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A study of what
makes people fall in love has implications for helping
speakers connect with audiences. Specifically, the more personal
stuff you reveal about yourself, the more likely your audience is
to like you.
At least that’s
the conclusion that we draw from a recently publicized
study about what makes people fall in love.
In the study, researchers at
the State University of New York at Stony Brook
gave pairs of students scripts that urged them to reveal things
about themselves in varying degrees. The pairs that revealed more
about themselves tended to form closer personal bonds. In fact one
pair got married.
What does all
this mean for those that want to connect better with an audience?
Simple. The more you reveal about yourself during a presentation, the more the audience
will like you.
Indeed, at
Speechworks, we urge our clients to tell stories about themselves
as part of the presentation. Certainly you want to tell about
your own success stories. If you’re trying to persuade a client to
hire your accounting firm, tell stories about your own experiences
solving other similar accounting problems.
But it’s also a
good idea to weave personal details about yourself in the course
of the presentation. Letting people know that you have children
or are learning to play tennis are personal details that will help
you connect with the audience.
Next time you
have to put together a speech, let the audience in on some
personal details of your life. They'll fall in love with you.
At Speechworks we
help our clients learn how to communicate in a way that connects
and persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a great
communicator give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our
website at
www.speechworks.net. |
