Dashing Expectations

DINING OUT AND PRESENTATIONS are both multi-sensory experiences. The taste of the food is not all that matters, and the content of your presentation is not all that affects an audience. Here’s today’s parable . . .
        We went out last night, planning to have a modest dinner. We ended up at a place that sure looked modest. That’s when the Good News/Bad News experience started. We were seated at modest tables in the loft area, just under the painted duct work. The menu I got was frayed and had big stains on it (Was this place too modest?), but the descriptions of the menu items sounded fantastic — and the prices were anything but modest. I ordered artichoke soup and some crepe thingy with chicken, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and an amazing sauce.
        But the silverware looked and felt like rejects from a soup kitchen. One of the forks I got was bent almost in half. And the feel of those wretched utensils on my lips took a lot of the enjoyment out of those wonderful tastes. Then, someone in the kitchen burned something badly, and the fumes that assaulted us killed any lingering tastes. For all the great flavor of our food, it was a horrible dining experience.
        Similar things happen millions of times a day, in presentations all across the globe. Great content is hampered or killed because the presenter doesn’t take the time or effort to make sure their message is tailored to the needs and interests of his or her audience. Like the server who gave me the warped fork or the cook who sent acrid fumes across the restaurant, too many presenters keep trotting out the same old presentation, loaded with bullets and obtuse graphics. They care more about getting their job done, instead of making their audience’s experience the best it can be.
        You know, every presenter I’ve worked with has had a good story to tell. Most of them just don’t know how to bring it out, or have taken the easy way out by talking all about “Me”.
        Don’t be one of them. Don’t look for the most expedient way to get your slides done. Focus on what your audience needs, then make your story as clear and compelling as possible. Otherwise, you may just scorch your opportunity.

Comments

[Lisa Braithwaite]

Great analogy!

I used a similar restaurant/public speaking analogy a few weeks back: http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2008/01/doing-bare-minimum.html

I'm enjoying your blog - and your images are great!

[John Windsor]

Thanks, Lisa. Glad your restaurant experience wasn't as bad as mine, but I loved the hook at the end of your post. Focusing on how someone could benefit, rather than just trotting out "Benefits", is so critical — and so rare.

Keep up the great posts!

John

[taramajumdar]

a dumb question -how do you incorporate these handwritten slogans/dialogues(atleast it looks so) in your sildes
I think it looks awesome

[John Windsor]

Not a dumb question at all. The writing in the images is done with a font called Skippy Sharp (you can find it at fonts.com). I add it to the image in Photoshop, but I'm sure that Photoshop Elements or a similar program would allow you to do the same. I rotate the text to give it an even more informal look, and I usually tweak the letter and line spacing.

Thanks for your comments and good luck with this!
John