I recently witnessed a workshop presenter who insisted that she was right about everything because she was the “expert.” If someone objected to her perspective, or presented a variation, she insisted on arguing to make herself appear right and the other person look wrong. Oh how I cringed. Talk about a control freak. Shutting down opposing opinions is a sure-fire way of shutting down audience participation.
Never make your audience wrong (unless, of course, someone is being terribly offensive to you or others). Even if someone’s idea seems a bit bizarre, acknowledge them by saying something like, “That’s an interesting perspective, one I have not considered.” (Be authentic!) And then move on. There are always other perspectives. Thank others for their distinctive points of view. No matter how many times I facilitate a particular workshop or deliver a familiar presentation, I continue to learn varying perspectives from members of the audience.
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It may not be the right thing to do, but people do judge a book by its cover.
There are many expert consultants dedicated entirely to helping others improve their appearance. Below is a collection of the most common items that come up for discussion during my workshops.
What can you add to the list above? Here are three tips to help manage attention during your next presentation:
Attention is more valuable than time. Which do you prefer? Thirty minutes of time with someone and five minutes of his or her attention, or ten minutes of time with someone andall ten minutes of his or her attention.
The competition for the attention of others is fierce. If you fail to win, then you become "background noise," much like the music in a hotel lobby or a coffee shop. We all know it is there, yet seldom do we actually remember the drone. Our capacity for attention is limited. Learn to manage your own attention when communicating with others. Pay attention to them before asking for their valuable attention. You've probably heard that "time is money." However, when communicating with others, attention is gold. |
_Mark M. Tamer_As The Presenter's Coach, Mark helps individuals persuade others to think, feel, and do things differently. Mark has conducted more than 6,000 workshops, webinars, private coaching sessions, and speaking engagements worldwide. Archives
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