Speaking Tips: Stories V Facts

Recently I came across a startling fact, more than 90% of the audience forgets what they hear during presentations. This is a huge number, more importantly if you make speeches and give presentations as part of business development  an evaluation of your style of delivery and content is a must. If your message is not getting through to your audience, your presentation is taking you away from billable work.

When making presentations to prospects, it is extremely important for attorneys to narrow their focus.  It is also one of the reasons why attorneys should include case histories, and anecdotes.

Each person's comprehension skills are different. Some of us are more visual and understand by seeing pictures, others more auditory, where tone and voice of the speaker makes a difference and then there are the kinesthetic types. We need to feel the story, in other words we need to become Hamlet in order to get his pain!

Most of us use a combination of  these modalities. The examples, or little vignettes used in presentations must incorporate them to ensure active listening by high numbers of the audience, otherwise the presentation has the potential to be hit or miss.

 Earlier this year in SCG Newsletter, I wrote an article on "The Power of Storytelling" which goes into considerable detail why most of us resonate MORE with stories than with facts and legalease.

Other tips for attorneys to consider when giving presentations:

• Speak so that your audience understands you, no legalease please.


• Speak so that your audience remembers your message. Remember stories appeal to the heart and facts appeal to the head. Most of us make decisions based on what our heart says, and use our brains to justify that decision.


• Motivate/inspire your audience to act on your message.