I am always surprised to find myself sitting in a meeting, a presentation or any other instance in which someone is speaking to an audience and the speaker chooses not to be interesting, amusing, thought-provoking, or just plain different.
Whether discussing a change in company policy, discussing your latest novel, training a team on a new piece of software, or introducing the keynote speaker, why not attempt to be original and memorable? Take advantage of the opportunity to do something or say something people will remember. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak to an audience, large or small, I try to find a way to make my time in the spotlight, however dim it may be, as unique, impressive, and funny as possible, regardless of the topic.
After all, how many ordinary, PowerPoint-guided presentations can a person deliver before realizing they could probably be replaced by an online tutorial, a four-page booklet, or perhaps even a simple sheet of paper containing the necessary information? I’m not saying every meeting, training session, and book talk must feature a comedian or entertainer, but at least try to do something different.
Stale, staid, and ordinary have been done already. Move on. Try something new. I may not always be successful, but I make an effort.
Why not? Right?
These thoughts filled my mind when I came across NPR’s twist on their Page Not Found link. Someone at NPR is clearly thinking along these same lines. Rather than simply returning the reader with the usual webpage indicating a failed search, NPR put a clever and unique spin on this mundane encounter and earned much credit in my book.
They managed to create an amusing and memorable Page Not Found experience. And you know what? It didn’t take much to do so.
