Al Gore's Convenient Presentation

(page 2 of 2)

I realize you can't do something as involved as that during your next staff meeting, but find ways to make facts, figures, and statistics come to life. Don't just dump data on your listeners. Make the information relevant, interesting, and easy to remember.

Tell Personal Stories

Personal stories are memorable and yet few people use them in a business presentation. Gore tells deeply personal stories that are intended to break down walls between himself and his listeners, allowing them to be more receptive to his message. Here's one example: "When I was a kid, summertime meant working with tobacco. Working with the guys on the farm seemed like fun to me. Starting in 1964 with the Surgeon General's report, the evidence was laid out on the connection between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. But we kept growing tobacco.

"My sister Nancy was 10 years older than me and there were only the two of us. She was my protector and friend at the same time. She started smoking when she was a teenager and never stopped. She died of lung cancer…. My father had grown tobacco all his life. Whatever explanation that seemed to make sense in the past just didn't cut it anymore. He stopped. It's human nature to take time to connect the dots. I know that. But I also know there can be a day of reckoning when you wish you had connected the dots more quickly."

Not only is the story highly personable and memorable, it also reinforces the central theme of his message—getting his listeners to challenge their own assumptions of the crisis. Gore's stories also succeed in once again giving him leverage to denounce his critics.

Get a Hook

Every hit song has a "hook," the part of the song that is repeated and memorable. Sometimes, it's the only part you remember. I love the Sting song, Fields of Gold, but if you ask me to sing it, you'll only hear "da da da da da…as we walk in fields of gold." That's the hook!

Gore has his own hook; a favorite which he repeats, not only in this presentation but in nearly every interview he has given on the subject. For example, Gore ends his presentation by telling his audience that we have the knowledge, skill and tools available to reverse the trend: "The only thing we're lacking is the will to act, but in America that will is a renewable resource."

Before your next presentation, get a hook—that one line that is easy for you to remember, easy for your listener to repeat, and that reinforces your theme.

Call for Leaders

I'm thrilled that so many of you are fans of this content. I can use your help next year. I'm looking for inspiring leaders to feature; men and women, famous and not so famous, who inspire through their communication skills. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear from you! Contact me directly at carmine@gallocommunications.com. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Carmine Gallo is a Pleasanton, Calif. communications coach and author of the upcoming book, Fire Them Up! (John Wiley & Sons; October, 2007).