Sand and Stories

From the Portland Oregonian, June 14, 2010, dateline Redmond, Washington: “On a blustery January morning, Michel Laprise found himself in a private conference room within Microsoft court’s labyrinthine campus here, surrounded by 15 of the company’s sharpest analytical thinkers.

“Loprise started his presentation by dumping a pail full of sand on top of the conference table, alarming executives who worried about the wiring embedded in the table for PowerPoint presentations and technology demos. Armed with three rocks, a small wooden elephant and a flashlight, he spent an hour weaving a tale of a boy on a quest to locate meteors that have fallen from the sky and to uncover their meaning.

“At the end of his talk, the artistic director for Cirque du Soleil got a standing ovation.”

The head of Microsoft’s video game division said, “He used the power of words to share what he saw in his imagination.”

This article excited me as much as a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. I can’t help it, I love stories of wildly successful talks, whether it’s a business presentation or a sermon. I love knowing what made them work so well. In this instance, it was a masterful use of props and storytelling. The talk also incorporated the element of surprise. Laprise was certainly bold and willing to take a risk.

I’m reminded of the song “Razzle-Dazzle” from the play Chicago: “Give ‘em the old razzle-dazzle. Razzle-dazzle ‘em and they’ll beg you for more. Give them an act with lots of flash in it, and the reaction will be passionate.”

I’m not advocating tricking an audience or being phony, far from it, but I do believe we can be bolder, a little more dramatic, a little more surprising. As a result, our congregations will listen more closely, be more emotionally involved, and internalize your message more deeply.

“Razzle-dazzle ‘em and they’ll beg you for more.” And bring a pail of sand.