It happens every once in a while. And the truth is, it’s frustrating. Conflicting.  I’m in the audience, watching a presentation, and everything is going great. The speaker is high energy, knowledgeable, loud enough (thank you!), speaks slowly enough, and even involves the audience.  It’s clear that significant time went into rehearsing the talk. Then there’s the slide presentation. On its own, it’s not bad – it’s really not. It’s got a strong title slide and an interesting hook. There are pictures to bring ideas to life. The font is big enough. There’s plenty of white space. Someone spent a…

When the 2008 recession hit, small business owners had to start thinking differently. Big budgets were rewritten. Marketing plans revised. Avenues for growth re-evaluated. In some cases, company mission and vision statements changed. As noted in this recent article, Ft. Collins author Harrison Hand was one such business owner, and he did think differently. He thought effectually. In 2008, Hand postponed turning his screenplay into a motion picture (Plan A) and embarked upon a new path (Plan B).  Dr. Saras Sarasvathy, professor at the University of Virginia, authored the theory of effectuation right around the 2008 recession. She posits that the effectual entrepreneur…

In the last 3 posts, we’ve pondered the speaker (author), the audience, and how to craft your message (or text). If you’ve read those, congratulations! You’ve just completed a crash course in Rhetorical Criticism. These 3 components are the essence of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle. “Sounds intriguing, but what kind of triangle is that?” Well, it’s a triangle we all use every day. Let’s substitute “persuasive” for the word “rhetorical” – as in, “Aristotle’s Persuasive Triangle.” This ancient triangle dates back to the 4th century BC when Aristotle pondered the question, “How do people persuade their audiences?” His pondering led to a definition a diagram. He defined rhetoric: “The ability…

In the two previous posts, we’ve looked at tips for “When you’re the speaker” and “When you’re the audience”. Today we explore the 3rd and final component of the rhetorical (persuasive) triangle – the message.  A great speech has a lot in common with a great symphony. The words on the page to a speaker are the notes on the page to a composer. Once these are chosen, the speaker/composer works on how to deliver the message (loud, soft, fast, slow, etc). But without the words or notes, there is no message. Well-crafted speeches, like beautifully composed symphonies, must have…

  [This is a companion to an earlier post, “When You’re the Speaker.”] Usually, when I sit in the audience and listen to a presentation, there’s a lot going on among audience members. This week was an exception. On Wednesday, I attended the CSU Collegiate Challenge (think mini Shark Tank). The speakers had a nice stage setup; this helps the audience as much as it helps the speaker. It was large and well-lit, colorful and interesting. The microphones worked, and so did the slide advancing clicker (shocking, I know). Such features help engage the audience. The audience was attentive and…