Unpredictable

The Joker can beat Batman. How can this be? Batman has intelligence, ruthlessness, physical training and gadgets. The Joker has no gadgets or physical training, but in most of the stories is Batman’s equal. I think it’s because he has something over Mr. Wayne, and that’s the wonderful villain’s quality of:

Unpredictability.

If I’m listening to a story, joke, or presentation, and more than once I’m able to accurately predict what’s coming next, I lose interest (see my posts ‘Don’t Tell Them Everything First‘ and ‘Still Listening? Good‘).

When you’re presenting, please, please try to be at least a little unpredictable. Just do something the audience doesn’t expect; this can be in your content, your delivery, or even the way you move around the room. You’ll keep them hooked, they’ll be more engaged, they’ll remember more of what you said, and they may even be grateful.

Please. Just try it.

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