Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate
was a Broadway smash in 1948, making its way from stage to screen. The opening song, “Another Op’nin’, Another Show,” an instant hit, stayed popular through the years (even featured on The Muppet Show in the ‘80s) and still remains a show business anthem today, 73 years later. Whoah, that’s quite a run!
The Universal Message
of a song like this is, Here we go…again! Let’s make it work! I always say to my clients, “Every presentation begins anew; every interaction is a fresh encounter.” Put another way, what worked for you yesterday may not work for you today. You’ve got to prove your worth.
How?
By being both theatrical and practical. My personal Communications philosophy is that every time we present it is SHOWtime and SALEStime.
SHOWtime Begins with Energy
You are always trying to capture an audience’s attention and make an impression. You talk and they listen. That, my friends, is a show. You can’t do it without energy. Last month I shared a list of 23 quickie 60-second ways to up your energy between Zoom calls. Try them! It’s critical for all of us who present, as we navigate Zoom fatigue.
There’s No I in Open
Great! Now you’re pumped up and excited about what you’re going to say. The tendency can be to jump right in thinking about your talking points and forgetting about who you’re talking to. If you’re framing your opening by using the word I multiple times, your audience may be tuning out. Try inserting you and your as much as possible to make it about them.
First, Meet Audiences Where They Are
Tough love: your audience doesn’t care about you. They care about themselves; their needs, challenges, worries, deadlines. Take a moment to appreciate an issue that’s going on in the department, or acknowledge it’s the fifth meeting of the day, or recognize everyone is tired of reviewing this report.
Own it, share it, make a joke about it; create commonality before you begin. Connect with your audiences through empathy before you start taking them where you want them to go.
A Little Razzle Dazzle
You don’t need to worry about doing a song-and-dance routine. Just think fresh energy and make it about the audience. Put a smile on your face and let them know how grateful you are to be there. It’s SHOWtime!
P.S. Stay tuned. Next month’s NewsNotes will be all about the second half: It’s SALEStime!
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