Unforgettable Presentations

Confidence. Every presenter needs it, especially when facing an unresponsive audience or dealing with the unexpected.   In today’s episode, Mark and Darren provide strategies for building your confidence and delivering your unforgettable presentation.   SNIPPETS: • Confidence is critical   • Not every audience responds emotionally and supportively   • Confidence doesn’t come by accident   • Prepare well   • Internalize your content   • Test your material in a low-risk environment like Toastmasters   • Ego is a confidence-killer   • Draw confidence from your TOP 5   • Build your confidence by listening to your best work regularly                                             • Collect testimonial texts, e-mails and videos   • Inspire your audiences, clients and prospects to have confidence in you  

Your audience can hear your story, but can they SEE it? Today Mark and Darren explore ways that you can prompt your audience to go beyond just hearing your story, to experiencing it...right at the beginning. These simple techniques will help your audience to see your unforgettable story.   SNIPPETS: • Telling your story is like creating a painting   • Share 2 or 3 details about the setting   • Let the audience paint the picture   • Let the audience see one visual and one emotional character detail   • Non-verbal depictions can paint a clear picture   • Dialog can be very descriptive   • Descriptions of characteristics and clothing are highly effective   • Your entire audience need not see the SAME thing; they must see SOMEthing   • Test your story by creating an audience (NSA, Toastmasters, Mastermind etc.)                                             • Ask them what they saw and respond to feedback   • Be creative and compelling

Maybe you’re an emerging speaker, and you don’t think you have enough content. Perhaps you’re experienced and have been delivering the same material for a long time. Where do you find more content? Darren and Mark provide strategies for finding new content, ‘upping’ your game, and being unforgettable.   SNIPPETS: • Ask: Is there better content available   • Perform deeper research on your subject   • Dive deeply into client concerns   • Interview clients for content and connection   • Tap into your expertise network   • Understand that you don’t know everything about your topic   • Be willing to upgrade your existing material   • Find out what and who are trending in your area of expertise   • Verify all new content using multiple sources                                             • Revisit the ‘basement’ and ‘archives’ of your life   • Test new material and listen to your audience to find out what resonates   • Challenge yourself to provide something new every year

Illustrations can be powerful; they give your audience a memorable experience. How do you create and execute an experience that has 4,000 people on their feet, actively participating, and leaving transformed? Brian Biro, America’s Breakthrough Speaker, sits down with Mark and Darren to provide insight into how has been able to deliver unforgettable experiences for more than 30 years.   SNIPPETS: • Help audiences to experience breakthroughs   • Become a master storyteller   • Shift from ego to ‘we go’   • Do more for other than you do for yourself   • When you enrich your audience’s experience, you enrich your own   • Don’t decide someone else’s breakthrough potential   • Release your authentic energy   • 95% of your breakthrough depends on where you place your focus   • BE confident…and humble                                             • Never underestimate the power of simplicity   • Let every illustration have value and meaning   • SEE BRIAN IN ACTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK2uZftQUpg

In our zeal to share our knowledge with our audience, we sometimes offer too much content. Mark and Darren discuss this phenomenon and offer both perspective and practices for giving your audience your most appropriate content.   SNIPPETS: • Vast content is a blessing   • You can’t share everything  you know in one presentation   • To share everything, write a book   • Give the highlights   • What’s the intent of the event   • What does the audience need to know   • Decide which details to share   • Be willing to let some material go   • If you squeeze too much content in, you squeeze your audience out                                             • Serve the needs of each specific audience   • Use a single-elimination tournament format to ‘eliminate’ content

Presentations can often be boring. Why? In this episode, Darren and Mark examine three reasons and provide solutions to help any presenter move from boring to unforgettable.   SNIPPETS: • You need a proven world-class structure   • Structure gives you confidence and gives your audience clarity   • Invest time to properly structure your presentation   • Solid structure prevents you from taking a labyrinthine journey   • Stories are the heartbeat of presentations   • Bullet-point your life   • Stories elicit emotion to deliver a message   • Structure your stories for maximum impact                                             • Get qualified feedback   • Set ego and laziness aside   • Seek education, not confirmation and validation

Growth and success in speaking requires a steadfast mindset. Today, millionaire investor, event planner and professional speaker Ryan Pineda sits down with Mark and Darren to divulge how the right mindset and the right actions can put any presenter on the path to being unforgettable.   SNIPPETS: • Know the type of speaker that you are   • Understand your value; don’t underestimate it   • Repetition, practice, and stage time build confidence   • Determine how much can you relate to your audience   • Start by making short videos   • Be creative and spontaneous   • Start on small stages   • Have an “I want to WIN!” mindset                                             • Speaking need not be a zero-sum game   • Go through a season of preparation Ryan’s Wealthy Kingdom Sermon: https://youtu.be/__Nqs-mGqus?si=pAJX7HwXQEjjFCe_

2024 World Champion of Public Speaking Luisa Montalvo sits down with Darren and Mark to discuss her journey from First Runner-Up in 2019 to World Champion in 2024…and her life-changing experience in between.  Luisa also shares her perspective on mentors, contests, taking risks, and serving your audience, providing tips that will help any presenter to become unforgettable.   SNIPPETS:   • Listen to your mentor   • Have fun   • Compete when it’s time   • Ask: “Does the audience NEED this?”   • Be willing to take risks   • Be tactful   • Always keep the audience in mind   • Be open-minded to suggestions and criticism                                             • Follow your heart   • Prepare for the aftermath of a win

Many pastors prepare new messages weekly. How can they create ‘moments,’ and what tools can they use to be unforgettable?   Pastor Shane Philip of Las Vegas, NV talks with Mark and Darren about his process, as well as the tools, process and techniques that help him to be unforgettable. He explains how he uses visuals, illustrations, and humor to connect with his audiences and offers advice on how to increase your relatability to your audience.  If you wish, see Shane’s message here   SNIPPETS: • Everything in life becomes a story   • Keep a file of interesting stories   • Start with a personal experience and/or humorous story for relatability   • Draw the audience in early and establish an emotional connection   • Normal, everyday stories are most effective   • Use AI to catalog your stories   • Use visuals that can say it better than you can   • The right object lesson for the right point will be unforgettable                                             • Value your audience by being fully prepared   • Fill yourself so you can fill your audience; read, listen, learn   • Rehearse out loud several times   • Normal, everyday stories are most effective

Ping: (verb) to send a signal to (a device) in order to determine its status or location.   As presenters, we must be sure that our audiences receive our message. We ‘ping’ in order to determine our audience’s status (engagement/understanding) and location (presence.) Today Darren and Mark drill down on ‘pinging’ and share how pinging, when done well, can leave a lasting impact.   SNIPPETS:   • Check in with the audience   • Confirm their thought process   • Make an emotional connection   • Are they following you   • Can they relate   • Do they fully comprehend   • Read the audience’s reaction   • Ping and Pause                                             • Do you ping enough   • Do you ping at the right moments   • Ping for deeper connection and lasting impact  

Imagine being on stage for the FIRST TIME, telling a deeply personal and emotional story that you’ve NEVER told before, to an audience of executives. How would you navigate ? Today Darren and Mark get answers form Monika, a coaching client from Australia who faced that exact situation recently. She openly shares her fears and triumphs, as well as the process that helped her to deliver an unforgettable presentation.    SNIPPETS: • Don’t underestimate the power of your personal story   • Use the power of your mind to overcome your fear   • You don’t know you can until you try   • Take a leap of faith and   • Step out of your comfort zone   • Putting yourself out there is powerful   • If you feel afraid, you SHOULD tell your story   • Use a stage plan to help you to anchor the stages of your story                                             • Sharing your vulnerabilities can be empowering   • Good coaching is a game changer

You've just completed an engagement, and the event planner gives you a 5-star rating because you kicked butt! What next? What more can you do to maintain world class standards and service and elevate your game? Using one of his very recent experiences, Mark talks with Darren about proven practices to help any presenter shine after a successful event and remain unforgettable.   SNIPPETS: • Ask: how can I provide more value   • Ask: How can I multiply what I have provided   • Get testimonials   • Screenshot comments on social media, messaging services and e-mails   • Get LinkedIn with event attendees   • ALWAYS have a debrief call with the event planner   • Give the attendees a reason to share your value                                             • Share testimonials/surveys with the event planner and bureau (if applicable)   • Capitalize on the high of the moment   • Offer to provide more than a presentation

Do your clients and prospects know how much you have to offer? Mark and Darren discuss more than a dozen additional ways that you can serve your clients, and techniques for making meeting planners aware.   SNIPPETS:   • Add value   • Let them know during your pitch   • Reinforce during pre-event call   • Remind them during your follow-up meeting   • Put additional offerings in the contract/agreement   • Seed additional services during your presentation   • No need to sell from the stage                                             • Use TalkaDot   • Have a verbal Linktree conversation   • Pass a clipboard to collect information   • Use your newsletter • Give away your book during your presentation                                                                                                          

Sometimes, life happens. It’s inevitable. Today, Darren opens up about a personal tragedy, as he and Mark explore ways to navigate life’s challenges and remain unforgettable.    SNIPPETS:   • Life will happen   • You are not alone   • Accept help   • Tap into your professional network and mastermind   • Ask for grace   • Take care of yourself   • Call, or send e-mail to your clients and associates                                             • How can your tragedy help others?   • What can you still do amidst your challenge…even from the road?   • Have a backup plan   • Who can you recommend as your replacement • When life happens to your peers, would they call YOU?                                                                                                          

Change is constant and as presenters, we must stay relevant. Today Darren and Mark explore ways for us to stay current, stay relevant and become unforgettable.    SNIPPETS:   • Seek to serve your audience   • Update websites, slide decks, and demo videos regularly   • Stay aware of industry changes   • Be aware of what’s ‘top of mind’ in your area of expertise   • Constantly look for relevant stories and events   • Look for the ‘emotional juice.’   • Update your references, quotes, and content                                             • Get familiar with new and emerging technology   • Learn about current hot topics   • Explore new tools (TALKADOT etc.)   • Use your network and mastermind • Use Google search ‘NEWS’ option for client organization updates

What does it take to truly become the speaker everyone loves and a master of your craft? Mark and Darren offer a ‘mathematical formula’ and a process to not only become a master, but to be unforgettable as well.    SNIPPETS:   • It starts with a decision to master your craft   • Commit to the work   • Put in the EFFORT   • Multiply EFFORT by a PROVEN PROCESS   • Use the CORE 4 PROCESS   • Learn how to make each step better   • Add a QUALIFIED COACH                                             • Tweak your technique   • Learn what your audience needs from you   • Master your craft and create your process   • Give your audience your process and help them grow

Emerging presenters often wonder, “Should I join the National Speakers Association? Toastmasters? Both?” Darren and Mark ask and answer these questions while sharing the benefits of both organizations.    SNIPPETS: • Learn the art and business of speaking   • Both organizations are valuable   • Toastmasters is a wonderful place to make mistakes   • NSA provides business-building tools and expertise   • Toastmasters provides a friendly practice audience   • NSA helps build professional relationships   • Visit 3 Toastmasters clubs                                             • Attend an NSA meeting as a guest   • Find out how you can serve each organization   • Both provide mentorship   • Visit both NSA and Toastmasters for what you can get, and what you can give

Jeff Rogers, a fairly new member of the National Speakers Association, is the winner of NSA’s LAST STORY STANDING storytelling competition. He and Mike Davis…one of his coaches…chat with Mark and Darren about his intent, his process, and the lessons he learned on his journey to the first-place trophy.   SNIPPETS: • Seek to build relationships first   • Enter contests to learn   • Work with a coach to sharpen your story   • Step away from your ego   • Don’t just tell the story; enact it   • Show your characters’ perspective   • Don’t be the hero of your own story                                             • Your story’s hero can be a CONCEPT   • Stay in your style; don’t let anyone coach you out of it   • Go down with YOUR message   • Practice, then go play

Rotary Speech Contest, Story SLAM, MOTH, Last Story Standing, World Championship of Public Speaking, and more. Speech competitions abound, and today Darren and Mark are joined by Stage Time University faculty member Mike Davis as they face the question: “Why compete?” Their answers provide the myriad benefits of competing.    SNIPPETS: • Get better faster, grow, and improve quickly   • Breakthroughs come from experience, and experience comes from competing   • Transcend your comfort zone   • Get coaches - plural   • Competition pushes you to work harder   • Get a higher level of feedback   • Push to be your best at your competition’s level of excellence   • Build confidence                                             • Learn lasting techniques from the best   • Apply discipline and a process   • Work against a clock with deadlines

Imagine being asked to deliver new material, on a subject you have never addressed, on short notice, under pressure, three times in 24 hours. Today, Mark and Darren talk with professional speaker and coach Sheree Cain-Jones, who found herself in that situation recently. Her insight from the lessons learned, and the principles she applied along the way, will help you navigate the ‘new content on short notice’ path, and deliver your unforgettable presentation.   SNIPPETS: • Acknowledge the weight of responsibility when delivering new content   • Stop, think, take it in, then decide to accept an assignment on short notice   • We can find reasons to say ‘no;’ find reasons to say ‘yes’   • Be wary of your ‘echo chamber’ and lean on your support group   • Start with a PREGNANT PREMISE   • Adopt a research mindset and dig deep into your topic   • Put on your hat of humility   • Be vulnerable, even though it creates risk                                             • To internalize content, record, listen, re-record, listen again   • Don’t be perfect; be prepared   • Incorporate your strengths and skillset   • Your message isn’t in you; it IS you