Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Practice, Practice, Practice
This kind of demo disaster has happened to Microsoft too many times, especially to Bill Gates. One wonders if executives at Microsoft rehearse before they give public demonstrations of new products. It happens rarely to Steve Jobs but then, he is known for long and detailed practice before launches.
PR practitioners counsel executives constantly to rehearse before appearing in public to speak or give demonstrations. Some do, but many don't. I can recall many years ago showing a CEO how to use a product just seconds before he appeared on the Today Show, and I stood on the sidelines with my insides shaking because I was sure he was going to blow it on national TV. (He didn't, thankfully.)
There is an arrogance among executives about public presentations that they don't need to practice them much, or they don't have time, or they aren't all that important.
News reports of demo disasters like Origami should provide reminders, but few notice. It isn't going to happen to them. That is, until it does.
PR practitioners counsel executives constantly to rehearse before appearing in public to speak or give demonstrations. Some do, but many don't. I can recall many years ago showing a CEO how to use a product just seconds before he appeared on the Today Show, and I stood on the sidelines with my insides shaking because I was sure he was going to blow it on national TV. (He didn't, thankfully.)
There is an arrogance among executives about public presentations that they don't need to practice them much, or they don't have time, or they aren't all that important.
News reports of demo disasters like Origami should provide reminders, but few notice. It isn't going to happen to them. That is, until it does.
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