Establishing why this matters is where successful stories start.

Where most presentations fail

Let's address an increasingly challenging issue accentuated by the surge in online meetings: Most presentations are dull and overly long, and honestly, they are really quite awful at their job. They are uninspiring and fail to engage their audience effectively. As a result, very few people are excited by the prospect of sitting through another hour-long carousel of slides.

With the increasing frequency of meetings encroaching upon both our time and mental bandwidth, every casual conversation seems to morph into a scheduled online session ‘Hey, quick catch up on the weekend? Sure, find a time that works for us both, and I’ll see who else is around to join…’. With such a limited window of opportunity to capture our audience's attention before they mentally check out, establishing why this content matters right up front is now critical to the success of every strategic storyteller.

The movie writer's approach

Screenwriters know that they have to captivate us at the very outset by getting us to form an attachment to the characters and buy into the struggle that may lay ahead for them; in the words of the movie legend Steven Spielberg: "Movies are made up of many elements, but none as crucial as the characters. They are the lifeblood of storytelling, the vessels through which audiences connect and empathise with the narrative. Without well-established characters, a film lacks the emotional depth and resonance that captivates and endures."

Drawing parallels with the captivating nature of movies, our audience should see themselves as central characters in our narrative, feeling personally invested in the story we're telling. They should feel that this story is about them, that they have the struggle, and this opportunity for change directly benefits them. We are in this together, going on this journey that unpacks how we can help them move forward.?

Establishing why this matters

This is achieved by establishing we understand a problem and the challenge they are facing; we see the implications of this problem, and in fact, without what you have to share, things may get worse, potentially a lot worse, and a dark wintery conclusion may lurk in the shadows. This is the basis from which you envision the change that is possible, and that will guide how your story unfolds. Nothing else should come before or get in the way of establishing this connection. There should be no lengthy pre-amble or ‘about us’ hyperbole.

Just like the best movies transport us to new realms, our presentations should transport our audience to a better place by navigating from this captivating opening that establishes the relevance and significance of our message to a positive resolution that leaves them in no doubt about the benefit to them of what we have shared.

There is too much at stake to miss the opening opportunity

Every opportunity to share our ideas is valuable. Let's not squander these moments on presentations that fail to resonate. Instead, let's strive to create presentations that captivate, resonate, and endure in the minds of our audience, which all starts with the opening scenes and establishing why this matters.

If you want to know what happens next in the opening scene capturing the angry ape on a rampage or if you want to learn how to become a better strategic storyteller through my coaching and training, just DM me.

#strategicstorytelling #winningpresentations #strategiccommunications #presentingskills