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When talking about shame and vulnerability, Brené Brown steps into the shoes of her research subjects. Typically, academic writing and the lectures that follow are rather impersonal. In fact, researchers are careful to remove any traces of themselves from their content. Add in generous doses of technical jargon and we are left with these disembodied voices with which audiences struggle to connect.

But Brown breaks the mould. Rather than telling us about a hypothesis she had and how she went about designing and executing a research study, she makes it personal. ‘You know how I feel about vulnerability …'

Speakers often find it challenging to make technical content relatable. For this problem, Brown's first TED talk delivers a critical lesson. Put yourself in the story, and make the problem, hypothesis and discovery your own. Frame your method in the first person. Don't present a report-like exposition of facts; instead, show us how you were feeling at the various stages of doubt. Display the emotions of wonder as you yourself made new connections.

When Brown uses phrases such as, ‘So I was ready, and I was really excited', it is as though we are doing the research alongside her. We're shown how throwing your whole self into a project like this is anything but dull. We traverse the challenges and doubt with her and we laugh with her about the (not so) mini-breakdown, when her findings did not jive with her assumptions. These challenges, hurdles and mini-triumphs help us relate to the process of discovery. (Brown details her breakdown/spiritual awakening in the full version of her TED Talk — see Sources for details.)

Can you find ways to animate your research or technical content by putting yourself back in the picture? Many of your listeners will be drawn to a familiarity with you and that could be the gateway to gaining their attention and interest.