They were screaming and yelling in the room next door, hooting and hollering, banging on the walls, and stomping on tables.
In a moment, find out how this behavior can make you a better speaker.
Recently, BC – before COVID, I was coaching a group of executives to breathe life into their business presentations at a Fortune 500 company. It was the end of the day. They were screaming and yelling in the room next door, hooting and hollering, banging on the walls, and stomping on tables.
In that noisy room was my friend and trainer, Elaine Dumler. Later that evening, I asked Elaine what was going on.
“Elaine! What was going on in your training room?”
“We had to go ‘over the top,’ Ed.”
“What do you mean by going ‘over the top’?”
“Ed, I was having a hard time staying awake, listening to their presentations. I had had enough. We had to go ‘over the top.’”
“My mother, Josie Adams, used to be a trainer. She’d say, “To know what is enough, you have to experience what is too much.” After you’ve gone ‘over the top,’ you’ll naturally dial it down.”
“How does it work?”
- Stop the boring presentation immediately!
- Explain to your coaching client, “To know what is enough, you have to experience what is too much.”
- Have them select one piece of content (PowerPoint slide).
- Set a timer for 2 minutes.
- They are to present this material totally ‘over the top.’ Jump on tables, pound the desk, yell, and scream. Present the content in a way that they would never think of doing. They must break through their mental glass ceiling /comfort zone. It must be unreal and ‘over the top.’
- After the timer has sounded, immediately have them present the same content as they would ordinarily.
“What happens?”
- They naturally dial it down.
- According to their peers, they present at the appropriate energy level.
- It’s memorable!
- The quiet people come out of their shells.
- Presenters have more confidence!
- They deliver better.
- They make better word choices – their vocabulary is better.
- It loosens them up.
- It’s transformational. People are amazed at what they can do.
“To know what enough is, you have to experience what is too much.” – Josie Adams.
“To know what enough is, you have to experience what is too much.” After you’ve gone ‘over the top,’ you’ll naturally dial it down.
One of my reticent students tried this “Over the Top” technique. She’s from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English. English is her third language, and she did not feel that comfortable presenting in English. Her voice was so soft that when we replayed the video recording, it did not pick up her voice.
I explained to Susan (at her request, we changed her name), “To know what enough is, you have to experience what is too much.” So, I explained the “Over the Top” technique.
You should have seen the look on her face. She was terrified. I asked her to go over the top in the language she preferred. She only had one question. “Does anyone here understand Portuguese?”
Susan went entirely over the top! She rocked her head up and down, back and forth – like a rock n roll star. She propelled from one side of the room to the other. Her pitch was more vibrant, the rate was faster, and the volume was louder! She smiled. Her co-workers were astonished, and I was shocked! She completely transformed.
Then she was asked to repeat her presentation, this time in English and not over-the-top. Just as Elaine predicted, Susan gave an outstanding performance.
Here again, is the Over-the-Top Technique.
- Find a part of your presentation you’d like to test using the Over-the-Top Technique.
- Set the timer for 2 minutes.
- Record yourself.
- Tell your family/friends about what you are doing! And the first words out of your mouth should not be, “I’ve gone over-the-top.” You will wake up in an asylum.
- Immediately after the ‘over the top’ session, present the content again.
With this counterintuitive technique, you will bring more energy, confidence, better delivery, and vocabulary to your next presentation.
