I was at an event recently and watched an expert deliver a message she clearly thought was critical. I could tell she knew her stuff, and she started to shift my way of thinking in the first few minutes of her presentation.
But then she started reading from lists of bullets on her PowerPoint — and continued to do so for the rest of her talk. She ended up losing me altogether, because I can go back and read those slides myself any time I want.
Sound familiar?
B2B ≠ Boring
B2B marketing gets a bad rap for being buttoned-up and boring. (That’s a lot of B’s, I know.) And while that can often be true, it doesn’t have to be.
Especially not on your watch.
How could that expert have made her presentation more interesting?
Once Upon a Time…
The human mind is literally hardwired for stories. A study cited in Harvard Business Review charts what happens in our brains when we hear a story.
During stressful moments, the brain pumps out cortisol — a stress hormone that helps focus.
Feel-good points within a story prompt the release of oxytocin, which makes you feel connected to what’s going on and empathic toward the characters.
And a happy ending triggers the production of dopamine, fueling a sense of optimism and hope.
The amount of each chemical that your brain produces can have a real effect on your behavior.
In the study cited by Harvard, the researcher showed his subjects an emotional father-and-son movie before asking them to donate money to a stranger. Those with higher levels of oxytocin were more likely to agree to the request.
What Does This Mean for Your B2B Marketing?
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