November 19, 2012
by Andy Saks
Human beings cannot survive in isolation. Eventually, we crave human interaction. Group presentations facilitate it by bringing people together in a room, producing unpredictable, serendipitous moments of pure, magical human-to-human connection.
Where precisely do those moments occur? Imagine you’ve just arrived at an industry seminar given by a well-known speaker whom you’ve never seen in person. You might find your magical moments of connection in any or all of these:
Feeling the palpable energy collectively generated by everyone in the room
Sensing the anticipation in the room as the speaker takes the stage
Adding new bits of pivotal information to your knowledge base
Nodding in agreement with others nodding around you
Watching the spark of laughter envelop the room
Grasping the sudden brainstorm that just wouldn’t come if you were alone
Considering the surprising answer to the question someone else asked
Hearing a wave of sweet applause wash over the room
Rising to join the ovation as it surges through every row
Enjoying the eager babble of post-speech conversation
Knowing your live experience may be recreated, but never replicated
The Thrill of Being There generates these magical moments. It’s why even in the age of social media and videoconferencing, human beings are still compelled to gather together in person, interact face-to-face and share a collective experience. It’s why musicians still tour, why fans splurge on tickets to the big game, why political parties hold conventions and why revelers flock to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It’s why friends and family travel far and wide for weddings and graduations, and why religious followers still gather in sacred spaces to pray, rejoice and mourn.
We tolerate the time, cost and hassle of getting there for the pleasure of being there, and the knowledge that while others saw the action from a distance or heard about it secondhand, we experienced it directly. As the saying goes, I could tell you about it, but you really had to be there.
That communal experience can be just as potent at business events. From a trade show in a convention center to a traveling show in a hotel ballroom, from a networking event in a restaurant to a launch party at a private club, companies constantly harness The Thrill of Being There to create the same types of immersive moments.
And because you were there, the sensory details you experienced—the view from your seat, the sound of the speaker’s voice, the feel of the workbook in your hand—wedge themselves into your memory. You savor the experience and become more likely to act on it. That’s The Thrill of Being There at work.
Moreover, you can use technology to amplify The Thrill of Being There to a grander scale. For example, today you can give your presentation to a large in-person audience and webcast it simultaneously to a global audience. Social media like Twitter add an interactive element, encouraging viewers to vote in your polls, ask you questions, and talk amongst themselves, all in real time.
Just like that, you have extended The Thrill of Being There from the physical into the virtual, and made your virtual viewers feel like true and valued participants.
If even some of The Grand Power of Presentations resonates with you, if it makes your toes tingle and your heart beat just a little faster, then you sense its power to drive your own career into orbit.
Seize the moment, take advantage, and you’ll dazzle everyone around you.
PREVIOUS: The Grand Power of Presentations, Part 1 – The Efficiency of One-to-Many
Tags: public speaking tips
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