TJ’s Insights

What do you do if you regularly have to speak in front of someone who is a sourpuss? In every big organization there is always one person who has a perpetual frown on his or her face. This person likes to give lots of feedback—all of it negative! The sheer possibility of having to give a presentation in a room with this person is enough to suck the wind right out of you.

Here are several concepts and strategies to keep in mind:

A boring speech forty years ago would most likely be a boring speech today. But a great speech forty years ago might also be a boring speech today. Audiences change. Their attitudes about what makes a good speech can evolve over time.

Much has been written and said about how eloquent John F. Kennedy was giving his inaugural address in 1961. Yet if George Bush gave the exact same Kennedy did, Bush would be attacked as pompous, archaic, overly formalistic, and grandiose (and this isn’t just because reporters don’t like Bush).

Let’s face it, we’ve all started to nod off while listening to a speaker, no matter how interesting the presentation. As a speaker, this can be disconcerting. You may be tempted to walk over the offending sleeper, shake him by the labels and say, “wake up you knucklehead!” But that wouldn’t be polite.

I have found the most effective and yet subtle technique is to give the sleepy person longer eye contact than usual. Look at the person for an entire thought, plus a second or two. Of course you don’t want to look at this person to the exclusion of others in the room, but just enough to put a temporary spotlight on the drowsy one. That spotlight of your eyes will make the person just uncomfortable enough that sleep will seem less appealing.