Every few weeks I share observations, stories and experiments about communication, networking, public speaking and AI. Sometimes thoughtful. Sometimes ridiculous. Usually both.
The CharLatte: Playing for the Dance Floor
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Hi Reader A few weeks ago I was at a networking event chatting to Paul. I’ve known him for years, but only recently found out that he used to be a DJ. I’ve been doing a beginners DJ course so I was asking him for some tips. His biggest piece of advice? Play for the dance floor. He told me a story where he’d gone with a friend to a party. His friend was DJing. He loved trance and didn’t want to play “crap music”. nly, there was a problem. Nobody was dancing. The dance floor was empty. He decided to take a break and asked Paul to take over. Looking at the crowd, he thought they seemed more Ibiza Classics than trance. His instinct was right. He put on the next track and soon people were flocking to the dancefloor, having a great time. Then his friend came back, and seeing the crowd nice and warmed up, took over. But rather than continuing the Ibiza Classics, put his deep trance back on instead. The result? The dancefloor emptied, and only returned when Paul came back with some Ibiza Classics. IT’S NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE NIGHTCLUBYou might not be a DJ, but I see this in presentations and content. People who are really good at what they do, but they’re starting with content that’s too technical, too focused on process, or too much about them. I get it. They want to show that they know what they’re doing. They have expertise. And, often, there’s a hope or belief that this will bring them business. But when you’re speaking, your job isn’t to impress or overload the audience with information. It’s to take them on a journey, sharing the key points and guiding them to a different way of thinking. By going straight to the technical details, you might lose the very people you're hoping will become customers or refer you in the future. It’s the equivalent of playing deep trance. Instead, you need to find your version of Ibiza Classics - understand where they’re at, find the common ground and easy access points so you can get the audience on your side. Then, when they’re warmed up, you can start dropping in a few technical points. It might sound counterintuitive, but it works. MEET THE AUDIENCE WHERE THEY AREI caught up with Emma Thompson, Director at Get Smart Accountants this week. I helped Emma develop and practice her presentation for Wolverhampton International Women’s Day Conference in March. We intentionally structured the presentation to draw the audience in at the start - asking them to imagine their ideal life, rather than dive straight into Emma’s story and business. She was fantastic on the day, but I wanted to find out about the ongoing impact of our work together. She said “I’ve literally just got back from doing a presentation at Compton Care Business Club, so this is very timely! I can’t tell you how confident I felt presenting today. Knowing my slides were strong, applying the slide psychology I learned from you, starting with a question to encourage participation, and making the content relatable rather than delivering the usual “boring accountant stuff” made such a difference. Once again, the feedback afterwards was incredibly positive.” (You can read the full case study here) So, Reader, when you’re talking about your business, are you playing for the dance floor? Or do you need to make things a bit more accessible? Best, Charlotte Next Week: When Everything is Available PROMPT TO TRY THIS WEEKIf you’re struggling with your versions of Ibiza Classics, start with some FAQs. What do people often ask you about your work and business? HOW THE COVER WAS CREATEDThis was a fun one to create because it was exploring what a DJ and nightclub or bar might look like in Charl Ex M’s universe. The cover was inspired by festival posters from the 70s and 80s. I like how the soundwave goes from jagged and cold, to warm and smooth when she’s playing for the audience, not necessarily what she wants.
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The CharLatte: Curiosity, communication and AI
Every few weeks I share observations, stories and experiments about communication, networking, public speaking and AI. Sometimes thoughtful. Sometimes ridiculous. Usually both.
Hi Reader, I went to a quiz a couple of weeks ago for a local charity and during the break there was a buffet. A beige buffet. Samosas. Quiche. Chicken nuggets. Scampi bites. Chips. Onion rings. You get the idea. It tasted good. I hadn’t had this kind of food for a while. It was easy to eat (and for the venue, cater) But all the plates merged into one. From the outside, it wasn’t always easy to tell what was a chicken, cheese or fish. It’s like when I was 17 at my first grown up awards...
Hi Reader It’s been a few weeks of very “human” events. From the ridiculous to the stressful to the very sad. A moth in the ear. A scramble to get my passport renewed when I realised it wasn’t valid for travel to Spain. And then, very sadly, the deaths of a very dear family friend and my great aunt. So I went to one funeral last week and there’s another on Friday. September was also Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and I’ve been part of Blood Cancer UK’s Here for This campaign. My story is...
Hi Reader This CharLatte is a little different this week as September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month On Tuesday I shared something on LinkedIn that I don't talk about very often: what the weeks before my lymphoma diagnosis actually looked and felt like. I realised that before I had lymphoma, I might have known the name, but I didn't know it was blood cancer. And I certainly didn't know what the symptoms could look like. So I wanted to share it here too - a public service announcement and my...