I haven’t watched someone make having a stroke look so cool the way Jill did. In her TED talk titled My Stroke of Insight, she talks about the human brain and how the left and right hemisphere function, weaving in her story of the day she discovered she had a brain disorder.

She started her presentation with a story of why she grew up to study the brain. While she talked about her brother’s story in relation to why she became a neuroscientist, her slide show has only the picture of she and her brother in a hug.

Then she moved on to share a personal story. ‘On the morning of December 10, 1996, I woke up to discover that I had a brain disorder of my own.’ She used vivid language and concrete details to bring her story to life. ‘A blood vessel exploded in the left half of my brain. And in the course of four hours, I watched my brain deteriorate in its ability to process all information. I could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of my life. I essentially became an infant in a woman’s body.’

Because she was talking about the human brain, something many people will only see in pictures instead of physically, except they’re in the medical field, she proceeded to present a real human brain to show how the two hemispheres work. She violated the audience’s expectations, and you could hear the laughter of surprise coming from them.

Not only did the real human brain violate their expectations, it also helped the audience have a concrete visual experience pictures alone could not have delivered. Pictures are great and vital to the success of your presentation, but there’s something different when you see something in real life versus when you see it in a picture.

Some of the speakers of other TED talks I’ve watched often brought something tangible, something that can be held like a rubber band used to castrate pigs, a small suitcase of books, and a gun used by an abuser, to deliver a different sensory experience to their audience.

Jill grounded abstract concepts in a relatable context the audience could grasp. For the most part, she gave a stunning performance, as if she were an actress. ‘Light burned my brain like wildfire and sounds were so loud and chaotic. … Two and a half weeks after the haemorrhage, the surgeons went in, and they removed a blood clot the size of a golf ball.’

Towards the end of her presentation, Jill became very emotional as she shared her road to recovery. She allowed the emotions flow through every hand gesture and closed eyes and change in voice.

Jill’s TED talk could be a masterclass in storytelling in presentation. Now let’s see how some business leaders have used these techniques in their presentations and how you can use them in yours.

1. Start your presentation with a story

Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, often opens her presentations with the story of cutting the feet out of her pantyhose to create a smoother look under her clothing, which sparked her billion-dollar idea. Launching with a story immediately helps you connect with your audience.

2. Share personal stories

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, frequently shares how his $40 late fee for Apollo 13 at Blockbuster led him to question the rental model, ultimately inspiring Netflix’s creation. Personal stories work because they show authenticity and are often relatable (who hasn’t had late fees?). Make it context-appropriate.

3. Use vivid language and concrete details to bring your story to life

Steve Jobs used specific, concrete phrases in his 2007 iPhone launch presentation: ‘An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator… These are not three separate devices. This is one device. Who wants a stylus? You have to get them, put them away, you lose them. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus.’ Vivid language and concrete details make your story stick in your audience’s minds.

4. Violate your audience’s expectations

During the TED 2009 conference in Long Beach, California, Bill Gates made a memorable and somewhat shocking demonstration to highlight the dangers of malaria. He released a swarm of mosquitoes into the audience, saying, ‘There’s no reason only poor people should have the experience.’ The shock value jolts the brain to register something different, which makes your presentation memorable. Do something unexpected.

5. Deliver a sensory experience

Mark Zuckerberg’s 2016 Oculus Connect keynote included a live VR demonstration where he showed real-time social interaction in virtual reality, including taking a virtual selfie with his wife in VR while she was actually in another location. Engaging the senses allows your audience to be immersed in the presentation, making it unforgettable.

6. Ground abstract concepts in a relatable context

Warren Buffett explains complex financial concepts through simple metaphors. His famous ‘castle and moat’ analogy makes competitive advantage understandable to any audience. Metaphors and analogies help your abstract subject become tangible and concrete.

7. Embrace vulnerability

Satya Nadella shares in his 2017 presentation at Microsoft’s Build conference his experience as a parent of a son with cerebral palsy and how it influenced Microsoft’s development of accessible technology. Vulnerability makes you real and relatable to your audience, and it shows strength in leadership.

The key to using these techniques effectively isn’t just copying them but adapting them to your authentic style and message. Consider:

• What personal story connects to your message
• What tangible elements could bring your presentation to life
• How can you create an unexpected moment
• What metaphors would help your audience grasp complex ideas

Try implementing one or more of these techniques in your next presentation and share your experience. How did it go? What reactions did you notice from your audience?

Which of these techniques would you adopt in your next presentation? Which have you been using? How can you deliver an experience to your audience? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments and learn from each other!

Read also: Can You Identify Yourself? 5 Business Leaders Who Need Stories