© Copyright 2004                               "Lecture Out - Engagement In." by Tony Jeary What: Years ago, you could have gotten away with a presentation that was 100% lecture.  These days, unless perhaps you're a prison warden, this is not possible.  People today expect you to talk with them, not at them; your results often depends on their involvement, and the bar has been raised on the experience necessary to achieve engagement.  If you go to the movies, you know that "surround sound"was invented to be part of total experience.  Even buying a car these days can be an experience, culminating in the "golden momentî, commemorated in a photo with you and your sales person.  Accordingly, people expect a lot more in the context of speeches, training sessions and meetings. Why: The basic driver of the need for engagement relates to attention span.  The average adult has an attention span of five to seven minutes or less, depending on your definition.  That's the reason commercial breaks in prime-time TV programming last about three to four minutes and arguably the inhibitor that keeps lengthy classical music and most jazz tunes off the top 50 hit lists.  Even with multi-sensory stimulation (that is, getting information not only by hearing words, but also by seeing, feeling, smelling, or tasting), the presenter can still only count on a five to seven minute attention window. If the brevity of the adult attention span is problematic for television producers and composers, it's a veritable nightmare for the presenter.  Five to seven minutes is barely enough time to get started and inform the group about the day's subject matter. How: We've talked about a variety of related topics in earlier newsletters (see Volumes 6, 7 & 15). Business entertainment, Active Problem-Solving, Verbal Surveying (questions to the group) and Targeted Polling (questions directed to individuals) are all good techniques to maintain attention and fight boredom. These all work to accomplish the same goal:  to simply involve participants in ways that allow them to interact frequently, and add value. Another way to fight the attention span issue is through use of a conversational tone.  People love having a conversation, but they do not like being lectured to.  Following are some proven methods you can use to create a conversational tone and have a conversation with large groups. Smile - it's a natural conversation starter! If at all possible, place nothing between you and the group - avoid lecterns, podiums and risers and pick a "non-power" position at a conference table.  In larger settings, use a wireless microphone to let you walk and mingle. Avoid the flat and sometimes condescending tone of a lecture.  (I'm here to talk; you're here to listen...)  Use everyday conversational language; plain words tailored to your audience, delivered in short declarative sentences.  Begin asking questions immediately and listen to the answers.  Use participants' names whenever possible and encourage them to use yours. Use humor and tell stories about yourself that can humanize your message. Benefits: Beating the attention span trap gives you a much better chance of achieving your objectives.  People can't do what you want them to do if they have drifted off and not really heard or absorbed what you had to say. The results you achieve with the group's complete attention will be lots better in terms of the quality of the solutions, degree of commitment and readiness for action. Participants get a favorable "experience"and will be more likely to spend time with you in the future. Action Plan: Plan your next session with a 3D-Outline, and pay special attention to the "Why" and "How" columns.  Build the agenda with a strong opening to achieve involvement early, and then add a change of pace -- something different -- every 5-7 minutes to keep people tuned in.  Select tools (from the tips above) to achieve a conversational tone.  Adjust these to fit your situation and objectives, and then rehearse with a live test audience to validate your material. Get feedback.  Evaluate your next session to determine what worked for you (and what didn't), and modify your future plans accordingly. Use the word "share" at the beginning of your presentatations. Copyright © 2002 Tony Jeary High Performance Resources Tony Jeary, considered by many to be the worldís foremost presentation strategist, has traveled globally for almost two decades teaching others how to present with excellence. Driven from an early age, at 23, Tony became a self-made millionaire by helping others. He demonstrates his value by being extremely disciplined, organized and as a result, a man of action.  Tony has published more than three dozen books and resources on the subjects of presentations and business strategy.  In his state-of-the-art studio or at the clientís site, he personally coaches the Fortune 100ís finest CEOís and presidents of companies like Wal-Mart, Samís Club, Ford, New York Life and Texaco and influenced hundreds of thousands in 36 countries. 1-877-2-INSPIRE www.tonyjeary.com