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Academics and marketers alike have found that our brains are hardwired to process and store information in the form of stories. So, when we hear that “once upon a time” there was a certain character in such and such place, our minds are immediately transported to this imaginary scene. In fact, according to professional speaker Akash Karia, stories are irresistible to the human mind because they activate our imaginations and so we have no choice but to follow the mental movies created in our heads. As a result, they are used by many TED presenters who are some of the most inspirational speakers in the world. Here are several ways you can make your next presentation one your audience will never forget. Putting It All Together • How to Deliver an Unforgettable Presentation | 113 A successful talk is a little miracle—people see the world differently afterward. TED curator Chris Anderson How to Deliver an Unforgettable Presentation • Create Suspense. | 116 about a woman who was born without fibula bones and grew up to be an accomplished athlete, actress and model. Another way is to plop the viewer/listener right in the middle of action and then go backwards in time to reveal how all of this occurred. A good example of this is Zak Ibrahim’s story, which begins with the revelation that his father was involved in the World Trade Center bombing. He then goes back in time to tell events from his childhood and how he grew up to choose a different path from his father’s. 3 CREATE SUSPENSE. Those who love to watch movies or read books know that a good story always has to have a conflict and a plot. These two elements are what make a good presentation into a roller coaster ride that keeps listeners/viewers at the edge of their seats, asking themselves, “What will happen next?” There are several devices that can increase the level of suspense of your story. One way is to tell a story chronologically and build up to a climactic conclusion, as is done here in this story Zak Ibrahim - I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace. A third way is to begin by telling a predictable story and then surprise the audience by taking a completely different turn from what was expected. For example, this TED talk begins with a presenter who leads his audience to believe he doesn’t speak English, only to surprise them in order to make a point about how we construct identity. How to Deliver an Unforgettable Presentation • Create Suspense | 117 Hetain Patel - Who am I? Think again Characters are at the heart of any story. Their fortunes and misfortunes are what make people want to laugh, cry or rejoice. The most successful stories, I found, were those that created three-dimensional characters who were easy to identify and, at the same time, had an uncommon characteristic. In order to do this, you must provide enough detail to bring the character to life in the minds of those in the audience. For example, in this presentation master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell creates a vivid picture of Howard by describing his physical appearance and mentioning his hobbies and obsessions. How to Deliver an Unforgettable Presentation • Bring Characters to Life | 118 BRING CHARACTERS TO LIFE.4 Malcolm Gladwell - Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce
