Too Much Drama Is not Always Useful in Presentations2 min read

A 2018 analysis [M. Iftekhar Tanveer et al (2018)] of transcripts from 2.000 TED talks and the text-based evaluations these talks received from viewers revealed that TED presentations tend to follow one of three narrative arcs:

How the Audience Rated These Clusters of Talks

The researchers analyzed over 5 million audience comments left under the TED-talks.

Key Findings for Each Arc Cluster

It is incredibly difficult to make a presentation that is simultaneously very engaging/emotional and highly persuasive and clear. It is always a trade-off.

What Should You Choose?

There is no universal answer. Consider the Context, Audience, Material, and Speaker

Context:

What is the format of the presentation? Time, place, audience size, a large stage or a meeting room? Just hearing terms like “Courtroom”, “Boardroom” or “Fuckup Night” already suggests which arc not to use.

Audience:

What is their state of mind? Are they motivated by your topic? Do they have the expertise to understand you? Are they tired or energized? Are they opponents or supporters? For a simple “Send us your price list” request, there is no need for a story—you just send the price list. People gathering price lists are just compiling a “who charges what” table—they are not interested in extra details. If you are defending a decision, Arc 0 might be the way to go or even Arc -1

Material:

What content do you have? Not all content needs to fit into a dramatic story. A narrative like “A proton-hero once met…” might resonate with kids, but they certainly do not need quantum physics yet. On the other hand, a dull safety lecture for factory workers might require at least some dramaturgy to keep them from “burning out.”

Speaker:

What are your talents? What inspires you? Do you love organizing everything methodically and delivering detailed, evidence-based lectures? In that case, Arc 1 might feel torturous for you. Arc 0 could suffice—it keeps the audience engaged without stretching your comfort zone.

Sources:
M. Iftekhar Tanveer, Samiha Samrose, Raiyan Abdul Baten, M. Ehsan Hoque, Awe the Audience: How the Narrative Trajectories Affect Audience Perception in Public Speaking (2018), https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3173574.3173598