If you want ideas presented at your events to stand out to attendees, you must learn how to captivate the human mind, according to Richard Newman, who will be presenting the plenary session “The Science of Storytelling” during MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), 22-25 February in Istanbul.
“We used to live in a time with just a couple of TV channels, where people communicated by post or a phone-call. Today, people are bombarded by messages all day long through emails, webinars, texts, social media and so on,” says Newman, CEO and founder of UK Body Talk Ltd. “People need to very quickly assess if your message is worth listening to, due to the information overload they currently experience. Your audience also has many more options for how they choose to spend their time and consume content. Therefore, you must elevate the power of your message with skills that persuade them to pay attention and give value to your words. This will allow you to experience the results, reaction and respect your ideas deserve.”
We spoke with Newman about a better way to tell stories and what he learned about communication as an actor.
Can you share an example of how many companies fall short when trying to tell their story?
Many people believe they are already effective storytellers. After all, they have heard stories throughout their lives so they assume they must be able to tell them. However, we know that you cannot be a good musical composer just by listening to music. You need to understand the mechanics that allow you to captivate people. The same is true with stories. There is a fundamental framework that all great stories must have in order to ensure that people listen, care about your message and take action on what you said. When you learn this, you can make even the most complex information enjoyable to listen to.
Is there a communication skill you learned through acting that would also benefit professional meeting planners?
I studied acting for three years in London, learning how to bring stories to life in a way that would captivate an audience in-person or on screen. We all need to do this these days in our work, to engage the people around us in meetings and on video calls. One of the critical pieces you soon learn is that “the words won’t speak for themselves.” In other words, the actor needs to bring the words in the script to life in a way that the audience will understand, care about and remember what you say. Many people in business think that their “ideas will speak for themselves,” but this is false. We need people to bring these messages to life. One of the simplest ways to do this is to break your message down into three simple pieces: what do you want people to Know, Do and Feel. Almost everyone focuses on the first two. They tell people what they want them to know and do. However, they often gloss over the third piece. Your audience’s emotional minds are the key player in their decision-making process and so if you fail to influence this effectively, they may not care about or act on your ideas. You must learn how to move people with your message, through focusing on the emotional reaction you are aiming for while delivering a logical and intelligent message.
What do you hope EMEC attendees will take away from your session?
I will share how to take any idea and make it clear, concise and compelling through the power of effective storytelling. This doesn’t mean you need to use fun anecdotes, in fact you can take dull statistics and spreadsheets and weave them into a storytelling structure that compels people to listen to your ideas, increasing your influence and impact on the people around you.
