Tell
Colorful Stories
Stories in your presentation can paint
pictures in the minds of your audience and connect emotionally.
Notice the visuals in this story and
feel the emotional connection.
At the age of seven my son, Chris,
started playing mini soccer. The field was tiny to accommodate the youngsters'
short legs, stamina and attention span. The goal posts were fluorescent orange
pylons set about five feet apart. The kids hadn't grasped teamwork so they
clustered around the ball like bees around a flower as the ball rolled
aimlessly around the field. You almost never saw the ball but you knew it was
inside that moving cluster.
At one game you can imagine my pride
and excitement when I noticed my son, Chris standing downfield in position to
shoot on goal. Incredibly the ball escaped the cluster and rolled lazily
towards Chris. I excitedly jumped up and down on the sidelines yelling,
"Chris, get the ball! Chris, shoot the ball!" He moved awkwardly
towards the ball then stopped. He ignored the ball and my sideline antics. Instead
he stared up in the sky in a catatonic state. Incredibly, every player on the
field also stopped running and did the same. My curiosity overcame my
frustration and I looked up along with every parent on the sidelines. I half
expected to see the alien mother ship hovering over the field. Instead there
was the most perfect rainbow I've ever seen. It curved from one horizon to the
other. The bands were vibrant in all their colors from red through to violet.
The referee knew when to admit a losing
battle. He blew his whistle and announced, "Time out. One minute to look
at the rainbow." A minute later he blew the whistle again and called,
"Play on." The game resumed. I don't remember if Chris scored a goal
that game or who won. That seemed unimportant after the rainbow.
What did you see while reading that
story? Notice how the words in the story can plant vivid images in your mind.
Did you see the rainbow?
Did you see me jumping on the
sidelines?
Did you see the cluster of children
following the soccer ball?
You don't need slides to convey images.
You can do it with colorful stories.
What did you feel?
Did you feel both my excitement and
frustration as a parent?
Did you feel the beauty of the rainbow
moment?
Did you feel as if you were there?
An effective story conveys images and
emotion. Those are the two most important senses to reach your audience. They
also make it easier for people to remember your message.
Inject more color and emotion to your
stories.
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