RIESTER

Early in my career, I found myself enrolled in an excruciating all-day seminar on the mysteries of “effective presentations.” In it, the various elements of public speech were broken into their component parts and mulled over in detail, in hopes that we might later reassemble them and emerge as master presenters.

It turns out this approach isn’t very effective. In fact, it’s a lot like studying a few photographs of Tiger Woods’ golf swing and then expecting to hit a 300-yard drive.

I vividly remember my chance to “practice present” at end of that day: Trying to project my voice. Consciously making eye contact with individuals in my audience. Wondering if I was using body language effectively.

To save my life, I can’t remember what the hell I actually talked about.

Since then I’ve realized the real key to an effective presentation is knowing your material intimately and expressing it passionately. In the end, every presentation boils down to one thing and one thing only: communicating enthusiasm. You have to get your audience excited. Involved. Ready to run out of that room and take action.

Of course, enthusiasm is more than just a tool for a copywriter looking to sell a storyboard. It’s for anyone trying to sell anything, anywhere. Enthusiasm is what creates a waiting list for the Toyota Prius. It lines people up outside the Apple Store. And, it helped the Arizona Lottery grow sales in the midst of a recession.

At RIESTER, enthusiasm is a big part of what we mean when we talk about Brand Activism™. Come take a seat in our presentation room. We’ll see what we can get you fired up about.