Earlier this month I gave presentations in Los Angeles
and San Francisco on how companies can better
leverage the Internet.
I covered such scintillating topics as:
- Search engine optimization
- Social networks/social tagging
- Blogging
- Online advertising
- RSS feeds
The presentations were successful not because I’m a
brilliant speaker (granted, that helped) but more
because I gave out prizes.
Lots of them.
I’d ask a question, the first person to answer
correctly got a prize. I gave away Skittles. I gave
away Starbucks gift cards. As “a major prize” I even
gave away a set of Rolling Stones coasters.
Prizes invite participation. It’s just that
simple.
If we've learned anything from amateur Super Bowl
commercials and voting for the next American Idol
from cell phones, it is that we are in the age of
participation.
As speakers, we don’t have the luxury of
just “telling” anymore. We have to start a
conversation.
So, the next time you’re the speaker, ask a question.
If you get an answer, shock the crowd by tossing a
bag of M&Ms. I guarantee you they’ll drop those
BlackBerrys so fast it will make their thumbs spin.
Ah, the power of chocolate.
*Quiz: In the movie “A Christmas Story,”
when Ralphie’s dad is unpacking his major prize,
what word does he mistake for Italian? First one to
answer correctly gets one.
