Story-telling captures an audience’s empathy. Lifehacker Thorin Klosowski says that sending your message via a good story makes for a much easier marketing strategy. It works whether you’re presenting a project proposal, giving a toast, or delivering a lecture.
Do your homework and find out about an important event or aspect in the audience’s life experiences, and make the connection from there. Tell a story that relates to the audience. You can use this emotional foundation to your advantage. The audience becomes more receptive to the idea, and persuasion naturally becomes easier.
According to neuroscientists, the decisions that people make are often based on emotional responses. Narratives captivate audiences because they’re about people and events, and they’re easier to identify with than a string of words that are seemingly irrelevant. Stories inspire and appeal to the listener’s core values. That’s why a presenter must do diligent legwork to find out what’s relevant to a given listener.
When you need to do a lot of convincing, tell a story. Make sure that it’s a story they’ll find themselves in. You’ll get them interested right away, as that’s human nature.