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Mad Men Guide to Creating a Speaking Experience

One of my favorite Mad Men moments was from season one where Don Draper pitches an ad campaign for Kodak's new fangled slide projector.  Last week, I wrote that it is not enough to just give a speech – a presenter should create an experience. Go watch Don create an speaking experience during his sales pitch before reading on. Have your tissues at the ready!

 Now that your back, how did Don do?

He knocked that sales pitch out of the park by invoking the elements of a speaking experience. 

Descriptive Language

 The language Don uses in his pitch creates a visceral emotional reaction in his audience. He describes the technology of the Kodak wheel as a “glittering lure” but really this product is more about nostalgia.  “Nostalgia is a pain from an old wound. It is a twinge in your heart more powerful than memory alone”.  Each phrase creates a visual image in the viewer's mind. The language transports us into the story that Don is weaving.

Storytelling

 Don does not rely on facts, figures, psychometric tests to sell his idea. He simply tells a story. A story about a Greek named Teddy who was Don's first boss and seemed to really understand human motivations. While telling the story of Teddy, Don starts intertwining his own story of nostalgia with his family photo slideshow. The two stories combined create a powerful, emotional experience for the viewer. 

Vulnerability

The normally buttoned-up Don Draper who never talks about himself and has a lot to hide – for a moment – lets us into his slideshow of his life.  Don allows himself to be vulnerable and through this vulnerability he connects with his audience.

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

As Don clicks through the pictures, he never talks about the pictures because we all know the meaning. We all have pictures of happy times stored in shoe boxes or on our computer.  Taking a nap with dad on the couch. Kissing our partner when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. These ordinary, universal moments  taken together construct an extraordinary experience. 

Invoking Emotion

 I've watched this video clip many times, and I still get teary near the end. Don tells us that the Carousel lets us travel like a child “to a place where we know we were loved” and he shows his wedding picture. I feel that ache in my heart. The longing to go back to a different time where things were a bit different and may be a bit better. I'm not seeing Don's pictures anymore – I've been transported into my own memories, my own nostalgia. 

Don Draper is an expert in creating an experience for those he is selling his vision to and now he  is finally back for a new season of Mad Men. I wonder what kinds of speaking experiences he will create this season.

This is one of my favorite examples of giving an audience an experience through a presentation. Do you have an example you could share? Post a YouTube clip and tell me why it transported you in the comment section below!