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December 11, 2006
Mental Break: Real-Time Presentation Feedback
I was reading Scott Adams' Dilbert blog, which if you are not a reader, is an eclectic mix of serious commentary, fun anecdotes and real-world business advice rolled into a wonderfully creative read. Today's post, "How to Know That Your Presentation Isn't Going Well," is quite amusing, as is the endless array of reader comments. My favorite Scott Adams suggestion: Turning a long sleeved shirt into a vest by removing the threads that hold the arms on. My favorite reader suggestion (because I've seen it done...): Doing lines of non-dairy creamer with a rolled up dollar bill.
It all reminded me of a sign hanging from the ceiling in the conference room at one of my clients, "If you're reading this, it is time for the meeting to end."
The fine art (or in Scott's example, not so fine art...) of reading an audience is often lost on speakers. I remember a lecture in college by a Nobel laureate in chemistry...brutal, unlistenable stuff. That professor almost single-handedly caused me to change careers. I also have seen collegues lose a sale over awful presentations in which they plowed forward with their agenda despite the spate of heads lurching downward toward the table.
Another great example of Scott Adams putting real advice into a humorous story.
Posted by jcioban at December 11, 2006 7:08 PM
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