The Seven Truths... Truth #1
Thu, Oct 23 2008 04:13
| 7 Truths, Brain-based Learning, Event Tips
| Permalink
When we communicate with clients, often times our primary meeting includes revealing what we call: The Seven Truths About Events (that you may not want to know).
These are the things that WILL happen in your event unless you take measures to prevent them. And they're not great for the event OR your bottom line.
We'll go into detail about each of these Seven Truths, but briefly, they are:
1. 95% of what is delivered in a typical meeting environment is forgotten 24 hours later.
2. The attention span of the average adult is between 5 - 7 minutes.
3. The thing that convinces you isn’t necessarily the thing that convinces someone else.
4. People generally only remember the opening and closing parts of any given presentation.
5. All events produce an outcome...but it might not be the one you want.
6. Adults are just kids in big bodies.
7. If a topic isn’t relevant, the brain doesn’t retain it.
Frightening--but don't worry, you can negate these factors through techniques like brain-based learning, interaction and strategic planning.
Let's explore the first truth: 95% of what is delivered in a typical meeting environment is forgotten 24 hours later. You might as well shake hands with your colleagues at the end of an event and say, "Congratulations, we've just had the best event that no one will remember."
Maybe that's a little harsh--the average person will retain that 5%--but you have no idea which 5% is going to stick. What if it's the dinner entertainment and not the CEO's goals and directives for the year?
So how do we solve the problem? Utilizing brain-based learning strategies you can make more of your content stick in the minds of your audience—and strategically reinforce key content to make sure that the most important messages go home with them.
Help your audience remember more key content:
1. Give breaks in between presentations for the audience to write notes and absorb the information.
Your brain needs a break. Going from one topic to the next, to the next in a typical event can lead to information overload. Something as simple as writing down notes after the presentation, or being encouraged to share one's key takeaways with a neighbor can dramatically increase retention. Of course, encourage attendees to take notes during presentations as well.
2. Have 3 key points per presentation—no more.
Simple is best when it comes to your key content. Sure, there may be many things to talk about (I've never been in a situation where there was a *lack* of things to talk about), but narrow them down so that you're sure the most important things are going to stick.
3. Reinforce key points at the beginning (pre-framing), middle (informing) and end (reviewing) of a presentation.
Tell the audience what you're going to talk about, elaborate on it, then review what you've just talked about. It may seem redundant on the surface, but that doesn't mean you have to say things the exact same way every time.
Pre-framing will prepare your audience for the information. This is why we look at maps before we go on a trip--to see where we're going. This way, the audience can also "look" for your messaging within the speech--they know which key points to watch out for.
Elaborating using stories, pictures, video, etc. will give your audience the meat of the information. They may not remember every detail from this elaboration, but they'll still remember the key points.
Reviewing will tie the speech up neatly, and remind the audience about the key points. This is also where you can insert action items related to the key points. I.e. "We want to grow revenue 16% this year...and this means you have to..."
Do these things consistently, and you can stretch that 5% retention. Most importantly, you can begin to control WHICH percentage of the meeting is sticking in the minds of your audience--the key message points.
These are the things that WILL happen in your event unless you take measures to prevent them. And they're not great for the event OR your bottom line.
We'll go into detail about each of these Seven Truths, but briefly, they are:
1. 95% of what is delivered in a typical meeting environment is forgotten 24 hours later.
2. The attention span of the average adult is between 5 - 7 minutes.
3. The thing that convinces you isn’t necessarily the thing that convinces someone else.
4. People generally only remember the opening and closing parts of any given presentation.
5. All events produce an outcome...but it might not be the one you want.
6. Adults are just kids in big bodies.
7. If a topic isn’t relevant, the brain doesn’t retain it.
Frightening--but don't worry, you can negate these factors through techniques like brain-based learning, interaction and strategic planning.
Let's explore the first truth: 95% of what is delivered in a typical meeting environment is forgotten 24 hours later. You might as well shake hands with your colleagues at the end of an event and say, "Congratulations, we've just had the best event that no one will remember."
Maybe that's a little harsh--the average person will retain that 5%--but you have no idea which 5% is going to stick. What if it's the dinner entertainment and not the CEO's goals and directives for the year?
So how do we solve the problem? Utilizing brain-based learning strategies you can make more of your content stick in the minds of your audience—and strategically reinforce key content to make sure that the most important messages go home with them.
Help your audience remember more key content:
1. Give breaks in between presentations for the audience to write notes and absorb the information.
Your brain needs a break. Going from one topic to the next, to the next in a typical event can lead to information overload. Something as simple as writing down notes after the presentation, or being encouraged to share one's key takeaways with a neighbor can dramatically increase retention. Of course, encourage attendees to take notes during presentations as well.
2. Have 3 key points per presentation—no more.
Simple is best when it comes to your key content. Sure, there may be many things to talk about (I've never been in a situation where there was a *lack* of things to talk about), but narrow them down so that you're sure the most important things are going to stick.
3. Reinforce key points at the beginning (pre-framing), middle (informing) and end (reviewing) of a presentation.
Tell the audience what you're going to talk about, elaborate on it, then review what you've just talked about. It may seem redundant on the surface, but that doesn't mean you have to say things the exact same way every time.
Pre-framing will prepare your audience for the information. This is why we look at maps before we go on a trip--to see where we're going. This way, the audience can also "look" for your messaging within the speech--they know which key points to watch out for.
Elaborating using stories, pictures, video, etc. will give your audience the meat of the information. They may not remember every detail from this elaboration, but they'll still remember the key points.
Reviewing will tie the speech up neatly, and remind the audience about the key points. This is also where you can insert action items related to the key points. I.e. "We want to grow revenue 16% this year...and this means you have to..."
Do these things consistently, and you can stretch that 5% retention. Most importantly, you can begin to control WHICH percentage of the meeting is sticking in the minds of your audience--the key message points.
Comments
Events in the Time of Downturn
Thu, Oct 16 2008 02:08
| Event on a Budget, Event Tips, Events and the Economy
| Permalink
Recently in the news: AIG canceling their big incentive trip due to pressure to show a buttoned-down, cost-conscious face.
Now, annual events like sales meetings and marketing get-togethers aren't exactly of the same ilk as an incentive trip, but in light of the economy, many companies are facing pressure to cut costs. This means, often, that the budget for events is slashed dramatically.
Days may be cut out of a trip, the attendee list may be shortened, and event planners are faced with having to make do with less.
Fortunately, making do with less doesn't mean doing less for your attendees. Because what your event comes down to isn't the pricey items like the staging design and teambuilding golf outings. You can engage your audience without the big set, and you can have an engaging networking activity without the 18 holes.
Meetings, in times of budgetary crunches, can be more critical than ever. It's an opportunity to rally the troops, focus on the coming directives, get everyone on board and boost morale.
Remember, there is one universal truth in meetings; expensive or low-budget: the audience wants to be engaged. With unlimited budgets, there's the temptation to engage them with high-tech.
So how *do* you still hold those crucial events with LESS budget and have them be MORE effective than ever?
Your audience wants to play...
To get people to interact, you don’t need a golf outing or an expensive cocktail hour—you just need to set up an environment where they can *play* in a meaningful way.
Your audience wants to be persuaded…
Let your audience know what the game plan is moving forward, why it’s going to work, and what’s expected of them to implement the company plan. Address their objections up front so you can move forward in the event.
Remember, message is key. The more effective you are at getting your message across in clear, concise, relevant manner, the more effective your event is going to be for your audience.
Your audience is not going to remember some of the more expensive things; lighting grids, custom opening videos, etc. They SHOULD remember your message.
Sure, all these things seem basic, but they’re still the most important elements in producing an extremely effective event—and one that need not break the bank.
Now, annual events like sales meetings and marketing get-togethers aren't exactly of the same ilk as an incentive trip, but in light of the economy, many companies are facing pressure to cut costs. This means, often, that the budget for events is slashed dramatically.
Days may be cut out of a trip, the attendee list may be shortened, and event planners are faced with having to make do with less.
Fortunately, making do with less doesn't mean doing less for your attendees. Because what your event comes down to isn't the pricey items like the staging design and teambuilding golf outings. You can engage your audience without the big set, and you can have an engaging networking activity without the 18 holes.
Meetings, in times of budgetary crunches, can be more critical than ever. It's an opportunity to rally the troops, focus on the coming directives, get everyone on board and boost morale.
Remember, there is one universal truth in meetings; expensive or low-budget: the audience wants to be engaged. With unlimited budgets, there's the temptation to engage them with high-tech.
So how *do* you still hold those crucial events with LESS budget and have them be MORE effective than ever?
Your audience wants to play...
To get people to interact, you don’t need a golf outing or an expensive cocktail hour—you just need to set up an environment where they can *play* in a meaningful way.
- Organize team activities, game shows and competitions that go throughout the event.
- Have frequent “brain breaks” in the meeting; allowing the audience to absorb information.
- Get the audience to interact with the speakers with a variety of activities; stories, roleplays, etc.
Your audience wants to be persuaded…
Let your audience know what the game plan is moving forward, why it’s going to work, and what’s expected of them to implement the company plan. Address their objections up front so you can move forward in the event.
- Play to all four styles of persuasion (for more on this, stay tuned).
- Have the audience set their own goals and objectives for the event.
- Outline a clear game plan and have every presentation fit in as a puzzle piece to the larger picture.
Remember, message is key. The more effective you are at getting your message across in clear, concise, relevant manner, the more effective your event is going to be for your audience.
Your audience is not going to remember some of the more expensive things; lighting grids, custom opening videos, etc. They SHOULD remember your message.
- Make sure your message is clear and concise.
- Stick to a minimal number of key message points
- Add in stories, examples, interaction—and lay off the PowerPoint in presentations.
Sure, all these things seem basic, but they’re still the most important elements in producing an extremely effective event—and one that need not break the bank.
Welcome to Live Sparks!
Thu, Oct 9 2008 11:56
| Permalink
Welcome to Live Sparks, the strategic event design blog.
What does that even mean? Strategic event design?
I'll tell you what it *doesn't* mean. It doesn't mean lighting grids and staging--although that can contribute to strategic event design.
What it is, is creating your entire event--be it a national sales meeting, a training module, or a product roll out--with learning in mind.
The goal of strategic event design is to make sure that the audience retains MORE of the most crucial information at the event. It means that the audience is on board--persuaded and aligned with the message. It means that the audience is engaged in the event instead of holding covert Blackberry text sessions under the tables.
This blog will:
Oh yeah. Who's "we"?
Dan Yaman is the founder and CEO of Live Spark, a company dedicated to producing the most effective, engaging events *ever*.
Missy Covington works with Dan at Live Spark in creative strategy and writing.
What does that even mean? Strategic event design?
I'll tell you what it *doesn't* mean. It doesn't mean lighting grids and staging--although that can contribute to strategic event design.
What it is, is creating your entire event--be it a national sales meeting, a training module, or a product roll out--with learning in mind.
The goal of strategic event design is to make sure that the audience retains MORE of the most crucial information at the event. It means that the audience is on board--persuaded and aligned with the message. It means that the audience is engaged in the event instead of holding covert Blackberry text sessions under the tables.
This blog will:
- Give you tips and tricks for creating a highly engaging event.
- Outline strategic event design principles and theories.
- Show case studies of successful events using unique engagement strategies.
- And much more!
Oh yeah. Who's "we"?
Dan Yaman is the founder and CEO of Live Spark, a company dedicated to producing the most effective, engaging events *ever*.
Missy Covington works with Dan at Live Spark in creative strategy and writing.