Effective Presentation: Quick! Name three talks you can remember!

When I ask people to remember three talks they’ve heard or seen recently, most people have to think long and hard.

I asked myself this question a few days ago, and this is the third entry in my response.

I remember Chris Myers, an author and illustrator of children’s books.

He was speaking to honor Jerry Weiss, Distinguished Service Professor of Communication at Jersey City State College.  He began by quoting an ancient saying that when a butterfly flaps its wings, the air moves on the other side of the world.

He then went on to explain that many years ago, his father, Walter Dean Myers, also an author of children’s books, met Jerry, and that Jerry had been instrumental in his father’s career.

Chris’s Dad had taken him to visit Jerry’s classes, and Jerry had been a constant presence in both their lives.

Chris built a link between Jerry’s first meeting with his Dad, and his (Chris’s) own success as a writer and illustrator.

And he concluded with the comment that Jerry was in fact the butterfly who long ago beat his wings and had moved his influence through two generations of artists.

Chris Myers was a good speaker, and a memorable speaker, for several reasons.

1. He was warm, relaxed and engaging
2. He was empathetically focused on his primary audience–Jerry Weiss, the honoree.
3. He packaged his message around a memorable image–a puff of air made by a pair of butterfly wings.