I probably own the title of "The Most Speeches Given Without Using PowerPoint," because I've spoken at meetings and events at least a hundred times - and I've never used it.
If you want to engage people, you don't use a stale computer program and elementary handouts that insult their intelligence.
You talk with them (not at – or even to - them).
You take the time to look them in the eye - as many of them as you can.
You connect with them...not only intellectually, but also emotionally.
You get them involved on some level, so they're emotionally invested in your presentation.
You present them with practical, actionable advice...advice they can use to be more efficient and more productive in their work and in their lives.
You tell stories. Because - still - people love a good story. A story to which they can relate. And a story that touches them.
You come off as excited and enthusiastic about your subject (hopefully you really are!)...because then your audience will be.
You speak in a conversational tone - because then they're more likely to hear what you're saying.
I could go on and on with more "talking” points. I won't. But if I decided to, you can be sure they’ll be “talking” points. Not PowerPoints.
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
www.winstoncommunications.com
steve@winstoncommunications.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
SNUGGIES: THE ULTIMATE VIRAL PHENOMENON
A couple of weeks ago, my high-school-freshman daughter had finals, and I had to take her to school and pick her up.
One day, as I sat in the car and waited for her, I was particularly amused at the variety of outfits worn by the students as they entered or left their exam rooms. We live in Florida. And, here, we not only have very broad “dress codes,” but it’s also hot as hell a good deal of the time. Accordingly, many – if not most – of the boys show up in long, baggy shorts. And many of the girls – including my daughter Alyssa - go to school in sandals.
There were other styles, as well, of course. The jocks were easy to tell, by their school sweatshirts and their form-fitting t-shirts. There was an occasional “beach boy” or girl. An occasional “Goth,” dressed all in black. There was even one kid who looked a bit like Count Dracula, with whitened face, long black coat, and broad-brimmed black hat.
But what caught my eye the most were the Snuggies (“as seen on TV!”). First, one. Then, another. And after a while I noticed that, at least at my daughter’s school, Snuggies were a popular form of dress.
Come on…you know “Snuggies.” Anyone who’s ever watched a bad TV movie or a ballgame knows “Snuggies.” They’re the “blanket with sleeves” that you can wear while reading at home on the sofa, or “while cheering at a foot ball game.” (I always wonder where they found the “actress” who’s shown cheering.)
Anyway, when my daughter got into the car, I asked her about kids wearing Snuggies to school. And she gave the answer that, to this day, still makes parents of teenagers cringe: “Everybody’s doing it.”
Actually, she’s not all that far from the truth. This strange-looking product with the doofy commercial has actually been a runaway-seller – to the tune of twenty million. You heard me right. Twenty million.
In simple terms, that means one of every fifteen Americans is wearing them.
Now, I’m sure plenty of teenagers – who are at least as prone to watch bad TV movies as the rest of us - have seen the TV ad. But, according to my daughter, the Snuggies phenomenon at her school is the result of viral marketing…in this case, kids seeing other kids wearing them.
It apparently doesn’t matter that Snuggies are somewhat uncomfortable. Reviews have claimed that the open back is awkward. That the sleeves are often too long or too short, and that they, too, are uncomfortable. And that the product is somewhat difficult to walk in (which could be a real problem if you’re cheering at that football game). And it doesn’t matter, apparently, that many people who see the commercial have the same reaction I do: “They’ve got to be kidding!”
None of this matters to the kids wearing them. They think it’s “cool.” And we all remember the power of that word when you’re in high school.
When you think about it, Snuggies are the ultimate marketing phenomenon. And the proof that viral marketing is – just as it was when I was in high school, although we just called it “word-of-mouth” then – actually a timeless method of influencing an audience.
Twenty million!
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
www.winstoncommunications.com
steve@winstoncommunications.com
One day, as I sat in the car and waited for her, I was particularly amused at the variety of outfits worn by the students as they entered or left their exam rooms. We live in Florida. And, here, we not only have very broad “dress codes,” but it’s also hot as hell a good deal of the time. Accordingly, many – if not most – of the boys show up in long, baggy shorts. And many of the girls – including my daughter Alyssa - go to school in sandals.
There were other styles, as well, of course. The jocks were easy to tell, by their school sweatshirts and their form-fitting t-shirts. There was an occasional “beach boy” or girl. An occasional “Goth,” dressed all in black. There was even one kid who looked a bit like Count Dracula, with whitened face, long black coat, and broad-brimmed black hat.
But what caught my eye the most were the Snuggies (“as seen on TV!”). First, one. Then, another. And after a while I noticed that, at least at my daughter’s school, Snuggies were a popular form of dress.
Come on…you know “Snuggies.” Anyone who’s ever watched a bad TV movie or a ballgame knows “Snuggies.” They’re the “blanket with sleeves” that you can wear while reading at home on the sofa, or “while cheering at a foot ball game.” (I always wonder where they found the “actress” who’s shown cheering.)
Anyway, when my daughter got into the car, I asked her about kids wearing Snuggies to school. And she gave the answer that, to this day, still makes parents of teenagers cringe: “Everybody’s doing it.”
Actually, she’s not all that far from the truth. This strange-looking product with the doofy commercial has actually been a runaway-seller – to the tune of twenty million. You heard me right. Twenty million.
In simple terms, that means one of every fifteen Americans is wearing them.
Now, I’m sure plenty of teenagers – who are at least as prone to watch bad TV movies as the rest of us - have seen the TV ad. But, according to my daughter, the Snuggies phenomenon at her school is the result of viral marketing…in this case, kids seeing other kids wearing them.
It apparently doesn’t matter that Snuggies are somewhat uncomfortable. Reviews have claimed that the open back is awkward. That the sleeves are often too long or too short, and that they, too, are uncomfortable. And that the product is somewhat difficult to walk in (which could be a real problem if you’re cheering at that football game). And it doesn’t matter, apparently, that many people who see the commercial have the same reaction I do: “They’ve got to be kidding!”
None of this matters to the kids wearing them. They think it’s “cool.” And we all remember the power of that word when you’re in high school.
When you think about it, Snuggies are the ultimate marketing phenomenon. And the proof that viral marketing is – just as it was when I was in high school, although we just called it “word-of-mouth” then – actually a timeless method of influencing an audience.
Twenty million!
Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
www.winstoncommunications.com
steve@winstoncommunications.com
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