“Presentations should be idiot-proof”, said an ex-boss I don’t remember too fondly. I couldn’t get why we needed to start every story from the alphabet.
“Don’t insult the viewer’s intelligence,” said another glib talker who delighted in spewing management jargon, “they already know all this.” I agreed partially, while thinking silently that the terminology should be comprehensible to all.
Four years down the line and working independently, I’ve learnt my lessons – breaking down a concept into digestible chunks is not simple, it needs storytelling. But storytelling in corporate environs is never easy – it clashes with other stories and antagonists.
It’s Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up!
Creative Experiments and More 
Think of it as a path with stepping stones leading listeners to your goal. Each one is a landing where you can either expand, develop or add to the last. Facts and figures are a start. But they don’t touch the audience. Your goal is to get them involved in what you’re saying so they care and are interested. Stories do just that–they create experiences so the audience can feel/ see what you’re saying. All of this can be a lot of fun because it makes your content come alive for both you and your audience. Enjoy doing it and you’ll really get into it!
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Thanks for the inputs!
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It’s a Rubik cube or sorts, but a solid result, eventually all on their desk by five. Aah…reminds me why I don’t miss corporate life. Great six!
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Thank you!
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Breaking down concepts into digestible chunks with a few stories thrown in make the presentation more enjoyable and memorable.
Very instructive Six!
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Thank you so much, Pat!
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Striking the balance isn’t easy.
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Never. Thanks, Kristi!
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Tell a story that hooks them, and they will be interested. Nice six!
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Thank you!
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(get a visual of your corporate world of story tellers: From an alley off the town square a voice, “psst you wanna hear a story nobody wants to tell you?” while in the center of the square the guest speaker has to fend off the hecklers.
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A very picturesque comment ☺ Enjoyed it. Thanks!
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The challenge is always…how to present to anyone reading, no matter the target audience, in such a way that every single person understands what the message is. More difficult to do than you would think!
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Agree. Both images and words have varying appeals to different mindsets.
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This story speaks so well to the inevitable challenge in the business world – keep things simple enough so that folks can understand, but don’t make them feel like you are “dumbing it down” as a reflection of them. Story telling is always a great way to engage a crowd and promote learning, we remember stories much better than boring lectures. However, just as you note, it is all to easy to step on toes when story-telling, red flags abound! 🙂
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Bang on! We need to keep eyes, ears and mind open for stories and then filter those tailored to the environment.
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Story telling on the corporate level, is called manipulation amongst the common folk… Excellently presented six, Reena.
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It is all about perspective 🙂 Thanks, Violet!
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Never insult your audience . Good simple advice!
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Thanks so much!
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