Forbes recently published an article called “7 Keys to a New Business Model for Today’s Economy,” the purpose of which was to explore solutions for our changing market. What’s difference between the economy of today and the economy of ten years ago? According to the author, the key differentiator is that we have moved away from a “me” mentality of service, and moved into an era where businesses and their customers become a “we” unit.
From Airbnb to Tom’s shoes, consumers want to be apart of something bigger. They want to feel part of a community, and they want to improve the world using their financial sway. But how?
Here’s one of the key changes that businesses need to make which the Forbes article mentions, and perhaps the most important one of the entire list:
“Tell your purpose story for engagement and improved recollection. Stories have been an essential driver of change and engagement throughout human history. Good stories make us think and make us feel. They stick in our minds and help us remember ideas and concepts in a way that numbers and text on a slide with a bar graph won’t.” Source: 7 Keys To A New Business Model For Today’s Economy
If brands and individuals need to become storytellers in order to meet today’s needs, there is no better vehicle for this than a presentation. Here’s why.
For Physical and Digital Combinations
When you unite the incredibly personal effect of storytelling with contemporary digital design, your message bridges both and strengthens your message. It’s why they still use slides to back up key points during TED talks; 65% of the population are visual leaners. Today’s consumers in today’s economy need to see, as well as hear, your message. No other speaking platform does this quite as well as a presentation.
For Unexpected Inspiration
The new economy is about shared experiences and the stories that move us. For instance, curated news site Unworthy focuses specifically on videos with a moving, emotional slant. They have over 200m+ views per year, all based around the idea that people want to feel inspired, not dragged down, when they consume content. You have an opportunity to revise your presentation strategy to meet these new needs. What would happen if you took an old pitch deck and tried to make it inspiring rather than stuffy and traditional? We imagine the end result would be a presentation worthy of the new market audience.
For Innovation
The beautiful thing about presentations is that their design isn’t trapped in the ClipArt world of ’93. As fast as contemporary design changes, PowerPoint design is updated right alongside of it. When you evolve your presentation skills as technology and audiences change, you are able to stay current in a way that doesn’t apply to so many other areas of business. We aren’t using floppy disc any more, but we are definitely still using PowerPoint and Keynote.
If consumers crave storytelling and a connected experience in the new economy, then presentations are the perfect bridge from your message to their ears. Why aren’t you updating and developing your skill set? The new business model is changing; you should be changing along with it.
