When preparing a presentation, we always suggest keeping your intended audience in mind. In today’s world, this is harder than ever because many presentations have been moved from in person to online. Let’s be honest, Zoom can feel impersonal and somewhat alienating to both the presenter and the audience. A great fix to bridge this gap is engaging in audience-centered storytelling. Let’s dive in to a few easy ways to implement this.
Using “You” Language
As we know, including your audience in your narrative helps them engage to a greater degree. In fact, we have found that storytelling takes on a new level of efficacy when a single word is added. You. The more audience-centered references that are included in your narrative, the better. Now how is this done? Often there are members of your audience that you either don’t know well, or have never met. It’s important to craft language that is inclusive so the listener can insert themselves into the narrative.
Mindset Reset
There’s a very good reason we refer to storytelling as “giving” a presentation. It is a gift. Generally with gift-giving, it is not about the giver. This isn’t simply the “time to shine” for you as the presenter. This is a time for you to connect with your listeners. Think of your audience as the recipient of your gift. When we are looking for gifts for other people, we put aside our likes or desires and focus on the guest of honor. Do just that with your presentations. While it is important to be authentically yourself, try to use the word “you” as often as possible instead of using “I”. Flip the script. Help the audience see themselves in your story by using audience-centered language throughout your entire presentation. The earlier you introduce the idea that they are part of your story, the more relevant your pitch will be to your listeners.
The Check-In
One of my favorite storytellers does something I like to call the check-in. He follows-up by digging just a bit deeper after every major point. Instead of just saying “blue skies make people happy”, he would say “blue skies make people happy… don’t they?”, then leave a longer-than-comfortable pause afterward to let you chew on the thought. Or he often will follow-up his question with an opposing question. So saying “do you have a hard time saying no?” would be followed up immediately with “what have you said yes to?”. He goes just an inch deeper than comfortable to both keep the listener’s attention and ignite something in their gut that requires them to respond. This can be a powerful tool for your arsenal if implemented at just the right time.
Take some time to evaluate your narrative this week. Are you talking to the audience or at them? Have you packaged your presentation as a gift or a soapbox? Is there a place where you can challenge the audience to think critically? Ensure an audience-centered presentation by taking a close look at those questions and your reaction to their answers. Still feeling stuck? Our content team asks the hard questions all the time. Reach out to see if your narrative needs to be challenged a bit further, or to see if we can help you adapt to the ever-changing online presentation landscape.
