So another Academy Awards Ceremony has come and gone, and the movie that took home most of the statuettes is one that many folks at home still haven’t seen.
Slumdog Millionaire is about a young, poor, boy in India, who wins a million dollars on the Indian version of the popular game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Once the “Slumdog” has all but collected his six zeros, he is accused of cheating and must defend himself by telling his life story, revealing how an uneducated child of the slums could possibly know all the answers to the questions.
That might seem to be an unlikely plot for The Best Movie of the 2008, but trust me, this film is full of unpredictable twists, electrifying sequences and one of the best soundtracks of the year.
But, what does all of this have to do with presentations?
One of the reasons that the hero of Slumdog’ captures the hearts and minds of his fellow countrymen is because of his sincerity when he is sitting in the hot-seat. Much like him, you are on a stage in front of a lot of people when you are giving a presentation, and being able to come up with good information – in a sincere manner – will determine your success. One way to ensure that success is to take a lesson from Slumdog’: Connect your presentation to yourself and your own story.
Get into Character
Who are you? Many of us have a sense of ourselves – who we are and what we want – in our day to day lives, but when we walk up on to a stage it is important to know exactly which “I” we want to portray for the next 20 minutes. You can’t stuff the entire range of your broad personality into a single presentation, but you can pick and choose the aspects that will be most effective for your particular message. Do you need to create motivation and inspire enthusiasm? Perhaps it’s time for your Vince Lombardi pep-talk character. Do you need to be a smooth-talking expert exuding icy determination? Ladies and gentlemen, meet Gordon Gekko. Have fun! Determine “which one of you” needs to show up for your presentation and play it to the hilt.
You’re Final Answer
One of the reasons the protagonist in the film is so successful is because the questions he receives all relate to key moments in his life. Of course, your presentation is a reflection of your expertise more than your experience, but if you can find creative ways to anchor the major points of your message to events, feelings, or people that are close to you, your presentation will resonate with a sincerity and openness that will inevitably draw people in.
Tell a Story
Of course, including an anecdotal story during a presentation isn’t really anything new. You see it all the time. The problem is that most people use this kind of tale to arrive at a bad joke or a hackneyed observation, at which point they then return to the rest of their gray, sterile message. Try weaving a personal, moving, humorous tale all the way through your presentation. Pick something that has personal meaning for you that also parallels the themes of your message.
We all love stories.
In fact, we prefer them to presentations.
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