Have you ever tried to catch a chicken? I have. It’s hard. One day my wife, Jackie and I were driving near our home, and there was a featherless chicken along the side of the road (it had fallen off of a truck on the way to a processing plant). I couldn’t catch it. Jackie thought it was hilarious seeing me twist and turn and grab at the chicken to no avail. Finally, frustrated, I took off my jacket and threw it over the wily fowl. I should have done that in the first place. Like that chicken, it’s not always as easy as it seems to get an audience to commit all their attention to what you’re presenting.
You’ve got to use the right tools and know what turns people on— what makes them want to pay attention and reflect on what you’re presenting. I’ve found that, if from the start of any talk or meeting you send signals that this is going to be
1) Fun,
2) Memorable
and
3) Practical
. . . you’ll have the humans in front of you committed quickly. In fact, shortly after my introduction, I promise my audiences they will have a fun time, will remember what we explore, and learn dozens of practical tactics to improve their skills or live safer and healthier lives. How do I make sure I fulfill my promise? By always being able to answer these eleven questions. It works for me, and I know it will work for you too.
1. What will I do to make this group feel special?
2. How am I going to surprise them?
3. Why will they feel secure and eager to open up?
4. How will I let them know I like them?
5. When will they laugh?
6. What will I do to make the session memorable?
7. What parts of the session will make them feel productive and useful?
8. What will I do to make them want to find out more about the topic?
9. How will I make them as physically comfortable as possible?
10. Why will their lives improve after they leave?
11. What signals will I send that show I’m prepared and know what I’m doing?
If you can’t answer these questions, you won’t be able to give your audience everything they want. If you can, you’ll do an excellent job, and like I did with that featherless chicken, you’ll capture what you’re after, in this case, your audience’s commitment.
