Looking for the secret to an engaging virtual presentation?! The movies have mastered the art of engaging audiences on-screen from years of practice and experimentation. While your virtual presentation doesn’t have to be worthy of an Oscar’s nod, it does pay to use these movie secrets for an engaging virtual presentation that stands out from the competition.
3 movie secrets for an engaging virtual presentation
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Cut to the chase
Filmmakers know that people have increasingly short attention spans and little patience for a lot of exposition. A blockbuster film doesn’t start with the director’s commentary – featuring a clip outlining their filmography or detailing their artistic approach to the film’s creation. So, neither should you! Cut right to the chase…
When the competition for a customer’s attention is stiff, there is no room for introductory fluff (and yes, I am talking about your corporate overview!) once you dive into your presentation. Give your prospect an immediate and compelling reason to pay attention by cutting right to it. What’s ‘the chase’ in your presentation? It’s likely a key issue, an insight, or expected value – something of great interest to your buyer.
PRO TIP: Learn more about cutting to the chase in your openings here.
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Raise the stakes
High stakes in movies – plotlines involving a lot of risk or serious consequences – keep the story moving, the characters growing, and (most importantly) the audience engaged! Whether that’s intercepting a bomb that is set to explode at midnight or chasing the love of your life to the airport before they board a plane and are gone forever.
You too need to make sure that the stakes are as high as possible when presenting your business case. If the stakes aren’t high enough, doing nothing remains a viable option for your prospect. Raise the Stakes in your presentation by determining what is really at stake for your prospect. Dig deeper by asking yourself (or your prospect during discovery), “And then what happens?” This will help to highlight the importance of deciding and the consequences of either indecision or a poor decision.
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Show don’t tell
Showing, rather than telling an audience what’s happening, allows the audience to truly experience the story – interpreting meaning through actions, words, and senses, rather than a narrator’s description. By showing your solution, or the results of your solution in action, either through customer success stories or compelling demonstrations, let your prospects reach their own conclusion and have greater lasting power than hitting them over the head with a list of facts.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD – Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club, is a big proponent of this technique. Can you imagine how different the film would be if the narrator had outright told you that Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) was a figment of Edward Norton’s imagination?!
Use these movie secrets to keep busy buyers engaged and ensure they remember your message when buying decisions are made!
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If you are ready to tap into the power of building personal virtual relationships through the screen, I’ve laid the path out for you in my new book that won the 2021 Gold Medal Top Sales Book, Look Me In the Eye: Using Video to Build Relationships with Customers, Partners and Teams. In it you’ll find all the steps and tactics you need to engage your audience.
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