In the meantime, word is spreading more and more that modern and successful communication cannot do without good stories. This style element is also used more and more often in PowerPoint presentations. But what makes a good story, and how do you set the idea for a story professionally? I’ll tell you in this blog post.
You read more and more about the benefits of storytelling, and we’ve written about it too. I also experience this in lectures with an increasing tendency. More and more speakers want to score points with the audience by telling interesting stories. But unfortunately, this does not always work out as hoped. It is not uncommon for the story that is supposed to be woven around the presentation to not resonate with the audience. Instead of following the presenter spellbound, they start whispering with the neighbor or playing with their cell phone. Even if the speaker is quite talented rhetorically, the storytelling can still miss the mark. Some tips you should keep in mind.
1. do not create a collection of facts, but focus on the story!
It’s not about cramming as much information as possible into a story. Many speakers often want to fit in as much info as possible. This is almost automatically at the expense of the story. Make it a point to create emotion in your audience. It’s better to be able to “sell” your audience on three important pieces of information through an exciting story than to fit in twelve facts but make your story so dull that no one listens. Think very carefully about the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. What feeling would be helpful to the success of your presentation?
2. involve the audience in the story!
Your audience will be more likely to be gripped by your story if they can relate well to the action. So the story should not primarily aim to make you or your product look good. Put your audience at the center of your thinking. If the people listening to you can identify with the story, you have a good chance that they will also identify with the message of the story.
3. build your story professionally!
Good stories are similar in structure and have been for several thousand years of human history. The protagonists (hero, heroine, or group) are first introduced. They then have to go on adventures, and at the end of the story they can chalk up a success (which can also just be a gain in knowledge) for themselves. Even for the story in your presentation, you need a beginning, a middle, and an ending.
The beginning
This is where you sort of introduce the audience to the piece and explain what your story is about in the first place. The situation of the acting figures is still relaxed and under control here.
The middle part
This is where the unexpected happens. Our heroes are confronted with a problem. To solve it, they have to act. Here you show what actions are necessary to reach a solution.
The final part
The heroes have won. A positively changed world awaits them. If you’ve told the story correctly, your audience will identify with the narrative and want those positive changes in their lives for themselves as well.
As simple as this scheme may seem, almost all Hollywood blockbusters basically function according to this simple formula. If you invest some energy in developing your story, you can include a story in your presentation that really takes the audience emotionally to where you want them to be.
Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Informatiker Matthias Garten is the expert for multimedia presentations. He is an entrepreneur, speaker (TOP 100 Speaker), trainer (TOP 100 Excellence Trainer), multiple book author, presentation coach (presentation training), member of the GSA and Club 55, organizer of the Presentation Conference, Presentation Bootcamp and Presentation Rocket Day. In addition to PowerPoint training and presentation training, he inspires and advises companies to present themselves even more effectively and thus stand out from competitors. He is the business owner of the presentation and PowerPoint agency smavicon Best Business Presentations and with his team has created over 15,000 presentations for over 150 industries since 1993.
