“I’m Dying Up Here,” debuting June 4 on Showtime, is likely to be a very funny new series about stand-up comics, but there is nothing funny when you are “dying” during a presentation or demo. You know the signs: people looking at their cell phones, listeners looking bored, clients fidgeting –some even leaving. Agggh! How do you salvage this real time disaster in the making? Here are five solutions.
Stay Calm!
First, there may not be any problem. Remember, that when people are listening, they rarely show emotion or affect on their faces. Just because they are not nodding or grinning at you from ear to ear does not mean they are not interested. They may simply be processing what you are saying. Indeed, it has been my experience on more .jpg)
than one occasion that the least interested looking person is often the one who comes up to you at the end and thanks you for a “fascinating” presentation.
Pause
A simple first strategy is to pause. When you stop speaking, people who are doing things they shouldn’t suddenly become aware of the silence and give you their attention. (It’s the same technique grade school teachers use to refocus kids on the lesson at hand.)
Involve
If that doesn’t work, try changing the energy in the room from passive to interactive. Get them to talk. Ask a question that requires more than a yes/no response. For example, “To what extent does this describe your situation?” “How does this compare to what you are doing now?” “Which of these options would work best for you?”
Do a Reality Check
The wonders of technology aside, never forget that presenting, selling, persuading, influencing etc. are first and foremost human activities. Stay human. If you were lunching with friends and they suddenly became silent, what would you do? Keep talking? No. You would ask them what’s wrong. Do the same thing with clients. (We are talking in meetings with up to ten people.) Say, “It’s my sense that I may not be talking about what is most interesting to you.” Then, be quiet. There are only three possible responses to that:
- “No, this is great. We’re very interested.” (They just have a weird way of showing it!)
- “Yes, you’re right. We are not interested in X”, at which point, you say words to the effect, “I want to be as relevant to you as possible. What are you most interested in?” And, then move to what concerns them.
- “You’re right” They are not interested, but it has nothing to do with you. Some internal event is distracting them. Someone died. Someone feels ill, etc. Offer to reschedule.
Whatever the response, they will appreciate your respect for their time and business interests.
Best Solution to “Killing It?”
- Know your audience (Their needs, their sense of urgency, their individual agendas)
- Include the right content
- Organize it as a story that sells
- Ensure your visuals work
- Practice
- Deliver with enthusiasm
Great comics recover from momentary lapses. Great presenters do the same.
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
Make Sure Your Presentations & Demos “Kill” with Clients!
Call today for individual coaching or team workshops and learn how to turn information that tells into a story that sells. 212-876-1875 amiller@annemiller.com
“Anne and I recently worked together on a speech I gave at a large conference. She helped me turn a series of somewhat interesting points into anexpertly crafted,compelling and actionable story. Together, we built a storyline with attention-grabbing headlines. We worked and re-worked the language, making sure every word was important. Finally, Anne coached me on the delivery. The result was so exciting – I’ve never been so well received in a speech before. Thank you, Anne!” Kate Griffin, Vice President, CFED.org
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