THE OBAMA POWER POINT SLIDE TEST
It may go down as one of the most comprehensively brilliant communication demonstrations of 2017 – even though the year has hardly started.
Have a listen to at least a bit of the masterly Barrack Obama Presidential Farewell Speech in Chicago.
Then, however much of it you watch, ask yourself: How many slides did you spot the outgoing president using?
The answer underlines an enduring universal but often overlooked truth:
You can do great presentations without using slides!
When I’m working with clients on “Presenting With Confidence, Impact And Pizzazz” I first seek to focus you on enhancing your presentation skills WITHOUT using slides first.
When this is mastered, we’re then in the best position – but only if you really really want to – to proceed to the more complex and challenging issue of making slides that work and deploying them in a way that wows your audiences.
So take up the challenge and help liberate the world from mind-numbing slide presentations.
Can we do great presentations without slides?
As President Obama has again demonstrated: “Yes we can”.
There’s more on “Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz” here:
http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presenting-with-confidence-impact-and-pizzazz/
President Obama’s latest powerful, easy-to-understand, easy-to-visualise slide-free Chigago speech is here:
DREADFUL ANSWERS TO EASY QUESTIONS – AND HOW TO AVOID IT
It may go down as one of the most awkward non-communications demonstrations of 2017 – even though the year has hardly started.
It was an interview on TV with a football manager whose team had just won an important match… yes, won!
That should have made the situation as straight-forward as… well kicking the ball into the net when the opposition goal-keeper is off the field and the other defenders have fallen asleep.
But it wasn’t.
The Spanish-born manager of one of the leading English football teams – Manchester City – managed to score a remarkable series of goals against himself.
And it wasn’t to do with the fact that Pep Guardiola speaks English as a second language.
Nor was it to do with the questions being difficult… they were pretty simple and pretty obvious.
The reason for the interview nightmare was that – despite his impressive track record as a player and manager – Pep’s underlying attitude going into the interview was appallingly, astonishing and perplexingly negative.
Having a positive attitude is a key ingredient in giving great answers…. whether in media interviews, sales discussions, job interviews, staff appraisals or answers you give during and after your great presentations (possibly your Obama-like, slide-free presentations!!)
Pep’s attitude was the opposite of what you would expect for a traditional uplifting “pep talk”.
It led to the manager to look deeply uncomfortable in so many ways… scratching the back of his neck, rubbing his nose, biting his bottom lip, shaking his head oddly, shuffling about on the spot and often breaking eye contact with the interviewer.
If someone were writing a book called “Dreadful Answers To Easy Questions At Work” then the Pep interview would be the perfect reference point.
Apart from demonstrating excruciatingly uncomfortable body language, Pep is responding with comments that are too short, too abrupt and too defensive.
He should be giving more – a lot more – to the interviewer and the wider audience beyond.
His last word in the interview is “Pleasure”.
But as the interviewer notes, Pep Guardiola doesn’t seem to be experiencing much of this during the encounter.
And he certainly wasn’t giving any pleasure to the celebrating fans of his club.
If you didn’t have the non-pleasure of witnessing the interview, click here for a truly outstanding lesson in what not to do.
WINNING ANSWERS EVERY TIME
Our mindset going into any professional conversation needs to be positive if we’re going to get the positive outcome from it that we want.
In a media interview or conversation with clients, prospects, officials, career appraisers or job selection panels you need to have a winning mindset.
In fact, the book called “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work” kicks off by talking about a football manager needing to inspire young players before they compete in their first match.
The opening chapter focuses on giving “winning answers every time”.
This is so important that the publishers and I are giving this chapter to the world without charge.
You can read the opening chapter by clicking on the image below:
And if you know Pep Guardiola then please pass the free chapter link on to him fast… before his next match!
You can also tell him that the whole of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work” is now available in one of the poshest stores in the world – as you’ll see at the end of this edition…
SPREADING THE JOY OF GREAT ANSWERS
One of the benefits of giving great answers to tough questions is that it, unsurprisingly, makes you feel good.
Imagine how fantastic you would feel if you could give the greatest possible answers to your toughest possible workplace questions in 2017.
I’m running a campaign to save the universe from bad, negative, demoralising answers.
Part of this campaign is to run master classes to give participants the joy of uttering your greatest possible answers.
The opportunity to uplift the content, structure and delivery style of your future answers awaits you…
You can do a specially-commissioned master classes on your premises anywhere in the world.
http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/give-great-answers-to-tough-questions/
Or you can take part in the “Great Answers” master classes in Central London on Wednesday 18 January.
The two London sessions will enable you to feel so much better because you’ll experience the joy of having the best possible well-planned well-practiced answers ready for any tough 2017 question…
Why buy from you when there are cheaper options?
Why employ you when there are better qualified people?
Why follow your plan when the outcome is unproven?
What’s your biggest weakness?
On the day you will get the chance to practice the strategies outlined in “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work”.
And you will get an author-signed copy of the book.
GREAT ANSWERS AT THE WONDERFUL LONDON ART HOUSE
The 18 January master classes take place at the luxurious London Art House in fashionable Islington.
The first session – “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work: THE PRACTICAL” – runs 10am to 1pm. This boosts your answers to tough questions from selection panels, employers, prospects, clients, officials and others.
The second session – “Great Answers To Tough MEDIA Questions” – runs from 2pm to 5pm. This boosts your answers when interviewed by journalists.
There’s a video about the sessions here:
Investment cost of each session is £167.
If do the two master classes you get the discounted rate of £289 to cover both sessions.
There are advantages for companies if you work on your great answers together with colleagues. So if you book both sessions for two or more in your team, you can each do both sessions for £237 per person.
Investment costs include VAT and refreshments.
For bookings and questions about the London master classes, email michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com
Or phone (44) 07944 952835.
GREAT ANSWERS IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S CLASSIEST STORES
If you happen to be strolling through the posh Central London district of Knightsbridge, you can pick up a copy of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work”.
In fact one well-known Knightsbridge store even has a copy signed by the author himself!
And if you do your shopping at Harrods at the right time, you might even meet the author live in person!!!
Look forward to seeing you in 2017… maybe while doing a communications-boosting keynote at your annual conference, or in a one-to-one session to boost your presentations, or in a Great Answers master class at the London Art House…
… or perhaps when we’re just doing our weekly shop in Harrods.
Keep smiling,
Michael