NORTHERN PLANNER

CONFUSED AS YOU ARE

recent posts

about

Harder than it looks

Kirsten at work was bouncing up and down the office  on this space hopper:100_2330

Thinking it looked easy, I had a pop and managed to fall off and twist my knee. I pretended it didn’t hurt, but they’ll be no five a side for a week or so.

It reminded me of all sorts of things that people manage to make look really simple, like supermarket checkout people who can work a till that would confuse Mr Spock at first.

That’s a problem with presenting strategy sometimes. If it’s something that’s simply beautiful, being slick and making it look effortless can backfire – it looks like you haven’t tried.

Posted in

5 responses to “Harder than it looks”

  1. Marcus Brown Avatar
    Marcus Brown

    I’m totally with you on this. As an ex-client I was always hated the slick presentation – it just came across as rehearsed. When I ran my own agency I always honest and sometimes “wrong” in presentations. It seemed to work. Does that make sense?

    Like

    Reply
  2. Rob Mortimer Avatar
    Rob Mortimer

    Thats why having passion and enthusiasm can be so much more effective than slickness and (I think im inventing a work here) ‘well rehearsedness’.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Marcus Brown Avatar
    Marcus Brown

    Apologies for the above. If you have seen the new sausage video you will know why my comment looks like I’ve had a few. Sorry.

    Like

    Reply
  4. gemma Avatar
    gemma

    The Jon Steels of this world are all for casual presentations, dumping powerpoint etc. – but I think you have to try and match the presentation style to client.
    Some clients I’ve met would be horrified if presented with anything other than a full standing up 100 powerpoint charts extravaganza.
    The only problem is that its a bit difficult to make the call on presentation style when its a pitch and you don’t know the client well.
    Which is why I tend to aim for a happy medium most times.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Northern Planner Avatar
    Northern Planner

    Damn straight folks, honest and genuine works for me – since always manage to make a mess of setting up the laptop I already look wrong enough before I start.
    I think Gemma’s right about not knowing who you’re presenting to – which is why I try and find any excuse to meet them beforehand.
    Sausage video? Gues where I’m looking next…

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Marcus Brown Cancel reply