For more advanced tips, check out: Masking effects in PowerPoint: Creating stencils. The method will vary depending on which presentation platform you’re using, but we have useful tutorials on this type of effect in Google Slides as well.
Technique 4: Using consistent characters
In our blog post on the science of storytelling we discuss how character-driven stories can provoke an emotional response in an audience, particularly if that character is shown moving through a dramatic arc – a rise in tension, a climax, and a happy ending.
In your presentation, the main character portugal phone number format should be your audience, or perhaps your audience’s customer/client. And you can track their journey through the dramatic arc using the problem, solution, benefit approach: first, you describe the challenge they’re facing, then you discuss how your solution resolves this problem, and finally you present the benefits your solution will offer your audience – the happy ending.
Introducing lots of different characters for every scene of a play or page of a book would be confusing, and the same applies to storytelling in presentations. It’s worth using consistent images in different scenarios to help shape a cohesive and engaging narrative – this way, your audience has a character to empathise with and can follow their journey from beginning to end.
Discover how to find effective stock images in our Shutterstock vs. iStock blog post.
Technique 5: Metaphors (without being cheesy)
Metaphors are a great way to break down big, difficult to understand ideas into digestible concepts.
Whether you’re trying to explain a tricky topic, or just want to make dry content more relevant and persuasive for your audience, engaging them with something that‘s universally familiar can help them get to grips with the content more quickly and remember the key takeaways.
One of the pitfalls of using a metaphor to get your message across is underestimating your audience – just because you’re talking about accountants, doesn’t mean you need an image of someone in a suit to tell the story. In fact, you might just end up with cheesy, dated images like this one…
Stock image of a group of people in business suits racing on a race track. A woman is crossing the finish line.
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