Presentation Fails and How to Fix Them #3: Surprises

Check out this video, also on surprises!

Right. Let’s go!

Bad communication is predictable and therefore boring. It sometimes contains bad surprises (no-one likes those). Examples:

  • The email/presentation/phone call is negative
  • You try to impress with 100 words of eloquence when 10 conversational ones would do a better job in less timeIt features over-used phrases and generic images
  • You appear to be bored by your own subject
  • Your material lacks any emotion or relevance
  • You ramble with no clear purpose
  • They already know this stuff anyway

Good communication contains good surprises (people like good surprises). Here are some unexpected things that your audience might actually enjoy:

  • Something humorous/silly/light-hearted
  • Conciseness
  • A personal experience
  • An original photo
  • An item from this morning’s news
  • Something improvised
  • A combination of some – or all – of the above
What Else?

You’re the expert, right? Invite questions, get a conversation going. Challenge yourself, it’s fun and shows that you know your stuff.

What’s the Point?

Communication should engage your audience’s mind, not just inform!

Conclusion:

Surprise them with something GOOD. Try one or two things from that list (the second list, genius).

Tomorrow: The Objective

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