Humans love stories. From a young age, we hear them, tell them, write them and watch them. As we get older, they're still a big part of our lives.
We tell stories every day, whether it's at work or when we tell a friend about the things we're doing in our lives.
And stories might just be one of the secrets to giving a good business presentation. "Stories connect with people much more than statistics," says Mahnoor Sheikh from Visme, a presentation company.
And with any business presentation, you want to leave an impression on the people you're presenting to.
To do this, according to the team from jobs website Indeed, you first have to understand your audience. Who are they? What do they need to know to get excited about what you have to say?
During your presentation, you want to share your own enthusiasm with the audience and involve them with eye contact, says TED curator Chris Anderson.
To begin, the Indeed team says, you need to prepare a strong start to your presentation, which will let you form a connection with your audience.
Next, you have to keep that connection — and you have to be careful.
If you're using presentation software, keep your slides simple. They're just there to help you communicate, says Sheikh. If they're full of text, people may begin reading the slides and stop listening to you.
And don't read from a teleprompter, says Anderson. If you do, you'll lose your connection with the audience. Either memorize your presentation, or use brief points on cards or slides to guide you.
Finally, Indeed says, give the audience something to think about when they leave the room. You had a strong start — now finish telling your story in the same way!
It's also important to have done your research — because you may have to answer questions from your audience at the end!