“It is not just a presentation. It is a performance.”
Little Green Book of Getting Your Way by Jeffrey Gitomer, page 100
Some people just don’t get it. I have been presenting (performing) for nearly 40 years and I can still be found practicing in my basement speaking to the wall before each and every speaking assignment. Is this an indication of a lack of confidence, or is it the behavior of a true professional? I prefer the latter explanation.
Sure, I have given this “presentation” a number of times. Do I know the message inside and out? Absolutely! Do I still rehearse, practice, tweak, adjust, add and subtract to my content? Yes I do. Why?
Because when your livelihood is held in the balance every time you take the stage, you realize you are only as good as your last “performance.” People don’t want presentations. People don’t care about presentations. People want to be entertained and have their imaginations stimulated. People want to come alive and be made to think and dream and consider the possibilities.
Presentations by their very nature can be boring and dull. They can consist of a number of poorly designed PowerPoint slides coupled to a presenter who reads off the slides.
But performances are… performances. They capture audience attention and hold it throughout the message. They lead people from point to point in an entertaining fashion without providing the opportunity to daydream.
You are not presenters. Lose your “presentation.” From now on you are a performer. Think like a performer. Practice like a performer. Act like a performer and deliver your message like a performer. The result will be nothing but positive applause.
Mike presents a business-building webinar on the third Thursday of every month sponsored by AmaWaterways. To receive monthly invitations send Mike an email with the words “business training” in the Subject Box. You will also receive a link to the recorded version.
For information on Mike’s Fourth Annual Training Cruise, email Mike at mike@mikemarchev.com with the word “cruise” in the subject box.
