand that good storytelling is about giving and sharing something special with someone else (their audience).
  • They are good at inviting people into their stories because they are honest and not afraid to show vulnerability (i.e. they talk about setbacks and hurdles).

In Conclusion

Becoming a good storyteller comes with experience and time. When you can successfully weave a story into your presenting style and combine that with a presentation that has the right content and powerful visuals, then you will have an unforgettable presentation on your hands.

Do you need your content and visuals perfected? Contact

the PowerPoint presentation design experts and Slidesho today!

Partner with us, and together, we will bring your vision to life and transform your presentations into unforgettable experiences.

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