Make all your beginnings big
Last month I had the opportunity to go to a Justin Timberlake concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. When I go to events like this I often find myself as fascinated by the mechanics of the concert as I do the songs or the artist performing before me. Having an interest in presentation (big or small, every presentation is a show) I find that, whether the show was bad or good, there’s always something I can take away from the experience that I can learn from to improve my own presenting skills.
Fortunately, the Timberlake show fell well above the “good” category on the concert rating scale and actually soared to the level of “spectacular” and “OMG, I can’t believe I’m seeing what I’m seeing.” The Timberlake show was fantastic with many, many takeaways that can be applied to presentations of just about any kind. In future articles I’ll talk about the takeaways I got from later in the concert but for this particular article I’m going to focus on the way Justin Timberlake began his concert.
Prior to the actual concert itself Timberlake had a DJ set up on an elevated platform at the opposite end of the arena from the stage. From the moment the doors opened, the DJ played dance music, worked the crowd, and made sure everyone knew (and felt like) they were integral to the show. This went on until just a few minutes before the lights went down.
As the lights went down in the arena, the huge screen behind the stage came alive with images representative of the 20/20 theme of the concert. These images danced around the screen for a period of time, and then a woman’s voice proclaimed, “20 seconds.” The 20-second countdown had begun. As the numbers counted down, aloud and on the screen, the excitement of the audience increased. Five, four, three, two, one… a pause, a huge flash-bang, and the images onscreen become instantly replaced by a silhouette and sounds of an orchestra string section, and then the looming silhouette of Justin Timberlake in a tuxedo adjusting his cuff links and straightening his cuffs. He’s ready, we’re ready; a few seconds pass… a massive flash-bang and there he is, in the flesh. A beautifully choreographed and truly spectacular opening.
So, what does this multi-million dollar extravaganza have to do with the presentations you and I find ourselves tasked with on a daily basis. In a word: Preparation!
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When I say preparation I don’t mean the preparation that went into the show; I’m talking about the preparation of the audience that began from the moment we walked into the venue.
The DJ wasn’t there just to keep us occupied pre-show, he was there to make sure we were engaged and ready for what was to follow. The graphics displayed behind the stage were there to remind us that this was the 20/20 Tour, and we were in the right place to have fun. When the disembodied voice called out “20 seconds” and the countdown began we were being put on notice that something extraordinary was about to happen, and it was time to begin raising our energy level to the appropriate level for launch. And, when the orchestra appeared in silhouette followed by Justin Timberlake, also in silhouette, we were being given a chance to acquaint ourselves with our hosts for the evening prior to being blown away by what they had to offer.
You, too, should prepare your audience. Many people think a presentation begins after they’ve been introduced and after the first words are uttered. This couldn’t be further from the truth. From the moment your guests enter the room they should feel they are a part of the event. By doing this you will increase their enjoyment of your presentation and you’ll definitely increase the enjoyment you’ll have presenting to them.
Remember, big or small, every presentation is a show.
Cheers, Patrick