Reinventing Virtual Events

CHAPTER 12Becoming a Media‐Trained Emcee

If you think presentations cannot enchant people, then you have never seen a really good one.

—Guy Kawasaki

Attention follows attention. Whatever you focus on during a live event grows. And if something goes wrong and you fan that spark, it will grow exponentially. So be careful what you wish for and don't panic.

The most potent entertaining factor is self‐deprecating wit. Making fun of yourself in a public forum humanizes your brand and endears audiences to you. You need to set the tone for how your customer‐centric event (CCE) will go. Humor is paramount, but you want your humor style to be more like Seinfeld than a raunchy late‐night comic. Bring all sides to the table and welcome them in.

At Go‐to‐Market (GTM) Games, we are always a bit serious and don't introduce the contestants (because it wastes time and breaks the intense competition feel). We joke plenty with the judges where appropriate. If you're too informal, the event can turn into a backyard BBQ circus where the golden retrievers jump into the pool to catch a tennis ball. We use this visual metaphor because if you create a role‐play, time the simulation, and institute some structured Q&A, the audience will take you seriously and get more out of it. No matter how much fun your audience appears to be having, setting parameters, rules, and boundaries makes the game worth playing, just like “escape‐the‐room.”

Never look up when you're hosting. Make sincere eye contact with ...