How to be a Presentation God: Build, Design, and Deliver Presentations that Dominate!

11.1. SENSEI SENSIBILITY

If you've ever been run down by a gang of glow-in-the-dark, skeleton-suit wearing karate misfits, then you know the real value of finding a sensei—fast. Having a reliable sounding board for your content, design, and delivery is a must-have for conquering anxiety. After all, what is our anxiety most often about? It's not that we might lose our jobs; it's what people will think about us! If we can answer this question before the big day, then we won't have to worry about it at all.

Though The Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi wasn't the boardroom type or the sensational closer, he understood the human mind and, more importantly, the human soul. In the classic coming-of-age story about a transplanted teen searching for stability, Mr. Miyagi dispensed some advice that could be useful to all of us.

11.1.1. Wax On/Wax Off

Like any smart parental figure, Mr. Miyagi saved the reward—karate skills—for last. Prior to learning any fighting skills, his protégé Daniel had to perform a litany of home equity boosting chores (washing the car, sanding the deck, painting the fence, and so on) before getting what he really wanted. In the process, he developed the raw strength and coordination he would need to make real progress as the karate kid. Painting the fence drilled two key blocking movements into his muscle memory without him even having to think about it.

There are things that you do every day that make you a great presenter. Can you tell a great bedtime story to your kids? ...