Wise actors know there’s nothing more compelling to the attention than presence, energy and a little jeopardy thrown in for good measure. It’s why the unpredictability and presence of kids and pets makes them completely compelling for an audience. The anticipation of what may go wrong will keep an audience on the edge of their seats. And in meeting rooms, that performance principle can help you too. 😨

But before you get too excited, while bringing your dog to work and into meetings with you might seem like quite an attractive prospect, it’s not my advice here. 🐶

You don’t necessarily need the pets, you do need the presence and a soupcon of jeopardy (in safe, well rehearsed doses.) In a very formulaic, process driven world, one slide following the next in a dreary and entirely soul sapping way, that anything you can do to bring an element of surprise is going to be powerful. 💥

So what can you do to bring more presence to your presentations now we’ve (sob) decided to leave our beloved pets at home? 👩‍🏫

🧡 Leave space for surprise: Don’t stuff too much content in. Be sparing and leave room to respond to the moment – it is where the aliveness happens. The unexpected is often the most memorable.

🧡 It’s a co-production: When you are speaking to an audience it’s always about collaboration. Create space for others to fill the pause and then listen and build on what they say, looping it back to your theme.

🧡 Pick up the threads: Think of a presentation as a tapestry, you want to pick up threads that your audience give you. Then knit it all together. If a point is made by the audience early on, come back to it at the end, so there’s a sense of deep listening and of circularity. As Chekhov put in about great drama, if there’s a gun on stage in the first act, it needs to go off in the third.

🧡 Learn to love jeopardy: A little healthy uncertainty is a marvellous thing – well planned audience participation, a touch of the unexpected is a tonic in an age of endless deck. If something unexpected comes, welcome it with enjoyment and ease – your audience are, so you may as well join them.

🧡 Bring a dramatic Prop or Visual: Show an unusual object or an eye-catching image that ties into your message. Remember the drawers that make an appearance in my Ted Talk? They’re still talked about to this very day! Stay curious always as to how you can bring this aliveness into your speaking – even if you don’t want to share the stage with your favourite pet.

🧡 Stay curious always: As to how you can bring this aliveness into your speaking – even if you don’t want to share the stage with your favourite pet.

Don’t be afraid to keep your audience guessing what is going to happen next, a little rehearsed spontaneity, much like we see in theatres up and down the country at this time of year in panto goes a long way to making your speech or presentation a memorable one! 🎭

This will be my last newsletter of 2024, thank you so much for joining me this year each week and for all your heartwarming encouragement. I’ll be back in January but in the meantime I’d like to wish you a wonderful festive season! 

All my best,

Caroline. x