I wish someone had told me how many silly faces I pull when I speak!
I was gobsmacked when I saw the photos from a presentation I did recently….every single one with a daft expression!
But, the feedback to the talk I delivered on “The Power of Storytelling” and those silly facial expressions really blew me away. Here is one comment:
“What a great way to market your business, by storytelling!! Meena recently spoke at our Unique Ladies event and she was so inspirational. Meena has a great knack of “story telling” and when she shared how this worked in practice we all had our minds blown. Since then it’s been my pleasure to refer Meena and her excellent marketing skills to two CEOs and I will continue to do so. If you’re looking for someone to help take your business to market, look no further.”
I was the keynote speaker presenting for half an hour to a group of business owners. I realised two days beforehand when I went to check the venue, that there was no tech in the room that you could easily link to nor any flipcharts, boards, etc. So, I went out and bought my own standalone flipchart and used that as a prompt for my talk. I didn’t want to lose my flow, and 30 minutes is quite a long time, even for me!
So, with one prop and a flip chart I held the audience’s attention for half an hour
This is how:
- I did my research – I didn’t know a single person in the room, (not even the person who had invited me to deliver the talk) so I asked the organiser what industry sectors people worked in, so I could tailor my talk.
- I listened – whilst everyone was grabbing a drink before the event started I listened to what they had to say, to me and each other.
- I engaged – though the flip chart was beside me, I kept my focus on the audience and made eye contact and engaged with them.
- I was emotional – no, I don’t mean sobbing, but there was a lot of honesty and emotion, which I could see the audience could relate to.
- I smiled – even through those daft expressions!
- I told genuine stories – several in fact, with some dating back to the 1940s.
- I was relatable – by listening, engaging and connecting with my audience, they could relate to what I had to say.
The outcome
- Fabulous feedback.
- An invitation to be a keynote speaker at another event! Woohoo!
- People opening up and sharing their stories with me after the event.
- Follow ups with people wanting meetings.
- Invitations to meet other speakers, writers and business owners!
So, every bit of “nerves tingled with excitement” was worth it!
Connecting with your audience through storytelling is absolutely magical and it can be done in so many ways, ranging from written content for your blogs, social media posts, website or newsletter, through to videos, podcasts and of course speaking at events!
Here’s some more feedback from the event:
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“I felt you were very knowledgeable and experienced in your field. However, for me, the real draw was how well you told your own story as this was engaging, interesting and inspiring – that felt to me authentic and added further weight to how well you can then tell the story for others in business.”
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“You were fabulous.”
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“I really loved what you had to say Meena!”
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“Thank you so much for everything you shared.”
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“Personally, I found your talk really interesting. There was a sense of vulnerability when you spoke of your family/culture, and I really warmed to that. It set the scene for us understanding your drive and passion.”