It's nothing personal folks
That was the first slide of a Power Point presentation I saw someone putting together on the airplane the other day, seriously.
"It's nothing personal folks..."
I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or pry or anything, but I couldn't help glancing over a couple of times... Doh! (please tell me I'm not alone on glancing over like that... )
Anyway, from what I could tell, the presentation was at least 30-40 slides with lots of charts and graphs and TONS of text on each slide... urgh, that is not a meeting that I would like to go to... but I digress....
"It's nothing personal folks..."
That is just wrong on so many levels.
First: Okay, then why are we here?
Second: Yeah, actually, it is personal.
Third: So, you don't care about me... then why should I care about you, this presentation or this company?
I wanted to lean over to the guy and suggest another approach: Get rid of the Power Point and instead take a boom box into the meeting and play that song "We're in this love together, we've got the kind that lasts forever."
Think about how much different people would have FELT about any "discussion" that followed....
Well it got your attention, didn't it? ;-)
An emotional response is always better than no response at all!
Posted by: Jeremy C. Wright | April 19, 2004 at 09:50 AM
you should send him Seth's ebook on how to do powerpoint!
Posted by: Wayne | April 19, 2004 at 04:43 PM
I'll admit it--I use that line, too. I guess it's a matter of tact--it's the disclaimer that says "the following comments may sting a bit, but I still value you as a person."
Nothing personal, Jon, but your blog just doesn't. . . :)
Posted by: Mike | April 19, 2004 at 05:23 PM
That would have been a great slide to use if he were to follow it up with what you wrote about... "Actually, folks, it IS personal....." and get some buy-in right off the bat.
Excellent post, Jon!
Posted by: Michele Miller | April 20, 2004 at 05:11 PM
Why do people like power point, and presentations, so much? I don't want to be sold to or entertained when it comes to making decisions. What I want is pertinent information, preferably in written form, to study at a time of my choosing.
Posted by: Seun Osewa | April 20, 2004 at 10:06 PM
Great post, Jon. That story has utiility in so many ways.
Heh, Jeremy. I bet Eisner especially liked the emotional response at last month's Disney Shareholder's Meeting.
Posted by: fouro | April 21, 2004 at 06:17 PM