How to Win Someone’s Undivided Attention

“ Vegan or Keto?  Low carb/High Protein or High Carb/Low Fat? So many choices these days and so many polarising opinions. The thing is, we’re all different. No one size fits all. As the Roman philosopher, Lucretius, said over 2000 years ago: “what is food for one may be poison for another’

We have our own individual metabolisms. Just as we have different personalities and different cultures. Different values. Different beliefs. Different accents. Different body language. Not better or worse. Just different.

But there’s one thing we do all have in common. Regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, nobody - absolutely nobody – can think and listen at the same time. As marvelous as the brain is, it cannot perform these two functions simultaneously. We can switch super fast from one function to the other  - and most people are surely faster than myself – but we cannot do both at the same time.

This may not matter too much at the family dinner (when the kids are scrolling through their iphones). But it’s of huge significance to anyone giving a presentation, be it at a business meeting, a conference, or in a classroom. The simple fact is, nobody can read a PowerPoint slide and listen to the speaker at the same time.

It’s not possible. So anyone who’s job requires giving presentations, they need to sort this out. The good news is that’s it’s not difficult. Technically at least. Mindset is a whole different ballgame.

Also, if anyone is struggling with this, help is available. At Connect, we know exactly how to address this. And after 22 years of training speakers from all walks of life, so we should.”