The Eyes on the Speaker Game: A Guide to Not Being a Bore in Meetings

Warning: This game is not for the faint of heart. It requires a delicate balance of confidence, wit, and the ability to talk for 20 minutes without losing your train of thought.

Step 1: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare (or Don't, and Just Wing It)

• Know your material inside and out. Don't just wing it and hope for the best.
• Bring handouts, because nobody likes to write down their notes by hand anymore.

Step 2: Make Eye Contact (But Not Too Much Eye Contact)

• Avoid staring too intensely, it's just weird.
• Avoid staring too little, it's just lazy.
• Find the sweet spot in between, where you're engaged, but not creepy.

Step 3: Don't Be a Bore

• Tell stories, not just facts and figures.
• Use rhetorical questions, they're like verbal magic tricks.
• Avoid PowerPoint, it's so last season.

Step 4: The Art of Transitioning (a.k.a. Not Just Staring at the Ceiling)

• Know when to wrap it up, don't just let it drag on.
• Make a smooth exit, like a boss.

Additional Tips:

• Don't talk about your cat, nobody cares.
• Don't use Comic Sans, it's a crime.

For more advanced players, try:

• The Art of the Callback: A Guide to Getting Your Audience to Do What You Want
• The Art of the Callback

Back to Meeting Etiquette Index