The term ‘pregnant pause’ is widely used to describe a period of silence that keeps the audience in suspense, with a feeling of anticipation. In this episode, Mark and Darren introduce the ‘poignant pause’ and expound on the differences between the two. Understand both, and using them well, will take you one step closer to becoming unforgettable. Snippets:

• The pregnant pause makes them think; the poignant pause makes them feel
• Pause after asking a question; give the audience time to respond mentally
• The ‘pause pedestal’ elevates the significance of powerful statements
• Isolate points of wisdom by pausing before and after saying them
• When pausing, don’t think in seconds; think in heartbeats
• Don’t fear ‘dead air’; the pause can have intellectual and emotional impact

There’s nothing like delivering your first paid speech or taking your first flight to deliver an ‘out-of-town’ presentation. Today Darren and Mark speak with fellow professional speaker Ed Tate about lessons they learned from their career ‘firsts’…both good and bad…that will guide you along your journey to becoming unforgettable. Snippets:

• Don’t underestimate the value of your first paid speech
• Don’t be afraid to push back when someone tries to undervalue your work
• Prepare thoroughly for your first opportunity
• Firsts involve risks; be willing to take them
• Your first failure hold lessons for you and your audience

What can writing, producing, and performing a comedy television show teach us about being unforgettable presenters? 29-time Emmy Award winner and Hall Of Fame Speaker Bill Stainton provides the answers in this frank discussion with Darren and Mark. He shares the untapped power of your background, the value of giving yourself permission to fail, and how producing your speech like a television program can make you unforgettable. Snippets:

• Think like a producer
• The right combination of skills can lead to your success
• What are the skills BEHIND your skills
• Give yourself permission to fail
• Leaving your audience on a low point is professional malpractice
• Unforgettable lives at the intersection of writing, producing, and performing
• Build ‘bathroom blocker’ moments so your audience can’t look away
• Give your audience a reason to say, “I WANT THAT!”
• Nail the last 5-10 minutes of your presentation

Ep. 123 – Why Less Is More

Speakers sometimes make the mistake of trying to say a lot in a limited time. Darren and Mark share how to say less while delivering more value. The less we say, the more the audience remembers. That’s one way to be unforgettable. Snippets:

• Don’t try to squeeze 10 minutes of content into a 7-minute speech
• Deliver fewer points, more clearly
• Keep content tight
• It takes more work to say less
• Ask, “How do I say it better with fewer words?”
• Use shorter sentences
• Simplify with mono-syllabic words

It’s easy to assume that training and keynote speaking are the same. They’re not. Today Mark and Darren are joined by fellow Certified Speaking Professional and World Champion Ed Tate as they examine 4 critical differences between the two presentation methods. Understanding and mastering these differences will help you to be unforgettable. Snippets:

• Keynoters inform and inspire, trainers close skill gaps and change behaviors
• Keynote: I inspire you. Training: I show you how
• Beware the illusion of learning
• Stories are to keynotes what instructions are to training
• Keynoters must practice stories, trainers must practice activities
• Learning takes place in the debrief
• Have an improv/unplugged mindset

A strong audience connection is one of the keys to being unforgettable. How can you establish that connection, even BEFORE you take the platform? Today Darren and Mark expound on three ways to BUILD A BETTER BRIDGE to your audience, forge relationships, and create allies in the process.

Snippets:

• Interview a few key individuals ahead of time, and ask the right questions
• Get stories about ‘front line’ attendees and elevate them in your presentation
• Use Google’s NEWS tab to get an organizations latest information
• Arrive at events up to a day early, shake hands, have conversations
• Be INTERESTED…not INTERESTING. What excites or upsets THEM?
• Prepare a ‘set list’ of conversation questions and topics
• Make attendees your co-builders as you build your bigger bridge.

You have a keynote presentation and it’s good. But how do you take it to the next level? Jane Atkinson, known throughout the speaking industry as The Speaker Launcher, opens up to Mark and Darren about the strategies and techniques that speakers must apply to create, deliver, and market their epic keynote. She also shares the necessary strategies for continuing to improve and excel, and to become unforgettable.   Snippets:

• Immerse yourself in your industry
• Constantly craft and re-craft your stories
• Invest time and energy in being epic on the platform
• There is no better form of marketing than your epic keynote
• Be consistent in your outbound marketing
• Don’t think transactional; think transformational
• You cannot play small in your decision-making and expect to play big in your income

Today Darren and Mark address your presentation WALKTHROUGH. This isn’t a rehearsal; it’s a review of the structure of your presentation, like a storyboard in filmmaking. The walkthrough is a powerful way to ensure that your presentation is seamless…and unforgettable. Snippets:

• The walkthrough ensures that your presentation flows properly
• Clarifies when information and other details are missing
• Guides with correcting sequence errors
• Helps with moving or removing paragraphs, stories, and entire sections that are out of sequence
• Avoids the introduction of new characters and ideas near the end of the your presentation.

Sometimes we fail to recognize powerful stories from our lives because they don’t appear to be significant on the surface. Today Mark and Darren discuss how life lessons that you learned through the years can be reverse engineered to uncover meaningful stories which you can then insert into your presentations and make them unforgettable. Snippets:

• Mine the life lessons from every season of your life.
• Recall the characters to relive the experience
• Remember the emotions of the moment
• Rehearse the story that taught the lesson
• Figure out where the story will fit in your presentation

How can a presenter BECOME unforgettable? Today Darren and Mark talk with Mike Davis, Sara McGill, and Kathi Kulesza, three members of Darren’s Stage Time University (STU) Community, about their journey to becoming unforgettable. In this behind-the-scenes look at STU, Mike, Sara, and Kathi share their growth in various facets of presentations. These include preparing and presenting speeches, doing live video, serving as event emcee, and producing a podcast, all steps on their path to becoming unforgettable. Snippets:

• When you don’t get paid your value, you finally understand your value
• To become unforgettable, don’t play the short game. Think long term.
• Use available resources to make your presentation better
• Qualified coaching will elevate your presentation
• This strong community promotes accountability