Page 292 - ConvinceThemFlip

convince them in 90 seconds or less
I know how to do it.” Her comment was very Muldoon.
We divided and edited Teresa’s message into three piles
of information and put one pile on each stepping-stone,
complete with straight facts and amusing diversions.
Once she got past her opening question—“How many of
you know what CPR stands for?”—and all the hands went
up, Teresa played with the audience for a few moments
with questions, and then stepped onto her first stone. She
didn’t need notes because she could see what was waiting
on the next stone for her. She was using her imagination
to work for her instead of against her.
Teresa knew what was waiting on the next stone and
the one after that, and she could step ahead whenever
she felt ready. Instead of paralyzing her, her imagination
let her see, hear, feel, smell, and taste what was coming
up and enabled her to share her knowledge.
On the far bank was her emotional close—a true story
about a college administrator she had taught, who saved
her own father’s life at a cocktail party.
America’s biggest fear is a testament to the fertile imag-
ination. When imagination comes up against willpower,
reason, and logic, it always wins. You can be a slave to
your imagination or turn it into a powerful and willing ser-
vant. Once you have your imagination under control, you
can focus on engaging your audience’s imagination, which
is the key to real connection and communication.
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