Presentations: Facts, Forms, Feelings & Futures

One of the traps into which we fall when presenting a proposal is not knowing our audience. If you speak primarily about the benefits that T’ai Chi Chih offers to people’s health, doctors may want study results. Audience members with high blood pressure or osteoporosis might rather hear about individual success stories. There may be a way to avoid presenting the wrong material to the group.

Communications experts have settled on four styles of communication or four types of personalities that reflect those styles – facts, forms, feelings, and futures. Virtually no one is exclusive to any one style, but we usually have one dominant. We are all blends of the four.

Facts people like numbers, spreadsheets, and statistically significant results of studies. Bankers, accountants, chief financial officers, and data analysts are facts dominant. They live in Microsoft Access and Excel.

Forms people love process, diagrams, organizational charts, and detailed implementation plans. They love Microsoft Project more than Christmas candy.

Feelings people are pretty obvious. They feel your pain. If you listen to them present a proposal, you’ll hear them say, “I feel we should …..” Massage therapists, psychologists, T’ai Chi Chih teachers, and social workers are likely feelings driven.

Futures people live in dreams of what could be. Remember Justin’s statement that if everyone practiced T’ai Chi Chih there would be no wars? Manny Elkind talks about a trip he and one of his daughters were about to take. They are both futures dominant and talked about all they were going to see, the fun they would have driving there, and the joy of being in the Sunshine State. The night prior to their trip, they realized neither one had made reservations.

When you know your audience, you can key your presentation to them. Don’t give massage therapists a bunch of statistics, and don’t tell yoga teachers about your class implementation plans. If you don’t know your audience, make sure your presentation includes information that will appeal to all four dominant communication styles. Test your presentation on someone who will listen carefully and check off how many things you say for each style. If you’re working from an outline or script, you can do it yourself. It may make the difference between a successful pitch and people who haven’t the faintest idea of what you’re saying.

Reunion Furthers Community

By Mary Schapker, Galloway, NJ

The 2007 planning committee held a reunion recently in Silver Beach, New Jersey, to celebrate with gratitude the successful outcome of their shared effort. To our great surprise there was no agenda. Hugs and greetings evolved into walking on the beach, journaling, reading, meditating, chatting – utter freedom to drink in the relaxed atmosphere.

By Friday afternoon we were practicing T’ai Chi Chih and gazing at the ocean. We dedicated our first practice to Nancy Hall, a New Jersey teacher who had died, and we reunited with her in the midst of a reunion. On Saturday we viewed the video of Justin’s life, and we savored the evening while watching a fire through special glasses that Sandy McAlister had sent.

As we departed on Sunday, we agreed that it had been an extraordinary adventure to be involved from start to finish with the 2007 conference. We felt that a community was formed within the larger community of TCC teachers before, during, and after the conference and that it was a tremendous gift to be part of it. I also believe the reunion was helpful in that we processed the conference experience in a setting of leisure, joy, and spontaneity. We discovered that playing together after working together was a healthy, renewing conclusion to undertaking such a sizeable event. It brought more balance and harmony to us as individuals and as a group. The weekend flowed with the same serenity present during the conference. Our deepest thanks go to Janet and Alba for their outstanding leadership and for their creative and dynamic orchestration of a beautiful reunion.

Planning a conference and serving the TCC community cannot be more recommended highly.