One of my old posts (written in 2014), inspired by a presentation I delivered at The Magic Circle...
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If you asked a randomly selected group of 100 Brits to each name three famous magicians, it’s my guess that the name of Tommy Cooper (TC) would appear at the top of many lists.
Yet the great Mr Cooper died a quarter of a century ago, and was apparently only a fairly ordinary practitioner of magic in the technical sense. So why is he still a standout name in his field?
After listening to the BBC’s excellent tribute program “Jar, spoon, spoon, jar” (one of Cooper’s classic phrases for our younger readers) I think his lasting appeal can be summed up as follows:
1) Professionalism: His delivery may have appeared chaotic and unrehearsed, yet it was in fact carefully choreographed. Fellow TV magician Paul Daniels obtained some of TC’s stage directions after his death. He read the following notes on the BBC program:
This clearly demonstrates an amazing attention to both detail and timing.
2) Refreshing his material: As one of the big names in magic, TC’s was often presenting on TV, and also had many loyal audience members that attended his in person shows on a regular basis. He therefore had little choice but to constantly seek new material, or at least new approaches to existing tricks, to maintain his popularity and interest level.
3) He made himself memorable: But most importantly, TC made himself unforgettable. He was different, and indeed unique among his peer group. This, like his stage direction, was something he almost certainly worked hard at, and is the key as to why he is fondly remembered years after his death.
Self-evidently the above points also have real relevance to great business presentations and events. Any business presenter that strives to deliver professionalism, new and important material, and delivers that material in an interesting way is bound to be far more memorable than his/her peer group.
It also follows that the presenter and his/her employer is far more likely to achieve a commercial return for their time and effort than those who do not put in the work to deliver something lasting and meaningful. So these are valuable lessons for business presenters to consider.
I leave you with three of my favourite Tommy Cooper lines for no better reason than I like them. Who knows, maybe you will be able to find a place for one of these in your own presentation or delivery in the future?
“There's no end to his talent – and no beginning either.”
“Gambling has brought our family together. We had to move to a smaller house.”
“I sleep like a baby . . I wake up screaming every morning around 3am.”
Best regards,
Steve