Studies Reveal Your Voice is More Powerful Than Your Powerpoint and a Case Study That Proves It
I will never forget the boy from 6B, and neither should you.
I cannot stop thinking (and telling anyone who will listen) about Episode 7 of Only Murders in the Building. “The Boy From 6B” focuses on the story of Theo, the deaf son of a deli magnate, and his connection to a 20-year-old unsolved murder.
Even though this chapter in the series has limited dialogue, it’s far from silent. In addition to the show’s soundtrack, which uses tense strings to build drama and emphasize moments of physical comedy, there’s a constant, hypnotic thrum that signifies the physical vibrations representing what Theo can’t hear. This rich soundscape creates an immersive and unforgettable story, building a trifecta of Cognitive, Emotional, and Compassionate empathy between the audience and the protagonist that far surpasses even the most expertly-crafted written or visual medium.
Behold the power of audio storytelling. Now how can you harness this for your business?
Research Proves, the Sound of Your Voice is More Powerful Than Your PowerPoint.
As a culture, we’ve created — and consumed — more content in the past two years than previous generations would in their entire lifetimes. Much of this is delivered in similar report-based formats. How often have your eyes glazed over in a meeting, looking at the same series of bullet point text and excel charts? Your mind retaining nothing.
And while a visually forward presentation can grab attention. Is there another option that will elevate your insights and stand out in a sea of data?
The answer is yes. Research from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business has shown that your voice (not the pen) is mightier than… well, you know.
In the study, researchers Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder asked a group of Chicago Booth MBA student job candidates to develop a short pitch to the company for which they would most like to work. The students created written pitches and recorded spoken pitches.
They found that when hiring managers and recruiters heard the pitch, they rated them as more intelligent, thoughtful, and competent than the evaluators who had only read the pitch.
In fact, evaluators who heard the pitch reported liking the candidate more and reported being significantly more likely to hire that person.
And this is the essence of what you are trying to accomplish – influence decision-makers, gain support within your team, and be considered more thoughtful and intelligent.
From PowerPoint to Podcast – a case study that proves the impact is worth the effort.
Ask anyone who has misinterpreted a text message from a partner or an email from a colleague; hearing information has a communicative force and persuasive power that may not be obvious just from the arrangement of words on a page.
As a New York magazine piece noted, the increasing popularity of audio storytelling owes a lot to technology, as smartphones allow people to consume shows on-demand anywhere, and cars increasingly come equipped with satellite radio and internet-friendly dashboards.
However, beyond the obvious convenience factor of listening anywhere (a bonus for busy executives), what is it that makes some audio storytelling so engaging? And what happens in the brain when someone hears a compelling story?
Anyone who has gotten hooked on a podcast knows that audio can be much more than just narration.
Emma Rodero, a communications professor at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, studies how audio productions retain people’s attention. Her work has shown that a dramatized audio structure, using voice actors who tell the story exclusively through dialogue, stimulate listeners’ imagination more than a typical “voice of God” narration. Participants who listened to the dramatized structure reported that they were able to quickly and easily generate more vivid images in their minds than those listening to a simple narration. They also reported being emotionally connected and interested in the story.
Case in point – we recently pitched a project with a multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation. The goal was to help our client understand the target audience so well, and with such EMPATHY, their products, services, and brand experiences would always hit the mark.
Our idea was to forgo the traditional insights report format and literally use the consumer’s voice for the biggest impact on the team. We would create podcasts instead.
To pitch this novel idea to the client, we created a 60-second podcast teaser trailer. A quiet and mysterious narrative voice married with the sounds of the checkout aisle and bustling grocery environment and interjected with a sudden absence of sound (representing lapsed users) was enough to sell the concept in even less time than it took to develop the sound clip.
The Shocking Conclusion
If you find yourself constantly re-working and fine-tuning your PowerPoint presentations in an effort to build alignment and win others over, it may be time to mix it up with a new approach.
Swapping out pages of bulleted text for spoken stories could be the change that motivates your audience and moves your insights and ideas into action.
Ready to murder that PowerPoint and kill your next presentation? We can help. I‘d love to hear from you. robin@ignite-360.com
