I Broke My Own Rule
A couple of weeks ago I was asked to give an informal presentation, I didn’t think too much of it, after all standing on stage and speaking is what I do.
Being a low key, casual event I didn’t spend a great deal of time thinking about the presentation, even though I was sharing ideas on a topic I had never discussed from stage before, in my head I was thinking ‘I can wing this, I’m a pro, I do this speaking thing all the time’.
‘I can wing this, I’m a pro, I do this speaking thing all the time’
The event got underway, I was having a great time meeting new people, I was then introduced to the stage, I walked on, started strong and then things started to get bumpy.
Although I was sharing my ideas and thoughts I could tell there was a lack of connection, the audience were listening but I could see they weren’t getting it.
My internal voice went in to overdrive, “was I doing something wrong? Why weren’t they getting it? Why were they looking disengaged,” then it hit me, I realised I was just firing information and ideas at the audience, I hadn’t taken the time to plan the experience I wanted to create, I hadn’t decided my presentation outcome, my communication goal.
Once I realised my huge mistake I was able to act on the fly and turn things around, it wasn’t perfect but it was a noticeable improvement allowing me to share my ideas to an engaged audience.
The Lesson.
If you want to be an effective communicator, win people over and have more influence you MUST have an outcome in mind. Failure to establish an outcome will result in miscommunication, lack of interest and you will find yourself working extra hard to communicate.
Next time you are about to give a presentation, pitch an idea, or speak with a client or colleague ask yourself,
What are you hoping to accomplish?
What do you want people to think and feel?
What do you want them to know?
What action are you wanting them to take?
What important meeting, conversation or presentation have you got coming up?
Take a moment and decide on your outcome, sixty seconds of thought and planning will have a profound impact on your results.
Has this article made you think about your next presentation? If it has please share this article on social media.
Thanks for dropping by,
Anthony - Behaviour Expert / Mentalist / Speaker
Did you know that I have written an awesome book called 'Get Ready For Impact - Practical Tools To Stand Out, Win Trust And Influence Every Day' you can get your copy by clicking here.