(This is a slight departure from my normal entry on general self improvement. This is targeted at people who need to make presentations and make them stick with their audience)
I don't care how good you think any presentation you do is, if it doesn't have all 3 of "the 3 E's" you're presentation is flat.
The 3 E's are Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement.
Let's look at them one at a time
Energy
Energy is a common term in many areas. I learned it in the theater where it's the single most important quality of your performance and probably the most difficult part of a performance to explain or teach. When you have Energy, your audience is drawn into your world. Without it, they're looking at you through a foggy window and will just as soon leave as stay. It comes from truly believing yourself that everything you're doing and saying is exactly what your character in the play would say. For a presentation, it comes from the second E, Enthusiasm and how your body reacts when you are enthused.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a a deep belief in every single statement you make. Some people confuse this with the single-mindedness that comes from being absorbed in your subject. Enthusiastic people have the ability to make other people enthusiastic about something. Think of late night infomercials. The Infomercial stars are enthusiastic about their subject. As a result, whether you believe in the material or not, you get swept up by their enthusiasm.
Excitement
This is the most important of the 3 E's of any presentation and the part of the presentation that is lacking more than any other. It is lacking because it's not something you bring into your presentation, but it's something you impart to your presentees. Your job as a presenter has nothing at all to do with the material you are presenting. Your job is to excite your audience and make your audience excited about your subject. If they're excited, they will learn what they need from your presentation. If they're not excited, they won't remember anything except how boring you are.
The Resulting 4th E
If you master the 3 E's, there is a 4th E that results. This is where a change occurs in you personally and you become an Evangelist of your subject. When you've reached this point, people will make a path to your door to listen to you and consider you an elite speaker on your subject. The best examples of individuals who have achieved this level are world reknowned. They are Evangelical Ministers like Billy and Franklin Graham. Businessmen like Steve Jobs. And Self-Help Gurus like Tony Robbins.
People at this level have made a name for themselves because they have mastered the 3 E's within their subject areas. But they are always at risk of the 5th and final E.
The 5th and final E: Error!
When you reach the top it only takes one Error to bring everything crashing down. People call it many things, but it all boils down to "being stupid." If you're lucky, the crash is fast and you can step back, make adjustments, and start rebuilding immediately. Most people who experience Error are able to recover slowly, but there are a lucky few who are Enthusiastically and Energetically stupid. They hit the brick wall running and more often than not, can never recover.
Unfortunately, if you don't achieve the 3 E's, you'll always experience the 5th.
I don't care how good you think any presentation you do is, if it doesn't have all 3 of "the 3 E's" you're presentation is flat.
The 3 E's are Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement.
Let's look at them one at a time
Energy
Energy is a common term in many areas. I learned it in the theater where it's the single most important quality of your performance and probably the most difficult part of a performance to explain or teach. When you have Energy, your audience is drawn into your world. Without it, they're looking at you through a foggy window and will just as soon leave as stay. It comes from truly believing yourself that everything you're doing and saying is exactly what your character in the play would say. For a presentation, it comes from the second E, Enthusiasm and how your body reacts when you are enthused.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a a deep belief in every single statement you make. Some people confuse this with the single-mindedness that comes from being absorbed in your subject. Enthusiastic people have the ability to make other people enthusiastic about something. Think of late night infomercials. The Infomercial stars are enthusiastic about their subject. As a result, whether you believe in the material or not, you get swept up by their enthusiasm.
Excitement
This is the most important of the 3 E's of any presentation and the part of the presentation that is lacking more than any other. It is lacking because it's not something you bring into your presentation, but it's something you impart to your presentees. Your job as a presenter has nothing at all to do with the material you are presenting. Your job is to excite your audience and make your audience excited about your subject. If they're excited, they will learn what they need from your presentation. If they're not excited, they won't remember anything except how boring you are.
The Resulting 4th E
If you master the 3 E's, there is a 4th E that results. This is where a change occurs in you personally and you become an Evangelist of your subject. When you've reached this point, people will make a path to your door to listen to you and consider you an elite speaker on your subject. The best examples of individuals who have achieved this level are world reknowned. They are Evangelical Ministers like Billy and Franklin Graham. Businessmen like Steve Jobs. And Self-Help Gurus like Tony Robbins.
People at this level have made a name for themselves because they have mastered the 3 E's within their subject areas. But they are always at risk of the 5th and final E.
The 5th and final E: Error!
When you reach the top it only takes one Error to bring everything crashing down. People call it many things, but it all boils down to "being stupid." If you're lucky, the crash is fast and you can step back, make adjustments, and start rebuilding immediately. Most people who experience Error are able to recover slowly, but there are a lucky few who are Enthusiastically and Energetically stupid. They hit the brick wall running and more often than not, can never recover.
Unfortunately, if you don't achieve the 3 E's, you'll always experience the 5th.
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