Risk Reward

15 Sep Risk Reward

Olympic gymnastics are judged on Difficulty and Execution. The flashiness of a performance is weighed against how hard a move is to accomplish. The same concept applies in business presentations; the higher return, the more risk you must take.

We just returned from Nashville, where Deborah was a speaker on storytelling at Sotheby’s Global Networking Event. She wanted to raise the stakes. We removed the lectern on stage, put up only three info slides, and gave her a lavaliere mic so she could move freely.

After a brief opening, Deborah brought attendees on stage to shape their client anecdotes. This was high risk. Volunteers were not coached beforehand, and when facing an audience of about 800, anyone can choke. But these brave souls did well, and with coaching, made adjustments that immediately improved their stories. High reward. If you want to stand out, you need to be fearless

Traditional ways of making introductions, presenting, and communicating are institutionalized and formalized. But you can change old models if you have the courage to risk, and when you do it well, will reap the rewards.