How do you make a story sound more engaging in a presentation?
Skip the drawn out setup and immediately drop your audience into the moment using time markers, the way films do.
What I say in the video
Often stories get dragged down by too much setup and unneeded background. Try borrowing a technique from film. Instead of a long intro, jump straight into the story.
"Day one, we land in Nepal."
"Day six, we're waiting on antibiotics."
And then when things get critical in the story, shift again to hours and minutes.
"6:15 AM, he's starting to fade."
"8:45, the supplies finally arrive."
Time markers pull your audience right into the moment.
What I didn’t say in the video
Most of the time your audience doesn't need a lot of background or a long set up to understand the scene. Time markers are a great way to insert them directly into the action: "Day six, we're waiting on antibiotics" puts them inside the wait. Once they're in it with you, present tense, they'll follow the story anywhere it goes.Try it today
Try this in your next presentation. Pick a story you tell often and cut the first two sentences. Start with a time marker instead. See what happens.Bill Smartt is a New York executive presence and public speaking coach and the founder of Smartt Talk. He works with leaders in financial services, tech, advertising and startups.
