If you are like me, you are always looking for the latest and greatest ways to do things faster, better, and cheaper. Personally, I get a thrill as I hunt for the best piece of hardware, software, or acclaimed process that will “change my life.”

In the world of presentations, there is one key ingredient that will radically change them – specifically, how you engage your audienceand how they perceive you. And, it’s a solution you have been hearing for quite some time now, but I want to take it one step further.

Tell a story.

Why?

It’s the most efficient way to activate and ignite your audience’s brain.

Let’s look at the illustration below.

When you share facts and stats with your audience:

1. They are going to agree with you

2. They are going to disagree with you

Hence, only two parts of your audiences’ brain will ignite when reacting to data.

But, what if you tell a story instead? Let’s look at this illustration.

A story doesn’t spark agreement or disagreement but rather participation. In fact, stories ignite 7 parts of the brain, which is testament to why as humans we love stories.

If you want to see all of this in more amazing detail, here’s an entire infographic my team created a few days ago.

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The bottom line is this: If you want to engage your audience and activate their brains, you need to start telling stories. Plain and simple. It’s powerful. It’s effective. And, it works! It’s the best tool to have in your kit.

Author Bio

Scott Schwertly is the author of How to Be a Presentation God and CEO of Ethos3, a Nashville, TN-based presentation boutique providing professional presentation design and training for national and international clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to branded individuals like Guy Kawasaki. If Scott is not working with his team building presentations, you will find him in the pool, on the bike, or on a long run. Scott lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and three dogs. He has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harding University.

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