Berlin audiences can be analytical, cool and hard to seduce. On this particular evening, an earnest looking host introduces the first speaker. He begins:
“It’s Friday evening. I’m supposed to talk about A.I and Blockchain.You probably know more about that than I do. So I’m not going to talk about that. Instead, I’m going to tell you about bad investments.”
The host looks horrified, but the audience erupts into laughter.
What follows are 3 well chosen, personal stories. The storytelling seems spontaneous but is well structured and rehearsed. He’s told these stories before, but not to this audience. Because after a long week, this audience was craving excitement. He tuned into what they really wanted.
By all means, prepare your talks with facts and figures. Add arguments and opinions. But include a story or two and read the room. Tailor your story and presentation to the audience in front of you. They’ll thank you with their attention.
If you’d like a trainer, coach or sparring partner for your next presentations, get in touch.
Photo courtesy M ACCELERATOR of https://unsplash.com/@m_accelerator