I respect anyone who meticulously prepares to do the very best he, or she, can, no matter what the task. I certainly expect that same preparation from my doctor, my lawyer, my accountant, and the many other people I count on. I also expect that same level of preparation from any presenter I see or work with… but that doesn’t mean I fear moments that are less than perfect.
Some years ago, I was conducting a workshop for an insurance company. I was going to be doing an exercise that required me to work with an audience member; we were going to track a recent buying decision. There were about three hundred people in the audience, and when I asked for an audience member to work with me, one brave soul put up his hand. He awkwardly admitted that he had recently purchased a car. I had a scribe ready to go on the stage as I moved into the audience with a microphone, and I was ready to begin asking a series of questions I had prepared. The first question was the easiest, and the banter we engaged in reminded me of a scene from the movie, “My Cousin Vinnie.” The exchange went something like this:
“What car did you buy?”
In a deep southern drawl, “A two-ton dually.”
“A what?” Some laughter.
“A two-ton dually.”
“Uh, what was that word?” More laughter.
“What word?”
Did you say, a two-ton dually?” Even more laughter.
“Yes, a two-ton dually.”
“What is a two ton dually?!” Still more laughter.
The howls of laughter let me know how much the audience loved to see their presenter squirm! Over the next ten minutes, my participant and I moved through a kind of rhythmic dance. He was throwing words at me that I had never heard before, and I was trying to gather the information I needed to make the exercise work. I was also feigning my confusion and lack of knowledge in this particular area of automobile mechanics. In the end, the participant gave me exactly what I was looking for. For the members of that audience, however, it looked like he made me work hard for it. And therein lies the magic.
That exercise represented only a small portion of the workshop I was delivering, but it was all the participants wanted to talk about when the session was over. When I spoke to the person who hired me to conduct the session, that was what he wanted to talk about as well. When I bumped into people – years later – who had been in that audience, it was what they still wanted to talk about.
People don’t remember content as much as they remember the experience.
If you’re wondering why so many people continued to ask about that one particular presentation, it’s because I was hired by that client to conduct many more workshops. The client liked that first presentation so much, he hired me to conduct five more years of training for them. When I was at their training facility, I’d hear this every time: “How about that two-ton dually guy! He really got you, didn’t he!” Each time I heard it, I’d respond with the same sheepish grin; “He sure did!”
The greatest way to earn the respect of an audience is not to demonstrate how much you know or how able you are to perform what was obviously planned. The way to earn the respect of your audience is to demonstrate your agility when you come to a moment that was clearly not planned. That’s because audiences don’t want to see a perfect presentation; they want to see a human one.
Does this mean we plan for dysfunctional moments within a presentation? No. What this means is that we can welcome moments that are clearly unplanned, and we can learn to relax and go with them. We do this because it may very well take us on an unscripted journey that those in attendance will never forget.
Love the comment “People don’t remember content as much as they remember the experience.” 😄 So true!
It sure is true which is one reason why you rarely see me coach content. Thanks for posting Kim!
What a great lesson… turns out flexibility is the key to more things than just Air Power!
Thanks for another great Blarticle my friend!
JV
That flexibility is what separates the good from the great! Thanks so much for posting JV.
Good to remember, as I definitely tend to over-prepare! You can never quite anticipate everything, but those are the moments that tend to define you.
It’s a strange irony that isn’t found just in the presentation world. Too much preparation is counterproductive. Thanks for posting Lisa!
Reminds me of what I heard many years ago…that an audience will remember the presenters manner and style.. over what was actually said; it’s comforting to know that there might be forgiveness… if you can wing a challenged moment in front of an audience.
Connie Stevens (yes.. the actress) called me on stage at the Excalibur (Atlantic City) a number of years ago…on Valentine’s Day…was wearing a bright red sweater.. and was sitting near the front row……about 3000 +/- people in attendance… she asked me to do a simple dance with her…drawing on an earlier life experience…broke out into a Disco Dance (John Travolta style)..the audience screamed…felt the laughter travel through my body.. and yes..an unplanned moment!
That’s some story! I’m sure SHE made that quite an experience for you and that audience. Thanks for sharing that Stephen!
Rob, you are the master at turning unplanned moments into magic — and elevating those around you even when someone (*cough* such as yours truly) might not have been as prepared as you needed for a particular event. I’m forever grateful, BTW, for the masterful way you winged it recently when I didn’t have certain key details nailed down for a large event!
That’s very kind of you, but truthfully, those moments are the most fun parts of any presentation. It’s a challenge to stay one step ahead of the audience! Thanks for the post Sarah.
Rob you never cease to amaze me by presenting such excellent lessons! Thank you my friend!!
That’s very kind, but really, these lessons come from interactions with those around us. I’m just a bit compulsive about writing them down! Thanks for posting Mike.
Great article, Rob. Thanks for sharing your experience and advice! Unplanned or unexpected moments take place from time to time, as we all know. I like “People don’t remember content as much as they remember the experience.”
Well, I am a fan of experience! I’m wondering if that lesson expands past the world of presenting? What do you think Hui?
So what is a two-ton dually, anyway?
Ah, so what is a two-ton dually you ask? From what I remember, it’s a truck, I suppose usually a pick-up truck, with two wheels on each back side and capable of towing, you got it; two tons. Nice to hear from you Bruce!
I remember a similar moment with PrideStaff. You asked one of my co-workers why he bought a new car. His answer was fuel economy. Then you asked what he bought and he answered a “Hummer”. Your face was priceless. I was the scribe and I was laughing too hard to write. I’ll never forget that seminar!!
Now that’s what I’m talking about! I like writing these BLArticles®, and so appreciate the responses, but when I get a response like this one it makes my day. That was about five years ago I’m guessing, and although I had forgotten this one, the moment you mentioned it, I remembered it. A wonderful moment, with a wonderful audience. Jeanne, I can’t thank you enough for this kind posting, and taking me back to that Functional Dysfunctional Hummer-mobile moment with the great gas mileage!