How to Use Stories When Giving TECHNICAL Presentations

There are three main types of eye contact when it comes to public speaking.

There is the bottom point 0 1 percent.

Those people are staring at their notes the whole time on the floor or they’re looking at the clock over everyone’s head.

They’re the worst.

And then there is the next sort of ninety nine point one percent of speakers.

They’re doing some version of the windshield wiper.

They’re looking at the whole room the whole time but they’re never really looking at you.

And it may be fasts like a water sprinkler.

It may be slow but you can just tell they’re focused inward.

They may be looking out but they’re not really looking at anyone individual they’re just looking at an audience that’s not what the best speakers in the world do.

That’s not what the best point 0 0 1 percent of speakers do.

Have any of you ever seen Bill Clinton speak in person by the way.

I’ll occasionally give political references across the spectrum.

I’m not pushing anyone’s politics today so you may like or dislike anyone politician I reverends.

I’m not talking about their policies.

Most fair minded people would say that the last thirty five years Reagan and Clinton are two of the top English speaking public speakers in the world.

So that’s my starting assumption.

Well one of my trainers used to work with Bill Clinton just as a low level campaign aide.

One day it was re-election time laid out that out campaigning President Clinton had given a big speech fund to ten 10000 people and of the day they’re sitting around at a table sleeves rolled up having a beer playing poker and my guy Andy turns to me and says Wow Mr. President you nailed that speech was just fantastic.

You just did a fantastic speech to 10000 people it was great.

President Clinton turns this Andy.

No I didn’t.

I didn’t speak to 10000 people today.

I spoke to one person and I had a private one on one conversation with that person for a full file.

Then I went to another person in the audience and I locked eyes only for a couple of sentences like four or five seconds and then I went to another person in the audience and locked eyes.

And Andy what this does is it makes the person really feel a personal connection for me.

And it’s frankly more relaxing to me because I’m now looking at one person and that’s part what makes me sound conversational.

And here’s the thing Andy even when I’m up on a stage.

Bright lights dark audience and I can’t see anything.

It still works.

I just look two hundred feet out that area.

Twenty people in that area will all feel like I’m looking at them.

And the key is really holding it for four or five sentences.

Now you’re not doing it for a minute or two minutes or three minutes you’re just doing it for say six seconds or less for five six seconds.

And it’s consistent in that it’s not consistent like a machine gun or a water sprinkler.

There’s variety but it’s consistent that everyone gets some personal attention and it really stands out.

It makes the audience feel so much more connected and that s the top point 0 0 1 percent of speakers use their eyes.

Now let me step back for a minute.

Let’s analyze that.

What did I just do.

I just gave you a technical presentation.

I could have put up a slide that said three types of eye contact.

Bottom point one percent reading ninety nine point nine percent windshield wiper top point on one percent hold eye contact for two sentences or more purely technical information.

But if I identify that way you would have forgotten.

So I illustrated it with a story is the story true as far as I know.

Yes.

In this case it was told to me second hand.

So I wasn’t even there.

It still works.

All things being equal it’s better when it’s personal and you’re the first person there.

But second hand story is perfectly fine.