Why Are You Giving This Presentation?

Surely you can find better ways to spend your time than putting together a presentation. If I were to ask you to list the five things you like to do most, in order of importance, would standing in front of an audience to deliver a presentation show up? I doubt it.

Now the insight. Members of your audience HATE sitting through your presentation more than you hate giving it. No kidding. They’ll do anything not to sit through your presentation: They’ll lie, make excuses, borrow a beeper and activate it any time they feel they can’t take anymore, tell their assistant to come into the room 10 minutes into the presentation and pass them a blank note so they can decide whether to stay or leave.

It’s nothing personal, ...

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