How Thriving Leaders Incorporate Storytelling in Their Presentations

Have you ever been so engaged and focused on what a person had to say that you remembered everything that person had been saying? Then, you must have encountered people who have the skills to grab every bit of your attention and focus on what they have to offer you. The great thing is that you don’t even feel like your time has been wasted.

Before using the technique, start by finding out what the intention of the presentation is. It could be to prompt the audience to take certain actions, convey specific information, or evoke particular emotions.

Here are the things that they put in their presentation, using storytelling as a technique:

Put a hook at the start of your slides

Every story, movie or drama that you watch contains a hook to make you more curious about what will happen next. Some of the effective hooks that can be used in presentations are, such example, stating a surprising fact or piece of data, asking a question or telling a story. Since we are talking about storytelling, what makes storytelling as a hook effective? Stories that are based on personal experience—an authentic or true story—can capture the attention of the audience. As example

Present a problem and provide solutions

Steve Jobs is the perfect example of someone who provide solutions in his presentations, making it engaging and memorable. The way he does it is by presenting a problem and showing his product offerings as the solution to it. This creates anticipation and evokes curiosity for his audience, not making it dull and boring. For example, he highlights the issue of current technology, and at the end, he reveals Apple’s product that actually solves everything that he showed in his presentations.

Add additional hook and attention-grabbing elements

A presentation that could get too long could reduce engagement and focus. Hence, adding additional hooks and eye-catching elements in between or within the slides could help retain audience interest. According to NeuroLeadership Institute, brains can process images as fast as 13 milliseconds, equivalent to 75 frames per second. This is why adding visual elements could make the storytelling more effective, as it can help people be more engaged and remember it more. Other than visual elements, there are other hooks or elements that can be put in, such as:

• Use quotes from prominent or famous people
• Question the validity of a statement
• Interactive elements or objects
• Personal anecdotes
• Humour

Storyboard your presentation

Impactful presentations contain a storyboard, one of the techniques that provides a clear structure for storytelling. It involves creating a visual outline of each slide, including key points, images, and transitions, to ensure a logical and cohesive flow. This process helps you plan the structure, visualize the layout, and identify engaging elements, making the presentation more compelling and organized. With a compelling and well-structured storyboard, this can boost a presenter’s confidence to deliver a more engaging and persuasive message. To add more, using a storyboard with effective public speaking skills will be the perfect combination to convey complex ideas in a simple form effectively.

Don’t forget the additional benefits

In every way of doing storytelling, the key to a successful presentation is to make your audience understand and be engaged with what you show them. To create a successful presentation, storytelling helps to captivate the audience emotionally. This can be achieved through the use of impactful quotes from influential figures or by integrating music and sound effects that evoke the desired emotional response. Additionally, storytelling helps make the information memorable and understandable. By presenting information in a narrative format, you can help your audience better retain and comprehend the content being conveyed.