Picture the Scene
It’s a first date with someone you’re very excited to learn more about. After finally plucking up the courage to ask them out to dinner, you’ve spent hours preening yourself in front of the mirror to impress them.
You get to the restaurant early (just in case). Your date arrives, and they look as fabulous as you remember them. As they take their seat, there is a palpable frisson of electricity between you. This evening could be the start of something extraordinary. After all, your date seems keen – they’ve given up their time to spend it with you, right?
The waiter comes over and takes your drinks order. You stare into each other’s eyes, and then, in an attempt to break the ice, you start sharing your life story.
Non-stop.
No detail is left out – your parents, stories from your schooldays, the minutiae of your job, how much you earn, what car you drive. Your date can’t get a word in edgeways as you bombard them with information about you.
Only you.
Sensing that your date is now starting to get bored, you up the pace and start throwing in testimonials from previous partners, all of whom will attest to your upstanding character and great humour.
There’s no stopping you. You’re on fire! No chance for your date to offer an opinion or ask a question.
It’s 100% about you.
Fast forward 30 minutes, and you’re alone at the table. Your date excused themselves to visit the bathroom 10 minutes ago and hasn’t returned. You blew it. There will be no second date.
Of course, we’d never do such a thing in real life…but for some bizarre reason, many business presenters take this approach when it comes to pitches. They lead their sales presentations with piles of information about company size, EBITDA and geographical coverage before they’ve even started to understand why their audience is affording them the time in the first place.
So when SHOULD you talk about yourself? In the latest of our In Conversation videos, Luke Riordan and Damon Carter chat through presentation storytelling techniques and structures that not only engage an audience, but also prompt them to ask for more information about you.
Note – neither Luke nor Damon can help you with dating techniques or advice. Sorry.
To learn more about how storytelling can change the dynamics in your next presentation, check out our sales presentation training pages here.
