Humans have 5 senses, as we all know: hearing, vision, touch, taste and smell. Studies of how the human brain works have proven that when several of the senses are stimulated simultaneously, that person's capacity for creativity and learning increases. It's as if 1+1=3.
Business speakers can make this research work for them by going deep into the senses of hearing, vision and touch. Use visuals that cover a wide range including photos, graphics, cartoons, video, many colors, and multiple dimensions.
Sounds that stimulate the sense of hearing (beyond the speaker's voice) include ambient sounds of a workplace; the sounds of nature such as water flowing and birds chirping; airplanes, trains and cars; music of many types; IT device alerts; movies and video games. You would include just a few seconds of any of these at strategic points to open the brain to learning more. As Alicia Anderson of Attache Services said after my Speakonomics! (TM) keynote: "I will use audience and video in my next speech."
Touch is about movement, and using paper exercises that require pens, and perhaps some promotional gifts. Give your audience a pen with your company logo on it, and ask them to complete a short puzzle or quiz or list with it. That pen and the points you make through the exercise will become very sticky for those people.
Ann Morgan-Jones is committed to using sensory stimulation to touch people's hearts in her next presentation. She said that adult learners, such as her Capital Hospice staff will learn by things that relate to them.
How do you grab your audiences through their senses? Share your ideas through our comment link.
Comments