I am a huge proponent of telling a good story.
As the author of The Power of Storytelling and a speech coach – this is one area that personally resonates with me. It is also a key strategy to influence the Sharks or any prospect or audience when you are presenting.
So – the fifth presentation tip from Shark Tank is – Tell a Good Story.
In the first post we learned to personalize your presentation.
In post two we discovered that people buy you.
In post three we recognized the importance of knowing your numbers.
And the fourth post presented the idea that Samples Sell.
Today’s post is going to dissect telling a good story.
People love stories and great presenters are great storytellers. Their stories add context, drive emotion and make your presentation memorable. In this post I am not going to dive into all the aspect of how to tell a great story. If you want to learn the skill of storytelling – I would encourage you to pick up a copy of The Power of storytelling. This post is going to talk about why stories add value and why you should make them part of every presentation you give.
Stories that are told well do three things for you and your products. They make you relatable, emotional, and multidimensional.
Relatable: Being able to tell a story instantly connects you with the customer, whether it’s a real customer, your kid—whoever is on the other side of your story needs to connect with you. Ever wonder why we love musicians so much? The story in their song is so powerful that it moves your emotions. They sing to you, or about an experience that you can relate to. Garth Brooks sang a song called “Unanswered Prayers”—I think we can all relate to that message. And when you relate to someone, you feel that connection. People want to feel as though they connect with and understand the people and brands they do business with. The right story is that relatable connection.
Emotional: Logic may make you think, but emotions make you act. When you are able to engage the emotion of a listener, you can cause them to take action. If you want them to buy your product, adopt your ideas, or even hire you: appeal to their emotions. When was the last time you went to a movie? Every good movie has that moment or character that pulls at your emotional heartstrings. It can be a classic like Shawshank Redemption or a sports movie like Rudy. You move someone emotionally and you have them hooked.
Multidimensional: Without a story, you and your product just blend in with others. Compelling stories add context, history and relevancy to you and your products. They can make even the most mediocre things stand out and be seen in a different light. Stories add vibrancy and depth. There’s an exact science to a brand and all good brands tell a story whether directly or indirectly. Nike is a great example of this. Remember the “Be Like Mike” campaigns. In no universe could any of us play basketball like Michael Jordan just by wearing his shoes—but those commercials made you think, made you act and for just a moment when you put those shoes on, the story of this kid who was cut from his high school basketball team resonated with millions of people across America—and billions of dollars have been spent on the shoes because of the story.
Stories add value to you and your presentation. If you want to hit a home run – tell a good story.