There’s a reason why storytelling never gets old. Our brains have an incessant need for a narrative in the form of scripts, maps, schemas, metaphors or mental models. Stories allow human beings to make sense of what is happening around them and which extends to business concepts. Presentation design agencies use the power of storytelling to influence decisions and persuade a room full of people with ideas. In presentations, stories are the best way to present information. This is because they move people to action by translating ideas and building a powerful form of communication. Let’s learn how they do that.
Incorporating an emotional experience
Purposeful presentations that tug at the audience’s hearts and minds are the stories that move them to take an action. Presentation design agencies make use of analogies and metaphors- the key components and building blocks of the structure of knowledge. With the help of metaphors and analogies, they build a world of imagery making the information absorption easy. Thus, making the audience turn these images into sensory and emotional associations. When the presentation is imparted like a story, the listener cognitively and emotionally becomes an active participant.
Making stories purposeful
Every story must fit within the context of the PowerPoint presentation. Presentation design agencies understand that forced stories disconnect the audience. Therefore, every story needs to have a purpose that must be relevant to the interests and experience of the audience. In a presentation, stories must put information into perspective, never replace it. The best presentations have short, to the point and purposeful information.
Making every story personal and easy to visualize
A story for a presentation should be thought of like painting a picture of an idea. A creative design agency knows that for the audience to connect with a presentation, there must be an easy-to-visualize story. The story that is played out by characters and messaging that the audience can connect with. Just one story is enough to get the audience hooked.
If the presentation allows it, a presentation design company will choose a personal story. These are embedded with emotions that make the presenter come across as vulnerable and thereby helps them connect. With a story, the presenter can decide what details he wants to incorporate with the elements. The true power of a story can be wielded when they are scarce. Use good stories sparingly to make sure that they stay with the audience long after the presentation is over.
Incorporating the hero element
The most loved stories are the ones about a hero and his journey. The hero’s journey is one of the most famous and effective storytelling tropes. There are plenty of examples to justify this, like Odysseus in Odyssey and Harry Potter in JK Rowling’s 7 book series among many others. It is a very easily digestible and recognizable structure. Marketing and branding experts always say that the hero’s journey is a monomyth, a form of comparative narratology. When used in a story it makes the hero go through a character transformation. The hero’s journey is increasingly being used in advertisements and PowerPoint presentation design. Here, the presentation design agency positions the audience as the hero. These people must cross the threshold of difficulty with encouragement from the presenter’s side to reach a better resolution.
Using contrast to build tension
When you use contrast effectively in the structure of your PowerPoint presentation, you make people keep guessing what’s coming next. A good presentation design agency first lays out the framework and then focuses on the explanation. The best presentations have used the power of contrast to a great extent. Al Gore used this trope in his documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth.’ In which, he describes the truth of climate change and how it would drastically change the world for the worse. The documentary made people realize the kind of world they would be living in if they didn’t adopt eco-friendly practices. The reason why contrast works effectively as a trope for storytelling in presentations is that it creates a dramatic division. This kind of dichotomy spurs action by holding on to the attention. By showcasing the gap between what is and what could be, the presentation design agency creates suspense. They elicit a strong desire from the audience to create a reality quite different from the one that they are living in.
Using the common ground to create empathy
Creative writing professor and storytelling expert Robert McKee says that empathy is the most important part of all the stories. When you create common ground, people are more likely to take action after your presentation is over. Your presentation shouldn’t just focus on being charming or sympathetic. Neither is it meant for likeability. The goal of the overall presentation design must be to make the audience connect on a subconscious level. To create this level of commitment, your audience should have a genuine interest in you and your company, at large.
