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The Brown Bag: A Lesson about Presentation Delivery and Perception
by Scott Schwertly, November 14th 2007
 About
Scott Schwertly
Scott Schwertly is a presentation expert.
He has spent the last eight years working for television
network affiliates helping them create story-telling visuals
and has worked in marketing for both the private and public
sector. Today, Scott works with a wide spectrum of clients
that includes Silicon Valley start-ups, publishing houses,
authors, and various companies throughout the world. Helping
individuals and businesses build, design, and deliver captivating
presentations is his passion.
He currently serves as both
Founder and CEO of Ethos3
Communications – A Presentation
Design and Training Company, and is the author of an award
winning blog - Presentation Revolution and a Top 100 ChangeThis.com
manifesto. Scott has a B.A. in Communications and an M.B.A.
from Harding University.
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Thirteen-year-old Gary woke up with anxiety. Today is the day,
he thought. I have to bring it with me. Mom told me it was what
I needed, so it must be okay, he assured himself. However, even
that small effort of self-assurance was not enough to calm the
doubt that plagued his adolescent mind.
Gary quickly got ready,
gathered all his schoolbooks, some change for lunch, and “it” – The
Brown Bag. “Boy, this is heavy”, he thought. He didn’t
remember it being that massive the night before. His mother calmly
assured him everything was okay and encouraged him out the door.
Upon arriving at school, Gary became immediately self-conscious.
Where are all the other brown bags, he thought? Did I miss something,
he wondered? Out of fear of embarrassment, he darted to his destination.
Now at his planned location, Gary slowly pushed the door open as
he made his way to make his delivery. He was given a task, a task
that he was anxious to complete – to drop off the contents
of the brown bag. The task was simple, place the item in the brown
bag on the table and walk away.
What Gary saw that day was a neatly
stacked row of what appeared to be the smallest urine samples of
his peers for the school’s annual health examination – each
small in size with the name of its owner. What was buried in his
brown bag was the large mayonnaise jar his mother provided him
the night before with his name in the boldest black font. Gary
lifted the behemoth sample from the bag, quickly turned his boldly
printed name to face the wall, and walked away in utter horror
as his sample glistened in the fluorescent light of the nurse’s
waiting room.
He wasn’t intending to outdo his peers, but
the size of his contribution was obviously far superior. It communicated
passion for the project and diligence with the task. In all seriousness,
the perception that day was that Gary approached the task with
an extra level of seriousness or maybe a misunderstanding of instructions.
Either way, he was judged by the size of his contribution, but
that is a story for another day.
Gary learned a valuable lesson
that day – in a world of judges, the game of life is all
about perception. As humans, we all get judged for what we present
to others and the world. The delivery of a presentation is just
the same – it is all about perception. Here are some tips
to help develop a positive perception of you the next time you
step up to the podium.
The Power of Silence
Sam Rayburn, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,
once said, “No one has a finer command of language than
the person who keeps his mouth shut.” The best way to
begin any talk is with silence. Silence builds anticipation.
Silence demonstrates command. Silence is the strongest start.
Talk Like a Human Being
Generally, there are two kinds of speakers: the untrained and
trained. The untrained speakers often deliver presentations that
are unmemorable, difficult to follow, and wasteful of one’s
time. The trained speaker comes across as memorized, rehearsed,
and unnatural. Both fail in that they don’t talk like a
human being. They lack authenticity and a natural voice. Great
speakers are conversationalists. They understand that they are
unique, different, and have a story to tell. They aren’t
untrained or trained, they are sincere with their delivery.
Focus on a Child
It’s amazing how many presenters use “business talk” that
often leaves their audience guessing, wondering, and confused.
Great speakers know how to deliver messages that are clear, concise,
and simple. Here’s a great rule of thumb: If an eight-year-old
cannot recite your three main points at the conclusion of your
talk, you’ve delivered an unclear message. Keep it simple
and you will keep it memorable.
The lesson here is that we live
in a world full of judges. Keep your message concise. Keep it clear.
Keep it simple. And most importantly, be yourself. People will
judge you. That is the fact of life. However, let them judge you
for who you really are – not a poser, but an authentic voice.
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