Think Like A Juggler!
You may not know this about me but once upon a time, I was a pretty darn good juggler. I could juggle in a weave, in a circle, off the floor, off the wall, around my back (a crowd favorite,) off my knees, and off my head. As my pièce de résistance, I brought an apple into my juggling performance and I ate it while I juggled. I became quite a proficient juggler, although one of my biggest challenges was learning how to best put together my many tricks to produce the most compelling show I could perform.
Through trial and error, I shifted my tricks around as I tried to create the perfect act. I tried coming out explosively, leading with my best trick, but I found I had trouble holding my audience. What’s more, once I performed my best trick, the rest of the performance slid downhill. Then I tried holding my best trick for the end, but I found I had trouble getting the attention of my audience, let alone effectively building momentum towards the end of the performance.
I finally settled on a formula that worked for me. I took my second favorite move (an around the back crowd favorite,) and opened the show with it. This allowed me to grab the attention of my audience, and yet I still held something back for later. Of course, I sprinkled in a number of other moves throughout to maintain the attention of my audience. Then, at the end, I brought out the big guns, the pièce de résistance, the apple! Okay, I was just a juggler, but the crowd went nuts over that apple. By golly, I had a formula of performance that worked.
Now, let’s shift to you, and your presentation. How are you organizing your material? You have tricks too. You may have compelling stories, creative exercises, analogies, metaphors, dramatic visual aids, and more. This formula applies here, and requires you to ask yourself the same two key questions:
- “What’s my second best trick?” Open your presentation with it.
- “What’s my best trick?” Close your presentation with it.
When you start a presentation with strength, and you finish a presentation with even more strength, a lot can be forgiven in between. This doesn’t mean the body of a presentation should be ignored, but it does remind us how critical the strategic placement of key presentation components really is. This simple formula will help you to do just that.
Would love to see your juggling act!
I’d love to see your juggling act too! Do share!
It’s been a while, but if you let me warm up for a few minutes, I’m quite sure I can eat that apple! Funny story – I went into Great Falls Elementary about twelve years ago and juggled for my daughter’s third grade class. I couldn’t find an apple so I grabbed an ice cream sandwich. Note to self: Ice cream sandwiches don’t fly through the air quite as well as an apple. The kids loved it because that ice cream sandwich exploded all over everyone… but most of it got in my mouth! Thanks for posting, and helping me remember that story!
Well, as a superstar realtor I’m quite sure you are quite the master at juggling yourself! These comments about seeing my act do have me thinking maybe I’ll start training again. On second thought, maybe not! Thanks for the post, and the push!
Thanks for sharing, Rob! This takeaway will be useful when sharing ideas in my client meetings. Your definitely have many skill sets.
I’m quite sure this process will serve you well. Just remember that when you are handling client meetings there are usually a lot of questions at the end. Hold that best trick for after those questions and you’ll do just great. Thanks so much for posting Stephen!
Having seen your juggling “presentation” in college, I can attest that it was both a crowd-pleaser and a winner — because it was also a fun celebration! ?
Well, and this could be another BLArticle®, it wasn’t just the juggling that caught everyone’s attention. As a matter of fact, despite all the comments of those who actually caught my act, it was the words that went with the act! I’m hoping that helped make it a celebration. Thanks for posting Will.
Your comments also remind us of the need to prepare, so that we have a track in our mind to get their attention and leave them wanting more OR, satisfied that they made the right decision! Too many tricks (stories) can be distracting, but just the right amount sprinkled in really brings the presentation to life.
Great comment Lisa. I see so many presenters get caught up in the “tricks” part of all of this and lose the message of the presentation. A great presentation depends on the timing between the various moves you are making. Thanks so much for the reminder, and the post!
I too juggled! only 3 balls – but lots of patterns.
On the presentation style, this is one tip I cannot use. My presentations have to follow a legally established routine and style. Wish I COULD be more entertaining though.
Let me start by saying I have no idea what presentation you are delivering, so maybe this is a tip you cannot use. However, please know that I have been training speakers in the financial industry for over twenty years and those presentations are heavily dependent on specific information that has gone through compliance, and needs to be delivered in a specific way. That said, the way the presentation opens and closes is rarely if ever a part of compliance’s reach. This is where you can often make your mark. Thanks for the post my juggling brother!
Pretty cool! We’d love to see a juggling video. And good advice!
Who knows – maybe I might just throw a video together and put it on Youtube. I’m sorry Youtube wasn’t around back in the 70’s and 80’s because if it was, we wouldn’t be having this conversation! Thanks so much for posting Liza.
Good point. I also liked a similar approach you reminded me of. My favorite Math professor in college always started with something we knew and built on that until we learned something new. Perhaps as with you last blog on tapering your message, this would have a similar effect. If everyone wasn’t watching carefully yet, they might even miss that you are eating the apple at the same time. If you do it I want to sit in the back row just in case.
This one made me smile. I wasn’t exactly Gallagher requiring audience members to be covered in plastic, but pieces of apple were flying! What I like about your comment is hearing a MATH professor working hard to keep you with him or her. I cannot remember a math teacher I ever had spending a lot of time of delivery techniques. Great reading your post John!
Rob, you got some mileage out of that juggling act! What about the performance you did on the 8th floor of Cumberland Hall? You had strategically opened a window next to the “stage” area in the dorm that nobody in the audience took notice of. With each bite of the apple, the crowd became more raucous! And by the time you got down to the core, the audience was nearly delirious and the applause deafening! I thought it could not get any louder until you finished the act by hurling the apple core out of the open window where it dropped 8 stories and bounced off the sidewalk below! Pure genius! (of course there was a safety observer AND a cleanup crew in place–I think it might have been me!)
Apparently you’re right about the mileage part because I’m stunned at how many posts are coming in from people who saw me juggle! I remember performing with you in Cumberland Hall as proud members of The Jose Brothers. I do NOT remember throwing the apple core out the window… but it sounds like me. However, I don’t believe for an instance we have a cleanup crew in place, and you were performing with me so I know you weren’t down there. It was college; I’m guessing we just took our chances know one got beaned below! Thanks for that trip down memory lane old friend.
Woo-hoo! Bravo! Bravo!
This makes a lot of good sense. Work the show! Love this blog!
“Work the show!” I like that. Yes, although there’s a lot of discussion about the actual juggling I did, the big message here is get, and hold the attention of that audience, and leave with something at the end they’ll never forget. Thanks for posting Edia!
If I had only known this when I was working at Ringling Bros…we could have taken your act on the road! Love the analogy.
Well… I did do a few birthday parties for my niece, nephew, and kids performing as, “Rollo The Clown,” but that’s for another BLArticle®! As juggling was only a small part of my act, I was awfully lucky to have very young and forgiving audiences. Thanks for making me smile, and for posting Emily!
Great BLArticle…Rob…(did I spell it right this time…?)
You know my T.V. shows…you’ve been on – so many times…! When we do our ‘Musical Shows’ – periodically…I always tell the ‘musicians’ – to play the ‘opening’…and ‘closing’ songs…with ”excitement’…and ‘enthusiasm’… In between…”you can do whatever you want….!” This way – we ‘catch ’em…comin’..’n’..goin’…and it usually works out fine! Same ‘principle’…as your ‘BLArticle – today!
JM
“C. T.”
Why does your natural ability to utilize this idea not surprise me? Probably because, as you say, I’ve been on your show at least three times, and I’ve watched you methodically do just as you say. You are a very talented TV host, and it’s always a pleasure being on your show… and reading your posts!
Thanks! Rob. I’d love to see your juggling show too! For now, I got an opportunity to practice the “Transitional Sandwich” to recap the “presentation formula” Rob offered. Here is what I found why Rob is an outstanding speaker.
Transition in: use the 2nd best trick. Rob is multi-talented, from an actor, a juggler, a design-artist to a Mudathlon racer, and more, but none of these “tricks” surpasses his best as a reputable professional speaker. So, he can use, actually used one of them to open a presentation, as far as I know.
Content/meat: Without content, a sandwich is virtually a bun/roll, right? Imagine Rob’s audience – e.g. sales people, most time, and their communication and persuasion skills are above the average. Of course, these skill sets for Rob are superb, and he can deliver whatever contents (meat or veggie or solutions) his customers want, which makes him as a successful business trainer.
Transition out: “best trick” in juggling vs. “best takeaway” for any presentation. So, Rob’s best: an outstanding speaker – always leaves an effective message/solution with a pearl of wisdom.
Alternatively speaking,
transition in with confidence (i.e. be yourself)
adding rich content with clarity
transition out with credibility (i.e. by leaving something valuable).
Hopefully, by now I’m ready for a Quiz for “transitional sandwich”. 🙂
You are a student of these BLArticles® and I’m grateful. Writing is a wonderful activity, but if no one reads what you write, or implements the ideas you present, it feels a bit hollow. When I get an opportunity to read a post like yours and how you are trying to put what is written into practice, it makes me want to write more. Thanks you so much for posting, and for implementing!
First of all, I knew you were very talented but now I am even more impressed that you can juggle. Second of all the approach you describe is good and a good refresher. Thank you.
I appreciate the kind words, but I like that you use the word, “refresher.” So much of what appears to be basic really is a refresher. But I need to tell you as a guy who does this for a living, I need these refresher’s for me to perform effectively. So many of us perform in what’s called an, “unconscious incompetent” stage. That’s not good! Thanks for the post Victor.
…..and the winner is ME! I saw Rob juggling in my own place…he amazed me and my son who happened to be there. But I think his writing is far better than his juggling 🙂 no offence!
The winner is you, and me! Once again, I’m reminded of a story I barely remember. Please note BLArticle® Nation that this particular performance Sherif speaks of was in his home… in Cairo, Egypt. It appears I really did get some mileage out of this act of mine! Thank you for reminding me, and reminding others that it was a story supporting the real message of delivery. I’m THRILLED you feel my writing is better than my juggling, although I wonder if I hit you with my apple trick! So wonderful to hear from you my friend.
Rob – loved the story. Always learn nuggets of gold from you!
Always the entertainer.
Before compliance, the use of a funny story or joke in the beginning, in the middle and the end always got me back for another show. if you were a bad presenter, you were not invited back – no matter how good your product was.
My daughter got married in May and my father of the bride speech was a little rough around the edges from lack of practice, but i got the laughs in the beginning, the middle and toward the end to keep their attention. I stole the scene from “Analyze This” when Chaz Palmienteri introduces himself – “some of you know me as…………..be that as it may………and at the end……….to this I say – Buona Fortuna – good luck.
“Analyze This” remains one of my favorite movies of all time! “You… you’re good you. Nah, nah, nah, you’re very good you!” Thanks for posting Bob.