Speak Schmeak: Three key words for any Slayer

Were you a fan of the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" I missed it the first time around; having been out of high school for some time when it came out, I didn't find a show about high school kids killing vampires to be very appealing.

However, as I recently discovered the joys of comedy-horror movies ("Ready or Not," "Cabin in the Woods," etc.), I started getting a lot of suggestions from friends to give Buffy a go!

And sure enough, it's a perfect blend of wit and sarcasm, cheesy 90s demon-slaying, feminist superhero, and high school angst. My husband and I are well into season 3, and it helps take our minds off of some of the heaviness in the world right now.

So when I heard this dialogue, I couldn't let it go by without sharing with you:

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Remember the three key words for any Slayer: preparation... preparation... preparation.
Buffy Summers: That's one word three times.

That Buffy could be really snarky.

So many speakers could be slaying (see what I did there?) their formal and informal presentations if they just spent the time to prepare properly!

Sure, Buffy's destiny was always to be a slayer. But she also regularly trained on fighting and slaying techniques and kept a supply of tools at hand (holy water, wooden stakes and crosses; you know, the usual stuff), to never be caught off guard.

Sometimes, those of us who give regular presentations—and especially those of us who enjoy being in front of an audience—stop practicing and preparing. We lose the sense of urgency we felt in the beginning when we didn't know what to expect.

Buffy is secure in her ability to take down the bad guys. Once she accepts her destiny, she's all in. But she can still be a whiny teenager, not always wanting to do the work required to keep up her skills!

Do you find yourself being the whiny teenager? "But I don't WANT to practice my presentation!" "But I don't WANT to create a new outline!" "I just want to throw a bunch of stuff together and get it over with!"

The benefit of practice and preparation can't be overstated, even for short presentations and especially for remote presentations. The more prepared you are, the easier it is to improvise in the moment when something goes wrong or something unexpected happens (and you can be sure it will)!

When a disgusting demon in a tub of water (yeah, who knows what that was about) had Buffy's true love in his grip, she spotted a light fixture hanging above and cut it loose so the monster was electrocuted. That was just plain quick thinking, no weapons required!

Part of preparation means making room in your schedule for keeping your skills and tools sharp, like Buffy makes time (sometimes reluctantly) for training and skill-building. What are you doing to stay sharp, focused and ready?

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If you're ready to slay your next presentation, register for my Mini-Retreat on Micro-Presentations: two options coming up in April and May!

The April retreat is 4/28-4/30. You'll need three half-days available in your schedule to attend and to create your 5-minute presentation/video/message for personalized coaching and feedback. And it will be worth it!

"I was attracted to Lisa's micro-presentations retreat because of the promise of laser-focusing a tight little talk, and having it presentable by the end of the retreat, and indeed that is what I got from it!"
"Uplevel your presentations—virtual needs a lot more magic than stage, and Lisa brings it!"
"I have come away with some key learnings about myself and others, AND a 5-minute presentation framework that has set me up to present more effectively for impact, engagement, information, AND fun."

The registration deadline for your VIP goodie box expires on April 21.

The May retreat is further out (May 26-28), but the 2-pay plan expires on April 19.

So, are you going to ⚔️slay⚔️ your next micro-presentation, or what?

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