Our company (www.codeandtheory.com) invited Dan Ariely http://danariely.com/ to speak to our staff and a number of current and prospective clients this morning.
He was terrific. In today's world where often presenters hide behind sophisticated visual aids, Keynote transitions, and Flash(y) eye candy, it was refreshing to see someone stand up and present a series of cogent, well argued positions and insights with conviction, in an engaging and entertaining manner.
I tried to pay particular attention to Dan's presentation style, timbre, syntax, and structure, and use of humor as I am working on improving my own presentations skills at the moment. His use of the dramatic pause was particularly effective. Further, each astute observation or counterintuitive framing was very engaging and relatable for the audience.
One particular illustration around the wine industry versus the milk industry stuck with me. Why, argued Ariely, don't we discuss and look at milk in the same way we look at wine?
We could talk about single-sourced, single herd milk, from the Vermont region versus the Hudson valley region, for example. We could discuss the growers and the lineage of the cows, we could frame milk -- its texture, color, taste, bouquet, mouth feel -- in equally nuanced and lofty terms to that of wine.
Whist wine is more of an experience good, Milk thus far has more of the utilitarian commodity value. But there is no reason why we couldn't create an artisanal milk company that reframed the market, and hailed the exquisite qualities of Betsy the cow's first Fall top cream.
Anyway, a really engaging ninety minutes curtesy of Professor Airely.
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