Arouse Curiosity, Apply a Pattern Break
“What if I told you that you can work 4 hours a week while staying productive and doing everything well?”
Did you feel the urge to know what I'm talking about? Well, that's what this is about!
A similar technique existed long before Timothy Ferris and it still remains popular today. Of course, using this method for all sorts of spam has somewhat reduced its effectiveness. But, as before, it is used by many prominent speakers to create intrigue at the beginning of a speech or to move between semantic blocks within it. This technique involves some kind of incitement, posing provocative questions in order to "shock" the audience, confuse it, and arouse curiosity.
Engage Your Senses
Psychologists use VAK - visual, audio, and kinesthetic methods to immerse a person in a desired experience or state. If in a person's imagination a picture is needed for a certain emotional background, then the brain will experience it as if the events are actually taking place. Use different channels and create the atmosphere for your story in as much detail as possible: describe in detail the adrenaline that spills over your body when you fly over an abyss on a hang glider, or that sad feeling of loss when a loved one dies. Do your best to make the audience not just listeners, but participants.
Be Aware Of The Conflict And Its Solution
Whether you're speaking to investors, invited as an expert to a conference, or presenting a product demo, don't forget the 2 traditional elements of any narrative: the conflict and the solution. There's always a problem to solve and a specific solution to show people. Talk about them as a consumer, tell your product story as a satisfied customer. Don't make the typical mistake of constructing the story from a salesperson's perspective.
Appeal To Higher Goals And Values
Stories are very good at showing how, as a result of some action or event, a person becomes a better version of himself. For example, concern for the environment is one of the factors that allows Tesla to be sold at a higher price. Human values, important societal goals, are something that can be appealed to, in addition to promises of direct profit.
Shock
Why do people like stories like "Fight Club", "Game of Thrones", or even Romeo and Juliet? Because in the end, they turn everything upside down, the logical ending, expected in accordance with the existing idea of the genre, does not follow from the plot. A similar technique can and should be used in storytelling. Change the direction of your story or draw unexpected conclusions.
Use Personal Experience To Create Metaphors
Religions use parables to tell something important in a short and metaphorical way and to make it understandable. The same purpose can be served by what once happened to you. Explaining to your subordinates or your app users how important it is not to ignore notifications? Remember the story about how you once drove past three gas stations, thinking that you still had enough fuel, and then had to stand on the side of the road for several hours. Keep in mind that metaphors don't have to be hackneyed, but they should be used.
Hide
Never reveal all cards at once. Would the already mentioned "Game of Thrones" be just as interesting if the course of events was read in advance?
When creating a story, always leave some elements hidden or unconfirmed. Lead the story and present your strongest arguments slowly. Look at Apple's presentations - they never start with what's most anticipated. "The most delicious" is prepared for later, they don't talk about it at all until the time comes.
We hope that was helpful. And as always...
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