Deliver a killer presentation

Being a father of four kids, storytelling has always fascinated me. Fairy tales go a long way with the kids, the language used in these tales is easy to comprehend and the plots are relatable and engaging. And if you read these stories from a book; with illustrations and pictures; and pause in between to answer questions about the characters and the events, the experience gets even more fascinating. We never get tired of stories. We read them, watch them, listen to them and tell them every day of our lives. And for most of us the audience is not limited to kids - because wrapping your messages in a story will almost guarantee that your listeners will hear, understand, and remember your ideas.

If you are naturally good at storytelling, you are a step ahead in the game, but if you are not you will still have a DESIRE to not only engage the audience in these story telling sessions but also be able to sell our ideas along the way. And for that you would need a plan.

Here is a checklist (D-E-S-I-R-E) of tips that might stack the odds in your favor:

(D)rivers: What does the audience care about, what is in it for them. Have something to catch their attention early on, an opening line or comment that catches their attention. Nobody wants to present to an audience that is browsing on the phone or dozing off after a lunch in the afternoon. Rehearse these opening lines extensively, normally your audience would decide about being attentive or otherwise within the first minute of your presentation.

(E)ngage: Engage all of your audience. If your audience is a mix of technical and business people, don’t focus on one and ignore the other. Know all of your audience in advance. Understand their interests on the subject and have each slide meeting the needs of all the groups. If you want to cover a certain topic in too much detail which would be related to a subset of the attendees, have a follow-up session with them. Keep all of your audience engaged.

(S)keptics: Be prepared for questions from the skeptics. There is always one kid who would question Rapunzel’s hair or Cinderalla’s shoes. Practice your responses for the most challenging questions. Stay focused on the drivers and the take outs and don’t lose sight of the ball.

(I)nteresting: Stay interesting, even on boring topics find a funny story or a joke to establish an instant connection with your audience. Use it in the middle of the presentation or whenever you feel the discussion have gone too dry.

(R)elatable: Use examples from actual days in the life of the audience that they can relate to. Not only will it drive further discussions but will also help the audience better gauge the value you are proposing.

(E)nding: The ending should have some specific, measurable and actionable next steps. Don’t leave with a dead end. Lay down the next steps and keep a track of them. The presentation should be a means to an end not an end in itself. Always have actionable items at the end.

The single most important thing to remember is that there is no magic bullet. It is all about storytelling. You can add your own twists and turns along the way. Make it more interesting and engaging. The best presentations are those which are original and custom made for the audience. Not formulaic in any sense of the word, so use your own discretion and be creative along the way.

Happy storytelling!!