Ah, our friend Florian never fails to grab and hold the attention and we’re not easily impressed, mind you. His talk on rhetorical orgasms at the 2021 Present to Succeed was such a hit, we simply had to chase him down in sunny Barcelona and ask him to take part in the 2022 edition. We didn’t have to beg.
Professional speaking trainer, Florian Mueck, opened the Present to Succeed Storytelling track at this year’s conference with another exciting topic – What the Hell Are You Doing Here? The Magic of Meeting Your Audience in Your Story. (You can trust Florian with catchy titles). With the word magic written in red on the whiteboard behind him, Florian told us the pivotal factor in any story is connection. That’s the magic.
Let’s dive into the five big takeaways from Florian’s talk on how to connect with your audience.
Describe the situation
You’ve invited someone over to your place and you want them to feel at ease, right? The same goes for story setting. Use a few descriptive phrases to help the listeners enter the space you’re inviting them to. Florian prompts you to think: what is there around you, what can you see when you look around? Answering those questions inevitably transfers your and your audience’s minds to a new, shared context. Sensory details make your story believable (and they are one of the 8 story components described by another of our lectors, Kendall Haven).
Involve the senses
Speaking of sensory details, our senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste – play a crucial role in building connection with the audience. The thing is, seeing often prevails over the rest because when we describe things, we predictively use plenty of adjectives that help us visualise the story. Florian suggests we try to somehow include some of the rest, as senses speak to memories and memories evoke emotions. What better way to bond with your listeners than through emotions? Let your story ring with all the senses, because this will activate more brain areas, responsible for making your story memorable.
Introduce characters
Now that your guests are all where you wanted them to be, why don’t you introduce them to your fellow hosts, the characters of the story. It’s easier for the audience to relate to your message if it were communicated by someone who’s just like them. And remember to bring the characters to life, says Florian. This basically means to give them a Name, portray their Looks and describe their Personality, NLP. Of course, not in a Hemingwayan way, just some special features that would stick to your listeners’ mind.
Use dialogue
Or, as Floran puts it – add chili to your story. When speaking before an audience, it’s vital that you pepper your story with dialogues. They simply put everything into motion, make matters more dynamic and stimulating. Indirect speech is awesome for prose but it’s a no-no when you’re trying to engage your audience.
Stick to the present tense
This is another trick that facilitates connection with your audience – keeping the listeners immersed in the storyline, in the here and now. Let now be your forever temporal pillar. Using past-tense verbs may distract the audience’s attention and you risk losing it completely. The historic present, on the other hand, makes your narrative more vivid and dramatic, even if you’re speaking about past events.
Take Florian’s example:
I walk towards the yellow ticket machine and the train is rushing in.
I walked towards the yellow ticket machine and the train rushed in.
See how more dynamic the first sentence is? It gets you excited about the rest of the story.
These are the five methods of connecting with your audience through storytelling, according to public speaking guru Florian Mueck. If that sounds interesting, watch the session to see what Florian has to say about his very own Hannibal Lecter technique to get into people’s brains (let’s face it, it’s sheer manipulation) or what he thinks about connecting to the audience in a business or technical environment. Hint: know your Aristotle.
Florian Mueck will be speaking live at the Present to Succeed conference on 28 April 2023. This third PTS edition will be hybrid to suit a variety of time zones and work schedules. Why don’t you join next year’s fabulous line-up here in Sofia or from the comfort of your home? Info and tickets available here.
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organization or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and influencing them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Now is the best moment to get your ticket!
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organisation or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and learn how to influence them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Get your ticket now!
