Page 161 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

152 DELIVERY

and momentum. They begin to falter two-thirds to three-quarters
of the way through their speeches.
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When you think danger zone, think boredom, which is to be avoided

at all costs. Boredom is the offense for which you will not
quickly be forgiven.
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Even within the limits of the 18-minute wall, the danger zone is
a very real threat. It can unravel any presentation but is most damag-
ing in the prepared text speech. And it can happen for any number
of different reasons, sometimes in combination:

◆ The presentation itself is badly designed—with a lot of fl ab
evident in the standard sinkhole that usually shows up some-
where in the last one-third.
◆ The presenter gets bored (particularly if the material itself is
boring or the presenter is giving someone else’s presentation)—
and the lack of interest shows.
◆ Most people who are not professional or experienced speakers
will by nature begin to flag after the halfway mark.

◆ Nervousness cripples the entire presentation.
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The lesson is simple: If you have something worth saying, let your con-
viction and enthusiasm show. If you let your convictions and enthusi-
asm show, the danger zone will go away and the problem will fi x
itself. The danger zone goes away when your message carries the
day—that is, know what you are talking about, translate what you
know into a message people can understand, and then let that
message build in power and intensity.
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