Cut Your Presentation Time
Today’s audience is different. When I say audience, I do not mean just an audience I would address as a professional speaker, but the people you sell to and manage every day.
We are stimulation junkies, with short attention spans who are used to watching television. If the program is the slightest bit boring, we change the channel, or videotape our favorite programs and fast-forward through the commercials. We are accustomed to Jay Leno and Johnny Carson giving us the news headlines as a comedy routine. Today you cannot be “boring” or take too long to get to the point, or people will change the channel on you. Even at Harvard Business School, they now present in twenty minutes what a few years ago they would have done in thirty minutes because of the short attention span of the students.
Regarding the telephone and knowing how to get off before you get on, understand that the person you are talking to is as busy as yourself. Just give the purpose of your call and get to the point. When you completed the purpose of the call and feel you must socialize, do so at the end. If your client is socializing with you, and another important client calls them, you will be asked to call back. In today’s fast-paced world, time is a scarce commodity.
Patricia Fripp is a San Francisco based professional speaker on the subjects of Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business and Speaking Skills. She is also the author of 'Get What You Want' and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. For more information please feel free to contact her.
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