How do you take client customization to the next level…and beyond? Sales, Leadership and Business Expert Ryan Estis uses original, personalized research to ‘know more about the client than they know about themselves’. He reveals to Mark and Darren the value of curiosity, observation, self-inspection, and the desire to ‘skill up’. He also shares his secret to mastery, and the mindset that will make any speaker unforgettable. Snippets: • The best teachers are students • Where are you going to learn and ‘skill up’? • Your expertise lies in what you have already mastered • Use self-inspection to cultivate the stories of your life experience

• Be curious, mindful, and observant

•Move from something to PROVE to something to GIVE

• Always give your audience an action plan

Competence at virtual presentations has become a necessity, and industry experts confirm that presenters MUST have this skill in their arsenal because as hopeful as we may be for ‘the good old days’, virtual is NOT going away. Stage Time University faculty member and Certified World Class Speaking Coach Mike Davis joins Darren and Mark as they passionately discuss simple yet powerful ways to create a professional-looking virtual studio...without breaking the bank. Snippets: • A standing desk gives great flexibility • Simple backlighting can enhance your background • Use foam padding to minimize echo from reflective surfaces • What’s in your background, and can it be a distraction

•You can create a professional look for under $1,000

• If you were a meeting planner, would you hire you for a virtual presentation?

From childhood abuse to contemplating suicide to Oprah to the TEDx stage, Rena Romano has a story you won’t forget. Now a respected speaker, author and coach, Rena opens up to Mark and Darren about her journey, and the powerful lessons she learned along the way about positivity, purpose, and perspective. She also shares techniques for personal development, marketing, and audience impact…techniques that can make any speaker unforgettable. Snippets: • Coaches hire coaches • Comparison kills • It’s not about the views; it’s about the ‘THANK-YOUs’ • Use ‘News hijacking’ on social media to expand your audience reach • Delete the dirty details and leave the mess out of the message

• Don’t just survive; surTHRIVE!

The lights go out in the middle of your presentation. Your tech fails right before you start. You have 15 minutes to deliver your 1-hour speech. Your audience inexplicably gives you blank stares during your entire presentation. Darren and Mark connect with Certified World Class Speaking Coach Mike Davis, and Hall of fame speaker Jim Cathcart to discuss methods for dealing with the unexpected. Knowing how to respond when it all goes wrong will help you to be unforgettable.

Snippets:

• Fix what you can, acknowledge what you cannot

• When it all goes wrong, be the calmest person in the room

• Use improv to prepare yourself to adjust in emergencies

• Focus less on your inconvenience and more about serving your audience

• When it all goes wrong, it may not be your fault, but it’s your responsibility

“If you want to be an unforgettable speaker, you have to be an unforgettable person.” This acorn of wisdom is one of many that Hall Of Fame Speaker Jim Cathcart reveals as he chats with Darren and Mark. He also shares timeless strategies for audience engagement, story-telling and subject matter mastery…necessary skills that will help any speaker to become unforgettable!

Snippets:

Say something worth hearing.

We are vehicles of value.

Practice your stories during regular conversations.

Your story should get shorter every time you tell it.

Nothing is more important than the VALUE your audience receives.

Stay humble.

He started out with nothing, had multiple failures, and even slept in his car! Today, Brian Tracy is a speaking LEGEND! He sits down with Mark and Darren sharing his experiences and wisdom learned at ‘the school of example’, including the two KEY QUESTIONS every speaker must ask and answer after every presentation. Listen, and learn from a legend how any speaker can become unforgettable!

Snippets

Fail your way to success.

Read, Read, READ!

Preparation is the key.

Debrief every presentation.

Listen to and learn from other presenters

Set high standards for yourself

Since 1993, the National Speakers Association (NSA) has recognized those who have influenced the speaking profession in a significant way with the Master of Influence Award. In 2021, that honor was given to Toastmasters International. How are the organizations different? How can they complement each other? Mark and Darren answer these questions and more as they unpack the value of both organizations to them, and to countless other speakers. Learn how the NSA and Toastmasters can help you to be unforgettable.

“My stories are now UNFORGETTABLE!”, says Denise Marek, award-winning speaker and author, eight months after being coached by Mark and Darren LIVE on Episode 65. She shares her amazing results after incorporating their recommendations, explains how her speaking and writing have improved, and proves that qualified coaching can make you unforgettable.

In this episode, Darren and Mark work with Maureen Zappala on the opening story in her keynote. They help her to more deeply embrace the significance of clarifying context, re-living the emotion of the moment, escalating conflict in a story, and using callbacks to make the message sticky. These potent adjustments will help her, and YOU, to deliver UNFORGETTABLE presentations.

Have you ever felt like you’ve stopped making progress? Or that you should toss a story because you don’t think it works? Using case stories from a few of their coaching clients, Darren and Mark offer encouragement and insight about the ‘mile markers’ on YOUR speaker’s journey. They also unpack three principles to keep you on track to being unforgettable.