It’s the season of presentations. Global Entrepreneurship Week is November 18th through the 24th, just a short week away. We hope you’ll join us for the Final Round of Fast Pitch at the CBI on November 22nd at 5:30pm to hear the business presentations – “Pitches” – by local entrepreneurs. Some of these entrepreneurs have been working on improving their presentation skills by participating in the workshops we have provided to help them get ready for the final round of Fast Pitch on the 22nd, in front of a public audience. In additional to the CBI Fast Pitch, there are Start Up Weekends and 48 Hour Launch events around the globe as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. These presentations matter. On November 8th, Seth Godin posted a blog about presentations.
_____ From Seth Godin’s Blog: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/11/every-presentation-worth-doing-has-just-one-purpose.html
Every presentation worth doing has just one purpose
To make a change happen.
No change, no point. A presentation that doesn’t seek to make change is a waste of time and energy.
Before you start working on your presentation, the two-part question to answer is, “who will be changed by this work, and what is the change I seek? ”
The answer can be dramatic, “I want this six million dollar project approved.”
More likely, it can be subtle, “I want Bob to respect me more than he does.”
Most often, it’s, “I want to start a process that leads to action.”
If all you’re hoping for is to survive the ordeal, or to amuse and delight the crowd, then you’re not making a presentation, you’re simply an entertainer, or worse, wasting people’s time.
Change, of course, opens doors, it creates possibilities and it’s fraught with danger and apparent risk. Much easier to deny this than it is to embrace it.
Every element of your presentation (the room, the attendees, the length, the tone) exists for just one reason: to make it more likely that you will achieve the change you seek. If it doesn’t do that, replace it with something that does.
And of course, you can’t change everyone the same way at the same time. One more reason to carefully curate your audience with your intent in mind.
If you fail to make change, you’ve failed. If you do make change, you’ve opened the possibility you’ll be responsible for a bad decision or part of a project that doesn’t work. No wonder it’s frightening and far easier to just do a lousy presentation.
But you won’t. Because the change matters.
____________end of Seth’s blog post
I understand Seth’s point. I will share his blog post with the Fast Pitch presenters. I will encourage them to make a clear statement during their pitch of the change they would like to see. Come be a part of the change. RSVP to Bonnie at 931-456-4910 to show your support for those that are stepping up and doing the hard work of pitching their business idea, their business growth concepts, or asking for your help to make the right connections to take their businesses to the next level.
RSVP today. Show them you care and are willing to help them succeed. 931-456-4910. If you RSVP you will receive 500 CBI Bucks to cast your votes for recognition award recipients.
I look forward to seeing you at the CBI on November 22nd at 5:30pm CT.
