Engage the Audience with “Me Too” Stories

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Posted on 28th September 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Engaging Mindset |Facilitation |Group Interaction |presentation skills |Uncategorized |Word Choice

Once upon a time, I was facilitating a strategic planning session sponsored by two senior executives. Each of the two executives opened the session in two distinct ways:

Executive #1 went to the front of the room and thanked the participants for coming.  He said he was excited about the work we were going to do.  Ho hum.  Nice, but boring.

Executive #2 went to the front of the room and started with a story about driving his car… to work? To their biggest client’s office? To the beach? To Disneyland?  He immediately engaged the participants by creating an analogy between his drive and the group’s strategic planning efforts.  The audience was much more interested in his remarks.  They were different, they were personal, and they could see themselves driving to Disneyland!

Since the dawn of man, we have gathered around the fire, rapturously listening to stories that define what is important to the clan.  Today’s audiences are not too different from our ancestors. When listeners hear a well-told story, they take a journey with you, correlating their own experiences with yours.  Your story becomes their story or it reminds them of a similar story from their own lives.  This is called a “Me Too Moment.”  Your stories help you build a connection to your audience.  It could be a story about yourself or someone you know.  If you don’t have enough stories of your own, you can certainly “borrow” a story as long as you cite the source and ask their permission if at all possible.  Please, do NOT brag about your accomplishments, lift a story off the Internet, or repackage a borrowed story to sound like it happened to you.

But here’s the weird part: After one of your presentations, a participant will share her “Me Too Moment,” which is a vastly different story from your own and with a different meaning altogether!  I used to think these people just didn’t get the point until I realized that they got the point they needed to get.  And that’s what so great about stories: each audience member can derive their own unique takeaway from the exact same story!  Your audience may not remember exactly what you said during your presentation but they will remember your stories.

Take a Presentation Tip from the Dragon’s Den

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Posted on 15th September 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Engaging Mindset |presentation skills |Props |Set The Tone |Uncategorized

Season Six of the hit Canadian television show, Dragon’s Den debuted last night.  LOVE this show as entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in hopes of securing an equity partner to help their businesses grow even more.

In the US, it’s called Shark Tank, but it is essentially the same show with the entrepreneurs coming from the US. There are two VCs who are on BOTH shows – Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary.  (BTW, Shark Tank is entering Season 2 – one of the shows that STARTED in Canada and crossed over to the US!)

But I digress.  These entrepreneurs have to state their request up front:  ”I am looking for $100,000 for 20% equity in my company.”  They then pitch the Dragons as to why they should invest their own money into their business.  (No, producers don’t front the money – the Dragons invest their OWN money, time and effort into the businesses.  So they have some skin in the game).  Some entrepreneurs are only looking for money.  Most are also looking for a strategic partner who will provide them sage business advice and/or open doors for them.

So it’s not just about the money.  It’s also about who gives you the money.  And sometimes, the Dragons collaborate and make an offer together.  All of which you watch on this television show.  Fascinating to watch.  Even better to learn.

The opening season had Balzac’s Coffee Roasters asking for $350,000 for a 20% equity share in order to open two prime locations in downtown Toronto.  But how many coffee stores do you need?  Toronto has Tim Hortons and Starbucks at every corner!  So what hooked these fire-breathing Dragons into accepting the offer? (BTW, four of the five dragons joined forces into the deal – which is a rare event indeed!)

1)  The owner knew her stuff.  She knew the numbers and was able to credibly answer the Dragon’s questions.

2)  The owner had a track record.  She already had five stores with a 20% operating margin.  So she was credible.

3)  The owner demonstrated how she was different in a short amount of time.  She actually built a small representation of her coffee shop – built in the European tradition with minimal sales displays.  Balzac’s focus is on coffee.

4)  The owner invited the Dragons to join her in the coffee shop – so they could have a teeny tiny experience of Balzac’s Coffee Roasters.

4)  The owner and her chief barista handed out samples of their coffee.   (This is almost a given for anyone who has a physical product to sell.  They must figure out a way to let the Dragons experience the product – and it makes for good television!)

5)  Finally, it didn’t hurt that one of the Dragons enjoys a coffee at Balzac’s from time to time.

Take a look at this episode, and let me know what you think!  What lessons do you take from the Dragon’s Den?

Executive Shorthand for “Sticky Buns”

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Posted on 6th September 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Facilitation |Group Interaction |Speaking Trends |Uncategorized

Most companies provide breakfast when the meeting starts early.  These days, most folks know to have healthy choices that feed into the energy and creativity of the team:

  • Fresh fruit
  • Low or non-fat yogurt
  • Scrambled or hard cooked eggs
  • Whole wheat or multi-grain mini bagels
  • Small bran, oatmeal, banana, pumpkin or multi-grain muffins
  • Whole grain toast or english muffins
  • Low fat granola
  • 100% fruit or vegetable juices
  • Water — plain, sparkling or flavored with no added sugar
  • Coffee, tea (decaf options as well) – served with nonfat or 2% milk

So it was a surprise when Joe and I were working with a client and all we saw were “sticky buns” for breakfast.  You know, the kind of gooey, doughy pastry that will put the entire room into a diabetic coma?  Yeah, that kind.

During the debrief at the end of the day, the VP asked about the sticky buns and why there weren’t more healthy choices.

The meeting planner looked shocked and said, “But that’s what you asked for.  You said you wanted sticky buns!”

“Sticky buns and all the other stuff we have for breakfast!” he countered.

And this happens all the time.  Leaders can speak in shorthand.  They are moving so fast, and expect the people around them to be able to understand them.  Good news is that the more you hang around them, the more you understand the shorthand.

For this VP, “sticky buns” was the same as “breakfast items.”  And the meeting planner took him literally.  All we had were sticky buns, even though the organization typically had healthy choices.

So how do you combat the sticky bun effect?  When the leader (in fact anyone on the team) makes a quick statement – that ‘s a cue that you might be facing a shorthand statement.  Trust your gut here.  You’ll know when something sounds “off” or just isn’t complete.  Then ask a probing question.  “Sticky buns….and what else?”  Then confirm your understanding.  “Yep, we’ll have some donuts and healthy choices as well.”

Sometimes, you have to slow down in order to catch up.

Connect the Dots in Your Presentation

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Posted on 1st September 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Engaging Mindset |Group Interaction |presentation skills |Set The Tone |Uncategorized

In a motion picture, every second costs thousands of dollars to produce – so every second counts.  Every second contributes to the overall story.  Nary a second is wasted.  So when I watch a movie, I am always looking at the “tells” that foreshadow what is to come.  It’s like connecting the dots to see if I can figure out what is going to happen.

Although you presentation doesn’t take millions of dollars to produce, it may take a million seconds of your time!  Each element should contribute to the overall message.  The audience should be able to connect the dots so at the end, they know what you want them to do, think, or feel about your topic.

Simple enough, but it is easy to throw in gratuitous elements that will please your audience – or make you happy.  A story you have told before, a throw away line that always gets a laugh, or shameless pandering to the audience.

Today’s audiences are much more discerning and will see right through it.  They have seen enough movies, presentations, and speeches to know the difference.

This week, I was listening to a speaker who started out with a strong story:  Hurricane Irene that was barreling up the eastern seaboard of the United States.  Irene’s arrival into Prince Edward Island (PEI) was imminent, and the speaker was commenting on how we need to be prepared.  All good grist for a great speech.

When he was done with the story, he proceeded into the body of his speech – which had NOTHING to do with hurricanes, preparedness or stocking up on water.  Nada.  There wasn’t a dot to connect.  And he never came back to the story at the end.  (otherwise known as a “bookend” – a great way to close your presentation and show the relevance of your opening story).

What do you do to make sure the audience can connect the dots?