Suspense, by nature, can take a narrative and make it incite emotion. The best way to engage with that emotion is to draw it out and let the audience feel it for a while. Here are a few tips on how to realize the full potential suspense can build for you.
Start with a Story
Take your audience on a journey with you. As a storyteller, you will build trust and interest immediately with your listeners their navigator. Suspense then builds as they invest in you and what you have to say. According to Oxford Academic, as routes to persuasion, transportation and immersion work by intensifying brand experience rather than boosting brand evaluation. This further solidifies that the best suspense is personal. It is always a win when your audience is eagerly awaiting your pitch versus constantly questioning the validity of it.
Work in Well-Placed Pauses
As mentioned last week, pauses can be powerful. Ask questions and actually give your audience the time to try to craft an answer. Listeners can be conditioned to expecting the answers to be spelled out for them. By giving them time to craft their own solution and engaging them, you will pique their interest as they search for the resolution. Curiosity is a powerful tool to utilize for engagement. Once you have naturally built suspense this way you are able to educate, finally delivering the much-anticipated answer.
Use Abstract Imagery
While in a presentation it’s important to let the slideshow be in the background so as not to be distracting, if done right it can heavily impact your audience’s experience. Much like impressionistic art is unclear when viewed up close, visual imagery can draw attention and raise questions. After you’ve taken a step back from an impressionistic piece, you can see the true subject the artist painted. Consider using visuals that make the audience wonder where you are going, and then explaining in more detail as you go, having them fully understand the imagery by the end of your pitch.
Close with a Call to Action
Of course, the best suspense is personal. Craft a single sentence that will stick with your audience and employ it on your very last slide. Leave your audience with something to mull over long after your presentation is finished. A bold sentence like “know better, do better” can evoke emotion and cause an internal reaction. Make sure your audience has a reason to contact you in the near future for more information or to start a partnership.
At Ethos3, we love suspense. Get a free quote today to see how we can keep your audience on the edge of their seat.
