And so many times they get ripped off. No ROI, and even worse, the principle is gone. Thirty minutes of their life they will never get back, with no return policy.
On top of that, this all takes place is a closed conference room environment that is not an exercise in democracy. It’s a dictatorship.
For short period of time, you’re the omnipotent overlord of the room, whether or not you want to be. You’re spewing forth information and the audience members have no choice but to let it spill over them, and perhaps soak it in. Everyone accepts this premise. It’s what a presentation scenario is. We all have learned to accept a dictator at the front of the in the room. We all will keep doing so as long at the rule is pleasing to us.
The core of a presentation tableau lies in the fact that for it to work, everyone in the room must stop talking so you can talk. Not just for a minute or two, like cocktail party conversations, but for fifteen to thirty minutes. For that period of time, you’re not only the center of your universe; you’re the center of theirs. They’re stuck listening to you and the rules of social decency mandate they have to at least act like they’re listening.
If you’re engaging, helpful, and fun to listen to, audience members won’t mind delivering their power to you. They’ll know you’re the boss. As long as you connect, the audience will suffer your false dictatorship, gladly, not minding at all that you’re doing all the talking. If they like the way you handle your power, they’ll ask you talk again soon.
A happy, pleased audience tells you they’re better off when you’re talking and they’re listening. Even the question and answer period is autocratic. The speaker decides who to call on, and who will respond. It’s what we (the audience) want. We will gladly give our time and attention to a speaker who is enjoyable to listen to and who teaches us something.
- So it’s easy, just be great, and the audience will love your dictatorship.
NEXT TIME: FIRST TIP ON HOW TO ‘BE GREAT.’
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1 comments:
First, thanks again for moderating the Vistage Webinar I led the other day on Hiring.
Great post on dictatorship - I would add that audiences also like to be engaged. They want to feel their personal issues about the subject matter are being addressed. The most powerful presentations come from the audience being made to feel like they are part of the presentation not just being lectured.
Great speakers/presenters engage the audience through picking on various audience members and asking questions, using them in role-plays, asking them to share relevant stories.
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