The key to mastering public speaking is learning to present your message in a way that keeps your audience engaged, and leaves them thinking about your main idea long after you’ve left the stage. A key way to connect with your audience and make your message more memorable is storytelling. Last week we gave three tips to help you incorporate storytelling into your next presentation. Today we present part two with three more great tips:
- Use your voice to keep it interesting. Even the most interesting story can come across as dull if delivered in a monotone. Vary your intonation to express emotion and keep your audience interested. You can also add strategic pausing to build tension and drive your message home.
- Don’t limit yourself to a single story. Find a strong, descriptive story that brings each of your key points to life. This will add texture to each of your supporting statements, and drive home your main message. If you need to cut down on statistics to add stories, go for it! Your message will be much more memorable for it. Just last week I was giving a presentation and recalled another story to make an important point. I asked the audience, can I share another story? Do you find the stories helpful? Immediately, everyone in the room responded “yes!”
- Be direct. Make sure that the point you are trying to illustrate doesn’t get lost in the story. Even the best story won’t help your presentation if the audience is unable to connect it with your message. Explicitly state the “moral of the story” as you wrap up the story and segue into your next section.
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