5 Steps to Presenting Like a Rock Star! Part V

The fifth step to presenting like a Rock Star is to provide pattern disruption.
Pattern disruption is exactly what it says it is... the disruption of a pattern.

How do Rock Stars do this?
There are a bunch of ways:

• Inserting a 'bridge' in the song - When Bruce sings, "Beyond the palace, hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard..." the music changes dramatically. This is a one time change to add some variety to the song.
• Putting a solo in the song - You'd be surprised how many great songs don't have guitar solos (Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" jumps to mind, along with many early Beatles songs), but many other songs provide solos to break the verse/refrain/verse/refrain pattern. The saxophone solo by Clarence Clemons in "Jungleland" is a spectacular example.
• Silence - Occasionally, you hear a song come to a complete stop, like "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. A pause is great pattern disruption.
• Change in Volume - Slow songs that suddenly get loud like "Stairway to Heaven" & loud songs that get quiet, like "Shout!" are demonstrations of pattern disruption.
• A Change in Key - Probably the hokiest of the methods for music, this is often used by schlock-meisters like Barry Manilow, in "Mandy".
• And more - changes in rhythm (the Police did this all the time, switching from 3/4 to 4/4), changes in instrumentation (the Beatles were masters, throwing every possible instrument into the mix), and shifting from singing to rapping (Faith No More) or talking (Kiss' "Christine Sixteen") are other ways.

So how can you do this in a speech?
It's pretty easy... just plan a change up.

• If you're loud, do one section soft
• If you're quite, do one section loud
• Sit down (if you're standing) or stand up (if you're sitting) for part of your speech.
• Turn off your slides (if you're using them) or use visuals (if you're not)
• Plan an audience participation section into your speech
• Pull out a prop (Steve Jobs is awesome at this)
• If you're giving a data presentation, tell one story or example
• Pause

There are many more ways.
Watch great presenters and see how they vary their patterns.

Just like Rock Stars, this pattern disruption is usually planned for 2/3's of the way through the speech.
The speech has to establish a pattern, before you can disrupt it.

There you go... 5 steps to presenting like a Rock Star.
Now, just get on a stage and rock that crowd!

5 Steps to Presenting Like a Rock Star! Part II

The second step to presenting like a Rock Star is to write the appropriate verses for your speech.

The verses are the proof of your refrain.

Think of it this way - at the end of a verse, you should be able to write, "And that's why I say..." and then say your core message or refrain.

So, if Bruce Springsteen wants us to sing "Tramps like us, baby we were born to run", he'd better convince us, right?

I mean, I don't run (at all) unless there's something worth running from (or to).

So, let's look at Bruce's proof:

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected,and steppin' out over the line
Oh, Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Hmmm... I don't want the bones ripped from my back, so I'd agree, I'm born to run.

If your refrain is, "My project needs more money", then your verse one better say, "this project is important". Or, better yet, this project rips the bones from your back! Try that your next project review...

And verse two better say better say, "more money will make this project successful". 

Right?

But most presentations don't make this much logical (or emotional) sense. 

Because of that, your audience isn't singing along.

They're saying, "Why should I run?"

Nobody asks Bruce why they should run, because he tells them. In fact, he implores them.

That's rock and roll.

Look at this:

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
but there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really wanna go
and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run

Damn... if you're not ready to run now, you're going to get run over...

Bruce provides the WIIFM or "what's in it for me" (in this case, Wendy).

So, we're ready to sing along, or even run.

Just in case you think I'm being esoteric, watch this great video by Lawrence Lessig, who uses - literally - the verse/refrain structure in a technical/business presentation.

So, your assignment today is to write your verses (try 2-3 of them) that prove your refrain. Tomorrow, we'll look at your introduction. 

5 Steps to Presenting Like a Rock Star!

Everyone wants to be a rock star, right?

Oh, you might shake your head and say "not me", but I think you're kidding yourself.

How do I know? 

Well, back in the days (nostalgia alert!) when I was in a band, many people came up to me and said, "I love singing, man", "I always wanted to be a guitarist", "It must be great up there", or "After being on stage, the other 22 hours of your day must suck". 

Even the founder of the company I work at - Ken Levy of KLA-Tencor - agreed. He once came up on stage to introduce our band at a company picnic and, looking out over the happy faces in the waiting audience, said, "Oh, you guys have definitely got the best spot at the picnic, up here on stage."

What's my point? Good question...

My point is that you probably have regular opportunities to be a Rock Star (like Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, from a NY's Eve performace we attended in Waikiki).

But are you taking advantage of those opportunities? I doubt it...

This week I'll post a five part series on how you can use your presentation opportunties to be a rock star.

1. Have a refrain that everyone can sing to...
2. Make sure your verses lead the audience to your refrain.
3. Have a compelling introduction to your song.
4. Create images for your audience.
5. Add a bridge or solo to provide pattern disruption.

Each day this week, I'll cover one of these: using example from the world of rock and roll.

In the world of music, a bad presentation doesn't sell.

It's the same in your world, so the sooner you learn from the masters, the better off you'll be.

See you tomorrow!!