Presentations: 2 Minute Training #6: Learn From Mutt & Jeff
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, people stop paying attention. During a presentation, It’s difficult to keep people energized and listening to what you have to say, especially if you are discussing lengthy details. How can you break the routine enough to keep people listening?
Tyler Dockery Suggests that your team utilize a Mutt & Jeff routine.
Ok, let’s be blunt. Statistics aren’t usually sexy.
Ok, Ok, a huge upswing in profits, or an incredibly large reduction in overhead costs can be. But for the average presentation, statistics will often equal an instant lapse in attention. However, statistics usually mean people, events, or special deals. And that means that you have specific details that you can discuss, and details will be your saving grace.
When you are showing the numbers, Tyler Dockery suggests that your numbers and graphs should be posted on nice boards which could be easily placed from the ground up onto on easel. As the board is lifted, one presenter will see the notecard you have firmly (and I mean FIRMLY) affixed to the back.
Then you begin the Mutt & Jeff routine. As one presenter reads the note on the back of the card, he will prompt his fellow presenter. She can then follow up with the detail-rich discussion points to draw the attention of the attendees back into the presentation.
Example:
As the card is lifted to the easel:
[ Mutt ] Look at this graph here, and you can see how the “Midnight Madness Sale” was received by the public.
[ Jeff ] Unfortunately, public opinion for this was not well received. Monetary numbers however, showed a gigantic upswing.
[ Mutt ] Yes, the sales brought in a ton of money, but our focus group had some pretty rough things to say. Do you remember that housewife from the midwest?
[ Jeff ] How could I forget? She stated that the deals were worth waiting all night for, but that she left her entire cart because the lines were so long.
[ Mutt ] Right. The security guard noted that 450 people entered in the initial shift, but that only 4 cashiers could be working at one time. There were 6 employees on the floor helping people and 3 guards at the changing rooms and at the front door.
[ Jeff ] For an additional $850 dollars, our firm can supply you with 3 extra registers. This would be a cost out of pocket, but you could certainly make more qualified sales during these special events. Now let’s look at your current arrangements, and our recommendations …
By constantly pulling in the real-life numbers and details, you give people the reason to return their attention back into your presentation. Does the Mutt & Jeff routine work for you? Tell us about your experiences!
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