Structuring your Presentation: The importance of storytelling

For every “Once upon a time…” there is a “happily ever after”. Audiences know this which is why tapping into familiar storybook dynamics is incredibly effective when structuring your presentation. 

Safe hands

There is an old saying; “familiarity breeds contempt”. This is about as sceptical and inaccurate as statements can be. If it were true, we wouldn’t have favourite shows, favourite foods or fall in love. Familiarity breeds reassurance and confidence. It is this level of confidence from an audience you can gain by using traditional storytelling structures in your presentations. As early as possible in your presentation you want to reassure your audience that they are in safe hands.

Storytelling offers your audience the chance to relax and settle in for the journey. Without introducing a recognisable arc, there is no guarantee of a conclusion and less chance of a satisfying ending. Familiarity aligns you and your audience within the same story.

Personal Stakes

Start with a recognisable problem. “Late in the summer of 2009, I couldn’t get a taxi.” would be a good way to begin a pitch for Uber. Better would be to add stakes; “Late in the summer of 2009, I was late for a birthday party.” Better still, introduce heart; “In 2009, I hadn’t seen my niece for two years. Arriving at the station on a hot summer’s day, clutching her birthday present - a gigantic teddy bear -  I was racing around trying to find a taxi. No matter where I looked, I still couldn’t find one…” 

Introducing these personal stakes launches your audience into the heart of the problem; they are there with you; running around on the street, desperate to make the birthday party. They will follow your journey as you explain the development of the app and the more nuanced details of building your infrastructure. They will follow that journey to your satisfying conclusion - the following summer - hailing a cab on the Uber app and making a hassle free arrival to the birthday party.

Techniques for Enhancing Communication Skills

Finding universality in the product or services you are pitching is the starting point. This should be easy to identify; this is the core value of what you are selling. Making the appeal of your solution as broad as possible will maximise the impact of your presentation. Framing that problem and solution within a personal narrative is what will elevate your presentation, giving you a bold opening that places your audience in the right headspace to hear a story.  This is key. We are more receptive to stories than we are to ‘sales pitches’. Audiences are also far more likely to remember a story than a sales pitch.

Giving your story heart is what will make the audience lean in further. In the best cases, the moment of invention will be organic and make for an intriguing listen. In other instances, you may need to embellish details whilst staying true to your personal narrative. You don't want to invent a niece just for the sake of a good sales pitch so find truths that fit within the story that will inject colour and personality  

Chekhov’s Gun

Familiarity plus intrigue is the winning combination. You set your audience up in a structure they recognize and introduce an element of intrigue that will keep them on the edge of their seat.

There is a classic device in theatre known as Chekhov’s gun. If a gun is introduced in act one, you can make a pretty safe bet that it will be fired by act three. Finding your own Chekhov’s Gun can be an effective way to keep your audience engaged throughout. It is a magic trick that you promise to pay off, a punchline you keep dangling, building suspense until you release it for a satisfying conclusion.

A little goes a long way

Structure allows for deviation. Sharing elements of your personality and intimate details will develop trust with your audience. Remember - they are buying into you just as much as they are buying into the product. A strong opening that ties into a satisfying conclusion will allow you to sprinkle elements of that opening dilemma into some of the more pedestrian or technical areas of your presentation. Bookending your presentation with a narrative gives you the opportunity to delve into essential areas of your presentation that don’t follow a narrative structure. Keeping the thread of that opening gives you myriad opportunities to remind them of the stakes and, by virtue, the potential rewards if the right solution (your solution) can be found.