Upfront Best Bits Reel Danger
British National Treasure Michael Palin, at the tender age of 81, releases the latest volume of his best-selling diaries. Amid the launch PR lamenting, with disgruntled missed-chance bemusement, how his quarter-century BBC career of (hugely popular) traveloguing ended. His last series for them being about Brazil in 2012. Since when switching to a different UK broadcaster (Channel 5).
"Presentation was going in a different direction"
"[the BBC] they had this new way of presenting shows – which I would get absolutely, desperately frustrated with – where they would show, in the first five minutes, all the great moments of what was to come"
"Because [producers thought] this captured viewers".
Python Palin's anti 'opening highlights' package remarks struck a chord with me. As well as London's The Times columnist, Carol Midgley. Here's a sample of her colourful stance;
"[don't be] serving up the money shots first, pudding before starter ... thinking we’ll switch off without carrots being dangled in our idiot faces"
"[the audience are not] mouth-breathing morons with the attention span of a particularly dim housefly"
"as pointless as a striptease artist, the second she walks on stage, whipping off her scratchy corset and nipple tassels".
How much do your meeting starts resemble this?
I often find myself going back to a wonderful pearl of wisdom, gleaned via research on teaching.
The most engaging lessons were found to be ones where at the outset, the teacher began by setting a puzzle. The class were then way more likely to be engaged and stay so throughout. As they could help in 'solving' it, with wanting to know the resolution.
Persuasion guru Robert Cialdini often cited; create a mystery.
Flavours of this technique work supremely well in a sales setting.
From your meeting (or agenda) title framed as a question. Through outlining a conundrum, dilemma (trilemma, even) or knotty (nay vexing) 'area of concern'. To relaying the quest at the heart of a subsequent story to uncover with wherever it takes you.
Even the most humdrum of sounding forums can be perked up with this simple rejig.
Applying beautifully to video meetings especially, by the way.
The pay-off is very much to be grabbed hold of too.
Is the puzzle done? Are we a happy we've sorted the task at hand? Have we solved the mystery?
Did the meeting deliver?