That's what my daughter assumed when we got pulled over by a police officer.
It happened on a bright December morning as I took my kids to school. I had barely just turned out of my street when I saw those dreaded lights flashing in my rear view mirror.
What ensued was almost comical. Or, at least, I can laugh about it now.
To make a long story short, I got dinged for a whole lot of things:
My license plate was illegible.
I knew that, it had gone all wonky a while back. My insurance papers had expired...three days prior!
I knew that too, the renewed document was sitting on my desk.Driving without a license.
I'm blaming this one on my husband! He switched us over to a digital identification app but apparently it's not accepted yet where I live. It's never fun to get caught, especially when there are repercussions. But all I could do was laugh because I should have known better.
I should have prioritised and put in the time and effort to do the things I'm supposed to do. Because after all, there's a good reason why I'm supposed to do them in the first place.
Same goes for presentations.
You might know what you're supposed to do, but you don't have the time. Like practicing or tidying up your slides. Or maybe you don't bother because you've gotten by without it for so long.
But here's the thing. Those small steps you may be skipping actually do have an impact on how your communication is received.
Think of somebody you've seen that is a really good presenter. No doubt that person is intentional in their delivery, whether in some aspects or all.
Chances are they carefully craft their content to be clear and convincing. They consider their audience. They plan a strong opening and close. They seek to engage and connect. Their virtual setup may be immaculate. And they most likely practice too, at least a little bit.
Whether you're doing none of those things, some, or all, I encourage you to take it up a notch. There are so many steps that you can take to communicate more powerfully. Each one makes a difference.
Give it a go! Try one new strategy as you prepare for your next presentation.
Looking for ideas? Check out this link for loads of great tips and tricks.
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