Whiteboard Story Selling: Shiny Jewels To Capture Attention

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What’s the best way to capture attention of your audience? Cut through the clutter. Today’s audiences are drowning in information, verbal descriptions and yes…bullet points. But is all that information leading to fresh ideas and smart decisions?

 

More professionals are turning to visual storytelling—done with paper, in sketches, at a flipchart, whiteboard or with props—to capture imagination in simple direct language.

 

But let’s face the facts. It looks kind of complicated, creative and challenging—if you don’t consider yourself a cartoonist, doodler or marketing genius. The awesome cartoonist at the front of the room makes drawing on the spot look simple. But what can you do if your writing is chicken scratch and your drawings look like unrecognizable scribbles?

 

In trainings, coaching sessions and workshops, there are a few crown jewels that rise to the top. These gems are the ones that once learned; enable people who previously swore they had ‘zero talent’ get up in front of a serious crowd and sketch out a proposal.

 

If you’d like to make that kind of radical transformation in your own presenting, it’s entirely possible. Just open the treasure chest and start using these valuable jewels.

 

1.       Diamond: Simplify Everything

The most valuable and rare jewel: simplification. When you’re using visual stories, this is your guiding crown jewel. Everything else is a far second.

 

2.       Ruby: Relate To Core Emotions

Emotions are universal. What does your audience believe, feel and intuitive desire? This is not rocket science. It’s more about human understanding. People long to escape pain and achieve freedom. People want to share ideas, collaborate and be happy.

 

By understanding and relating to core human emotions, you’ll be much more approachable in your visual storytelling.

 

3.       Emerald: Appeal To Aspirations, Dreams and Visions

Dreams guide us to where we want to go. In business. At home. At work. Everywhere in between. What does your audience dream of? How can you organize your visual story to connect to their aspirations and dreams?

 

Hint: keep asking the questions to understand true aspirations. If you don’t know the answers, it’s still important to keep asking the questions.

 

4.       Sapphire: Stay True To Your Natural Ability

Like the deep color blue of sapphire, being authentic is what everyone sees. When you are natural and yourself in front of a crowd, people feel it. They see it in the way you move, what you say, and how you show confident presence.

 

When you’re working in front of a group with a marker, your comfort level shows. Big time. Do you ever feel nervous or unsure? Of course. But that shouldn’t stop you. Instead, admit it to your audience. You’ll build a powerful bridge of rapport and trust.

 

And you know what, in minutes after admitting a moment of jitters, you’ll feel much calmer. There’s something about releasing that deep scary secret to others that dispels nervous energy.

 

5.       Topaz: Show Tangible Evidence

While you’re working at the whiteboard, don’t forget all the other tools you have at your disposal. Demonstrations. Props. Visual models. Everyday items.

 

Some of the most effective visual storytellers use everyday objects to bring their story into tangible reality. For example, if you’re discussing viewing a situation as half-empty or half full. Show this on the whiteboard. And also show this by pouring water into 2 glasses. Pour the water to equal heights.

 

Now engage your audience. Do they see each glass as half empty or half full?

 

By shifting your conversation from depicting at the whiteboard to depicting with physical objects, you take everything to a higher level. No longer are you simply showing a visual map. You’re revealing tangible evidence.

 

While you may decide to do this for only one portion of your whiteboard presentation, you’re making everything on the board more concrete.

 

Are there more jewels in the treasure chest? You bet. Get started with these 5 and you’ll capture attention faster than anything you have used before.

 

If you’re serious about winning with whiteboard story selling, discover the power of whiteboard templates, visual icons, and interactive momentum. You’ll take your skills to a whole new level.