Resonate

Presentation Storytelling

Film director Alfred Hitchcock was fastidious when planning and organizing his films. He coordinated all the complex components of moviemaking: costumes, visual effects, sets, production elements, shot lists, camera angles, scenes and storyboards.

Actress Janet Leigh explained, “In his mind, and sketched on the pages of his script, the film was already shot. He showed me the model sets and moved the miniature camera through the tiny furniture toward the wee dolls, exactly the way he intended to do in the ‘reel’ life. Meticulously thorough down to the minutest detail.” Or as Hitchcock told French film director François Truffaut, “I never look at a script while I’m shooting. I know the whole film by heart.”

Hitchcock sets a great example. When delivering a presentation, adopt his scrupulous attention to detail and tell powerful stories. When you set your talks within a story framework, your presentations will be memorable and will engage your audience. Compelling stories deliver meaning and information while enabling your audience to see and feel your message.

The presentations that engross people tell stories. In 1863, German dramatist...