Present with boldness and originality
When we talk about presentations, if we're absolutely honest, our expectation is usually prepared to be bored.
So if you can come in with something unexpected, if you can surprise your audience in some way, particularly in the first few seconds, then you change their mindset in a way that's probably going to help them to be more on board with you and to listen to you. Some time ago I was preparing for a talk.
That I was giving to about 600 actors in theatre people and it was on the subject of creativity and risk taking.
And in the middle of the night, I I woke up with an inspiration. thought: "I know! I'll. I'll come on on a bicycle. I mean, that's the perfect image of risk taking."
And by breakfast time, I thought, "what a stupid idea that was to come on on a bicycle in a presentation".
But what that made me think about was the nature of creativity. And this is very important for actors, is that often the rational part of our brain.
And it suppresses the creative ideas.
We end up playing it safe and being less bold in our choices, which is a great pity, isn't it?
So in the end I did come on the bicycle and the talk was a great success and even years later people still come to me and say, can you do you remember that time when you came on the bicycle? So I think the message there is don't be afraid to be bold with your presentations. Don't be afraid to be original.
It's very easy to feel intimidated into am I doing the right thing? What are they thinking of me? Am I OK in what I'm doing and?
It's very hard to be confident and to be yourself.
And when we're talking about presentations, it's really you finding your own voice, finding your individuality to get your ideas across. And if you you're all the time worried about what people think of you, it's just not going to happen.
