Once you have established what you want to say (see Messages & Persuasive Points), you need to find a compelling way to say it. We can turn to classic stories to understand how drama is created to keep audiences captivated. The 'Hero’s Journey’ is a structure seen in numerous legends, fairy tales and Hollywood movies, including Star Wars, The Lion King and The Lord of the Rings. Great business presentations, including TED Talks, are often inspired by this formula. It works the world over and provides an excellent template for injecting emotion into business communications.

SET THE SCENE
At the very start of these stories, everything is normal. There is a status quo that people are quite content with. Luke Skywalker is on the farm, the Hobbits are having a tea party, and your colleagues or clients are working in a business they’re rightly proud of. Establishing what’s good about now makes the audience care more about future threats.
 
PRESENT THE CHALLENGE
Nothing lasts forever. Whether you’re in branding or in King’s Landing, there’s always a threat on the horizon or an opportunity you might seize too late. At this point in the story, it’s important to highlight what’s at stake. Our hero is not yet ready to be a hero. They are nervous and don’t feel equipped to take on the challenge. This is where you come in.
 
OFFER HOPE
In a business context, your audience members are the nervous heroes and you are Dumbledore, Gandalf and Obi wan Kenobi all rolled into one! It’s your job to offer them hope and build their confidence. This means reassuring them that your proposals will help them succeed and reminding them how great success will feel when they achieve it.
 
GO ON LEARNING JOURNEY
In the next phase of the Hero’s Journey, the protagonist goes through a series of trials, each of which builds their understanding, skills and belief. By the time they face the ultimate challenge, they’re fully equipped and confident to overcome it (defeat Voldemort, destroy the Death Star or allow the Ring to fall into the fires of Mount Doom).
 
HAPPY ENDING
The battle’s been won, the treasure’s been found, and the celebrations begin. Whilst fireworks may breach health and safety regulations in a business environment, always end on a high note - in any experience, what people feel at the end is key to what they take away. When closing a presentation, for example, always provide a recap of the key learning and implications, make sure everyone knows what they need to do next, and leave them feeling confident that they’re on the path to success.