{"id":90,"date":"2007-08-18T10:41:23","date_gmt":"2007-08-18T09:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.elementally.co.uk\/presentation-skills-blog\/2007\/08\/18\/claptrap-or-clap-traps-part-one\/"},"modified":"2007-08-18T10:41:23","modified_gmt":"2007-08-18T09:41:23","slug":"claptrap-or-clap-traps-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.awareplus.co.uk\/presentation-skills-blog\/claptrap-or-clap-traps-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Claptrap or Clap Traps? – part one"},"content":{"rendered":"

So what’s the difference? Well, according to at least one online dictionary<\/a> claptrap is ” Pretentious, insincere, or empty language” where as a Clap Trap is a trick used to generate applause: it’s an old theatrical gimmick… apparently now obsolete.<\/p>\n

Except, of course, that we know it isn’t – because Clap Traps are still used in presentations an public speeches left, right and centre around the world. This is particularly, I’ve noticed, in the political arena: in fact, I’d go so far to say that they pretty much only<\/strong> work in the polictical arena – that’s the area where people’s emotions are allowed vent.<\/p>\n

Sure, you can get passionate in a business presentation but not in the way people do at a polictical rally – in any case, I don’t think Claptraps work in the kinds small and\/or reserved audiences you tend to get there. They only<\/em> work when the audience can get into the “mentality of the mob” – by which I mean they feel free to forget their inhibitions, in the way they might do at a football match or a big hockey game. People in big crowds can (and do) behave in ways they’d not even think<\/em> about if they were working as individuals!<\/p>\n

But hang on a minute! What is<\/strong> a claptrap then? Well, there are books on the subject (Atkinson, 1984<\/a> for example as well as serious online articles<\/a>) but in short, they’re rhetorical tricks to elicit a (positive) response from the audience – such as clapping. They include things like<\/p>\n