If you’ve been studying my materials, then you already know not to end your speech with the questions and answers section. Instead, if you’re going to have a Q&A, do it before you wrap up in your own powerful way.

However, there is also something else that must be done before you close your speech and that’s the review. Most speakers will review by saying something like this:

So in conclusion, you must face reality, relinquish what is in the way, rely on the process, and reform to a better way.

 

And then they’ll close the speech with a story or in another powerful way. This is fine but there are issues with it.

1. The audience members are not involved as much as they should be
2. Your audience might still doubt your message
3. The energy might not be as high as it should be
4. It’s just content but not connection

Here’s a Very Powerful Way to Review the Content in your Speech

Use what I call the Discuss and Debrief method of reviewing your material. Here’s how it goes. I say something like the following:

Take the next 60 seconds, turn to a neighbor and tell him or her one or two ideas you got from this program.

This is the Discussion part of the Discuss and Debrief method. Then, once the 60 seconds are up, I say

Okay, times up. What did you come up with? Go ahead and shout out some of the ideas that stuck with you.

This is the Debrief part of the Discuss and Debrief formula.

It is absolutely amazing what happens when you do this method. Ideas start popping out in droves and you can barely capture them all. This is a good thing. For example, last week I gave a speech at the Illegal Substance Collections Unit (ISCU) in Washington DC and when I came to this review, twenty-one ideas popped out within a couple of minutes. In fact, the only reason we stopped is so I could move on to my closing.

So let’s take a quick look at the advantages of this method:

1. They feel validated because they have had time to check-in and discuss with their neighbors about what they picked up so the fear of shouting out the wrong answer goes away. That’s why the ideas pop out so fast.
2. They loosen up their minds during the discussion part. This is much better than simply turning to your audience (without having the discussion portion) and saying, “So what did you get from the program today?” I’ve seen many cases where very few ideas are shouted out and it makes the speaker look bad. Also, keep in mind the meeting planner is often looking at this and realizing that very little value has transferred.
3. They buy into the message more readily. I always remember Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art of Selling, saying the following (I am paraphrasing here): If I say it, they can doubt me, but if they say it it’s true. In other words, getting them to say the message is much more powerful than simply saying it myself.
4. You get re-hired more. Why? Because the meeting planner is often in the room watching this transference of value take place. For example, after my speech at the ISCU last week, the meeting planner approached me and said, “We are excited about using you again very soon.” Oftentimes when you look at the meeting planner during the review when all these ideas are resurfacing, he or she has a grin from ear to ear because the value is evident in the retention of the material.
5. Your audience retains more of your message. This is because audience members often miss points the first time around. However, when they hear that same point from another audience member (and perhaps they hear how that audience member plans to implement it), they can then underline that point and see possibilities for putting it into action too.
6. The energy rises. When you get this kind of activity, the energy increases, which is important because there should be high energy as you move into the closing of your speech.
7. They feel good about giving a good response!

Twos Key to Using this Discuss and Debrief Method for Maximum Impact

You now know to have your audience discuss with their neighbors and then debrief with you as a group. However, when you debrief, I suggest following two very important guidelines to help your audience internalize your message.

Guideline #1: Rephrase their responses.

For example, here are some of the responses people gave the other day at ISCU when we debriefed. After you see each of their responses, you’ll see how I rephrased it to help drive home the messages.

Again I started off by saying, “Okay, times up. What did you come up with? Go ahead and shout out some of the ideas that stuck with you.”

Them: “You said to make them feel important”

Me: “That’s right, because when you make them feel visible, they make you valuable”

Them: “Don’t make excuses for their behavior”

Me: “Absolutely, because when you make excuses for someone, you invite him never to change”

Them: “We have to get out of the way of change”

Me: “Because you’re either on the way or in the way”

The reason it is important to rephrase their responses is so that your Foundational Phrases will stick with them over time. Three days or three months down the line when they find themselves on the brink of making excuses for someone’s behavior, they should remember my Foundational Phrase and hopefully change their approach.

 Guideline #2: Stop while they Pop

During the debrief part of the formula, you’re audience will shout out many ideas. One idea after another will pop out. So when do you stop the debriefing and move on to your closing? I suggest cutting them off while the ideas are still popping out. Why? Because, like the good magician, you want to leave them wanting more. This is much better than waiting until all the ideas pop out, which is followed by uncomfortable silence and brain strain. Stop it while they pop.

It’s like the other night when I made microwave popcorn and the directions said to turn off the microwave once the pops slowed down to 2 seconds in between each one. Otherwise, if you keep them popping, you’ll burn them. Likewise, once you see any kind of slowing down in how long it takes your audience to pop out ideas, stop and move to your closing. This keeps the energy high, doesn’t burn them out, and ensures they retain the ideas that truly mean the most to them.

Final thoughts:

If you want to get re-hired time and time again, use this Discuss and Debrief method and watch your calendar fill up!

 Patricia Fripp once told me, “Craig, people won’t remember what you say as much as they’ll remember what they see when you say it.” In other words, you must make your speeches very visual.

I’ve often told people that speaking involves a series of scenes. You move from one story and scene into another. But these scenes must be visible and a great way to make them visible is to move with a purpose.  

Two Major Reasons for Moving on Stage

There are several reasons for moving on stage but you’re about to pick up two of the most important.

Let the action in your story prompt your movement on stage

I have a story where I say the following:

I told my Vice President, “John, before I say yes to you, I have to go home to talk to my wife about this.” So I went home to my wife and said…

When I make that statement, I physically walk from where my VP’s office is represented on stage to where my home is represented on stage.

That’s an example of letting the action drive. Of course, when I go back the next day to my VP’s office, I walk back to where the office is represented on stage. That’s letting the action in my story prompt my movement on stage.

If you’re telling a story about standing in line, guess what? You should stand quite still throughout that scene.

When a speaker keeps moving at all times, his movements cease to matter. Even the important movements and gestures get lost in a whirlwind of movement.

Let Time Prompt your Movement on Stage

All stories involve the element of time, which means you can use the imaginary timeline on stage for greater impact. In North America we read a timeline from the left to the right. Therefore, imagine how I might move when giving this part of my speech:

Now fast-forward 10 years to today…2010. My re-hire rate has now reached above 93%.

When I say the phrase “Fast forward 10 years to today,” I physically walk from my audience’s left up the timeline to my audience’s right to symbolize the difference between the year 2000 and the year 2010. Why is this important? Two reasons:

1. It makes the scene more clear for my audience

2. It allows me to eventually do a visual AND verbal call back to places on the timeline.

For example, later in this message I say, “I’ll tell you what made the difference between my failure in 2000 and my success today. [I walk back down the timeline to my audience’s left where the year 2000 is represented]. After my embarrassment in the year 2000, I re-dedicated myself to the art of public speaking…” Then, as I explain what I did in between 2000 and 2010 (i.e. coaching, re-dedication, etc.), I slowly and subtly walk back up the timeline until I get to 2010. Make sense?

This call back is visual, verbal, emotional, and clear for my audience members all because I set the stage up as a timeline and walked it.

Three Caveats that make the difference between a connection and a rejection

Caveat #1: Please remember that you have to do the timeline backwards for you so that it’s right for your audience. In other words, your audience’s left is your right, etc. You’re like an aerobics instructor! So when you want to walk back in the past, move to your right, which is your audience’s left.

Caveat #2: Not all cultures view timelines from the left to the right. Therefore, if you’re traveling overseas or you do not live in North America, it would behoove you to check with people on how they view time and timelines. Otherwise you might walk from left to right when they view time as front to back. In that case, you’ll only promote confusion not clarity.

Caveat #3: Everything in speaking is about subtlety. If you’re being obvious about what you’re doing, it will break your connection with your audience. Therefore, when you move, make it subtle. I’ve seen some speakers move the entire length of the stage for their timeline. That’s not necessary. A few steps in one direction should suffice when moving to the future or back to the past. The same goes for characters in dialogue. Don’t travel so far between characters. A subtle head turn should suffice to allow us audience members to know which character is talking. Be subtle.

What you just picked up are two important reasons for moving on stage. Now let’s look at one reason for standing still.

When should I stand Still on Stage?

If you’ve studied my materials at all then you know the importance of having a Foundational Phrase to drive your memorable and repeatable message home to your audience. After all, when you get the buzz you get the biz. However, there is also an important delivery tool to use when delivering that phrase.

Normally, when you’re having a conversation with your audience, you scan the room and look individuals in their eyes. However, when you get to your most important phrase (often your Foundational Phrase) it creates quite an impact when you stand  completely still, look directly at one individual in your audience, and hold his/her gaze for your entire Foundational Phrase.

For example, I scan the audience until I get to the phrase where I say, “Your dream is not for sale” and that’s when I look at one person and hold his/her gaze. Then, once I finish the phrase, I go back to scanning the room and moving if appropriate.  In other words, hold their gaze for your entire phrase.

What’s next step you can take to improve your delivery?

To learn more about delivery strategies that deepen the authentic connection you build with your audience, consider viewing my Dynamic Delivery Devices DVD set. FYI – As of this date (8-24-10) I only have 10 left in stock so the first 10 people to invest will have it delivered shortly. Anyone else will have to wait about two weeks.

The quickest way to connect with your audience is to share your failures and flaws. Sometimes sharing your frustrations and firsts also helps.

Why Share Failures?

Lots of people don’t care for motivational speakers because they’re used to hearing the kind that thinks a motivational speech should consist of bragging about their successes and then telling their audience members, “You can do it too!” Well guess what? If you just speak on your successes and not about your failures, your audience members will not believe they too can do it. They’ll simply believe you can do it.

Never come across as Special

The absolute last thing you ever want an audience to think is that you are special. The very first thing you want them to think is that you are similar; similar to them. When they think you are similar, they will automatically realize you must have a special process that helped you succeed. As a result, they will want that same special process and that’s why you will be able to influence them to take the next step towards getting it.  What I am saying is this:

When you lift yourself up, you let your audience down

Those who are driven by their egos when speaking will end up on a dead-end road with little or no audience connection.

Fail First

Since I began to understand that there is power in pain, I started opening my speeches with a story about my own failure. This works well because it’s unexpected to my audience and lets them think, “Hey, I can relate to that.” But here’s what else it does. When I finally share one of my success stories (which you should definitely eventually share in your speech), my audience actually cares! That’s right, when they know you’ve failed, they care when you’ve won. That’s the beauty behind sharing a failure story early in your speech.

My 4 Fs (Failures, Flaws, Frustrations, and Firsts)

Below are some examples of what I have shared over the years and hopefully they can help you search  for situations in your own life that you can dig up, dust off, and share.

• I share my poor SAT score
• I share how I bombed during a high-paid speaking engagement
• I share how I lost a humorous speech contest at the lowest possible level
• I share how I was hurt when my speaking idol ignored me
• I share how I almost let negativity stop me from writing The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking
• I share how I got speech coaching and realized I was not a very good speaker
• I share how I was called Daffy Duck because of the enormous lisp I had as a child
• I share how I expelled a man from the residential Employment Academy program I was directing and he was shot and killed on the streets of Baltimore later that night  
• I share how I had been traveling so much that my 6-year old daughter wrote me a note that said, “You are the best daddy in my whole family.”

Another Great Example of Using Failures to Help Your Audience Succeed

My great friend and fellow World Champion Darren LaCroix literally shows his first time on stage doing comedy. Believe me, when people see that video clip, and then realize he went from that to a World Champion of Public Speaking, it gives them hope. They say to themselves, “Regardless of where I stand today, I can be a speaker too!” Mission accomplished.

 Your Turn

Think about the times you’ve failed, felt flawed, been frustrated, or done something for the first time (that wasn’t anything to write home about), and then be courageous enough to open up and share it.

People will not think less of you. In fact, they will think more of themselves

They’ll believe in their potential. They will also appreciate the process you used to get from where you were to where you are. Just think; your failure can lead to their success. That’s a true connection!

Using two stories back-to-back is often a very effective way to influence your audience, especially if one story represents a “don’t” and the other story represents a “do.” Why? It’s because the contrast in the stories helps to make the “right way” decision clear. In this video, I use two stories back-to-back to make one clear point. Check it out:  

Click here to view the embedded video.

What is, by far, the most profitable skill you can have in public speaking? Survey says, Being able to sell. If you can sell your message, your products, your services, and yourself, you will profit immensely as a speaker.

What you’re about to pick up in this entry is the most important idea there is when it comes to selling anything. Listen to this quick 2-minute audio of me sharing this all-important message at the Grants Managers Network’s Annual Convention, which took place in Baltimore. Click the right arrow in the audio player below.  

Download audio file (ClipforHowToSell.mp3)

Always Sell the Result

You heard the most important idea, which is this: never sell a product, service, or idea; always sell a result.
Let me give you some examples out of my own life. Instead of selling my Storytelling home-study course product, I sell you the result. What’s the result? Something like this:

“You’ll be able to keep every audience you have on the edge of their seats.”

Instead of selling my 52speakingtips.com free site, I sell the result by saying something like this:

Raise your hand if, a year from now, you’d like to be 3 times better than the speaker you are today. Great, go to 52SpeakingTips.com for this free resource… 

See the difference? Whenever you sell a product or a service or an idea, you need not focus on what you’re offering. Instead you need to focus on what your audience will get as a result.

How Selling the Result Changed My Results and Can Change Yours

How important is this process of selling a result? Well, the reason why I won the Mid-Atlantic  Salesperson of the Year for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill three Times and significantly enhanced my own quality of life in the process is all because my awesome boss taught me to sell the result. While my competitors sold textbooks, I sold results. I’d watch their presentations and they’d say things like, “This textbook has a more detailed history of the United States than any of the other books from the other companies.” In other words, they tried to sell the book. But, remember, you should never sell a product, service, or idea; always sell the result. So what would I say in my presentations? Something like this:

Your students will pass the Maryland State Assessments at a much higher rate because the book is totally aligned with the Voluntary State Curriculum. 

I’d also say something like this:

Your teachers can meet the needs of each student with this one program even if the student reads 2-3 grade levels below. In other words, no child will be left behind.

Others sold the books. My boss had me sell the results. Thanks to him, we won time and time again.

Selling Yourself

Obviously in today’s times many people are looking for work. In addition, if you’re a speaker like me, you’re constantly generating new business and this requires being able to sell yourself. So what can you do? It’s the same as the car. Don’t sell yourself, sell the result. For example, don’t tell a prospect, “I have been speaking for 12 years and I have an MBA in Change Management.” Instead, first locate their pain and then say something like the following:

If you want to get your staff fired up to embrace the change that’s coming and be willing to let go of the old ways of doing things, that’s how they will feel after my presentation. 

Get into the habit of never selling a product, service, idea, or yourself; but always selling the result. When you sell the result, you change peoples’ lives; including yours!

Click the arrow in the audio player below to listen to this 1-minute audio of a live Q&A I held in Saudi Arabia that teaches a lesson about how NOT to open your speech.

 Download audio file (604888DZMUEG.mp3)

So How Can You Open The Speech?

Now that you see what not to do during your opening, let’s look at two ways to open your speech with a bang so your audience knows, within the first 7 seconds, that they’re in the right place and they’re glad to be there.

1. Begin with a Powerful Question Specific to that Audience:

For example, if I’m speaking to an audience of small business owners, I can ask, “What do you think is the number one reason most small businesses cannot seem to get more customers?” If you were a small business owner, would you want to know the answer? Great, then you’re hooked with my first sentence.

If I’m speaking to a group of people who are in a self-development organization, I can ask, “What do you think is the number one obstacle standing between most people living their dreams?” I can tell you from their responses that they’re definitely interested in the answer. Therefore, I’ve hooked them with my very first sentence. Whatever you do, make sure you invest lots of time and energy in the way you phrase your question because those first 7 seconds are critical to the success of the rest of your speech.

2. Jump Right Into Your Story

Although opening with a powerful question is highly-effective, another great way to open is with a story. When I say “a story” I don’t mean that you begin with something like the following: “I’d like to tell you a story about a time…” No!  Don’t announce that you’re about to tell a story; just tell it. Jump right into the story from your very first words. For example, oftentimes the very first thing I used to say from the stage (after being introduced and the applause died down) was this:

When I was in prison…visiting, one of the inmates came up to me after my presentation and said…

This works well for two reasons:

First, it’s unexpected because audiences are usually expecting the speaker to say things like, “I’m glad to be here” or “Thanks for the opportunity.” Those are normal statements that make the audience think, “There will be nothing special about this speech.” However, when you jump right into your story, they jump right into your speech.

Next, when I open with the ”When I was in prison” statement above, I get a laugh within the first 5 words. This is critical because, within the first 7 seconds, we start building a bond.

This is also the reason I usually start my speeches today by diving directly into a letter my 6-year old daughter wrote me, which is not a full-blown story but serves as a connection piece nonetheless. I start off like this:

I’ve been on the road quite a bit recently and my 6-year-old daughter wrote me a note. She wrote, ‘Dear Daddy, I miss you. You are the best daddy in…my whole family.’ I gotta be honest, up until I received that note I thought I was the ONLY daddy in the family. Maybe I should stay off the road and make sure no more daddies are coming through my family.

The way that’s delivered helps me immediately bond with my audience with three strong laughs and a sign to the audience that says, “This is going to be interesting and maybe even fun!” Jumping directly into your story from the very first word is a brilliant way to start.

What about doing an activity?

In the past I used to begin some of my speeches with an activity but here’s why that’s not usually such a great idea. Ready?

You have to earn the right to make your audience do something.

What if someone you don’t know came up to you and said, “Put your arm out to your side and repeat after me.” You’d probably say, “How about you put your hand up to your face and cover your mouth.” In other words, “Stop talking to me.” This is because you have no bond. However, if a friend asked you to do it, you’d trust him enough to at least see what he was up to and what point he was making.

Well, it’s the same with your audience. You need to build a bond before you ask them to get up and do some kind of activity. That’s why I now usually put my first activity after my opening laughs and after my first major story, which also builds an emotional bond with my audience. At that time, they know, like, and trust me a little bit more, which makes it a perfect time to do an activity.

There is at least one exception.

As always you should look to understand the culture within your audience and the speaking engagement itself. If they’ve been doing activities all day long, it seems to be part of their culture, and the energy is still high when you get up to speak, then opening with an activity might be effective and even expected. You’ll have to figure out the culture and then fit into it.

However, the two best ways to open for most speeches are with a powerful question or by going directly into your story. Don’t collect $200. Don’t pass Go. Just head directly into your story and watch as your audience leans forward in anticipation of your message.

And whatever you do, please remember that after you begin your speech is not the time to do a sound check!

The following is an excerpt from The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking book, which I wrote in 2005. It includes a 4-step formula you can use to make your messages stick and shine. I used this formula for several years and many of my students still use it with great success. 

State – Illustrate – Apply – Sell – Restate

State
First, I usually state the point I am going to make. However, sometimes I hide the point in the middle or the end of the story to keep my audience curious. Don’t worry, because  as long as you firmly establish the conflict (click here for more on this) in your story, your audience will stay with you. 

Illustrate
Then I illustrate the point through a story or through some kind of quick example. Some humorous situations, activities, and visuals can help illustrate the points as well.

Apply
Next I apply the point to the audience. In other words, I get them to see what this point has to do with them. This is the step most speakers neglect. You need to find ways to make your audience feel that they can use your message for their lives. They did not come to hear your verbal autobiography. They came to get lessons for their own lives.

Sell
Then I sell the point using the push (what happens when they don’t adhere to your point), pull (what happens when they do adhere to your point), and passion and by thoroughly understanding and expressing what benefits or results they can receive.

Restate
Finally, I restate the point to drive it home and provide completeness to it. I may restate it using different words throughout the story but then I always eventually come back to repeating the actual Foundational Phrase I want my audience to remember. 
From the Theoretical to the Practical
Depending on the type of speech it is and how much time I am given, I may or may not follow the sell section by giving a technique or strategy. Usually I do, because I believe that people will stay motivated if they have tangible things to do. You can have a longer-lasting effect on your audience if you provide techniques to go along with your theories. We should go from the theoretical to the practical and from the general to the specific. For example, after going through the story, the push and pull, and the benefits of using your imagination, I may say something like the following:

One way to sharpen your imagination is to write down your perfect day. Write it out in as much detail as possible. I did this several years ago and everything I wrote down is coming to pass. I said I wanted to be a full-time professional speaker; now I am a full-time professional speaker. I said I wanted to own my own business; now I own my own business. I said I wanted a white Mercedes Benz convertible; now I have a white… Honda Accord! I’m getting there!

This helps sell my audience on the technique of writing down their perfect day and it gives them something to do long after I have left the speaking platform. Give them something specific to do and watch as organizations remember you and keep bringing you back time and time again.

Obviously content and structure are important for uncovering humor. However, so is delivery. Here are 2 delivery tools you can use to make your speeches more humorous.

Humorous Delivery Tool #1: The Look before the Line

As you probably know, you should never add humor to a speech, you should uncover humor within it. It’s already there. Where? It’s in your story. More specifically it’s in your characters’ dialogue with each other. However, here’s what can turn a chuckle into a full-blown laugh.

Many speakers spend so much time trying to create humorous content when, in reality, a change in delivery can make their already-existing content funny. Here’s an example of The Look before the Line.

I have a story where I go to a KFC drive-through and place an order. I say the following:

I drove up to the intercom and the lady said, “Welcome to KFC, may I help you?” I said, “Yes, I would like to order three thighs.” She said, “Small or large?” Right here is where I pause and look confused. Why? Think about it. If she said this to you, what would you be thinking? Well, whatever you are thinking, show it before you say it.

In this case, I was thinking, “What? Is there a difference in the sizes of chicken thighs?” The look I show on my face is what creates the humor at this point. Then, after I give the look, I say the following: And before I could even comprehend what she said I unfortunately blurted out, “Do you have large thighs?” Now, once I say this line and realize how crude of a question that can be, what do you think I was thinking? “Uh oh” is right! However, instead of saying “Uh oh,” I show it with my face. So it’s the look before the line and the look after the line that makes the line more humorous.

Unfortunately far too often speakers just give the lines. They give one line of dialogue and then the other character responds with another line of dialogue. The secret to the effectiveness of the dialogue is the look between those lines.

The Key to tool #1

The key to tool #1 is to always ask yourself, “What am I thinking or feeling after that line of dialogue?” Then, once you know the answer, show it on your face before you say it from your lips. And, if you are truly under the influence of your character’s emotions, the look should automatically come.

Humorous Delivery Tool #2: Stop on a Dime

So much is said during a speech and it’s easy for the audience to tune some of it out. However, delivery gives us a way to make sure some of our content jumps out to be remembered. This tool helps add to the twist we make in some of our content. For example, I used to say the following in my speeches:

Write down your perfect day. Everything I wrote down years ago has come to pass. I said I wanted to be a professional speaker; I’m a professional speaker. I said I wanted to own my own business; I own my own business. I said I wanted a white Mercedes Benz Convertible; I have a white Honda Accord…I’m getting there!”

In the past, the content itself carried the laugh. However, overtime I realized a delivery tool that can help. Anytime you have a twist in your content, you can use this tool. As I go through all the things I wrote down in my perfect day, I walk continously in one direction. Then, when I get to the twist in the content (i.e. White Honda Accord), I physically stop and look back in the direction from whence I just came. The physical stop along with the twist in content makes the twist more dramatic and more humorous. What was the result? The laughs got louder.

This Stop on a Dime tool works great with drama as well as humor. For example, I have a story where I go to visit a bookstore to try to find a lady who encouraged me many years beforehand. I say the following:

I walked out of my car just as I did years ago, walked up to the…

It’s at that moment that I stop on a dime. Guess what my audience knows based on that delivery move? They know that the bookstore is gone. In fact, I can literally hear them say it as soon as I stop. It’s not the content that tells them, it’s the delivery. The Stop on a Dime tool is awesome for making the humorous more funny and the dramatic more heartfelt. Use it.

The Key to Using the Stop on a Dime Tool

Figure out what content you have that gives any kind of twist. Then, when you get to the twist part, physically stop as you give your twist line.

These tools will help you uncover the humor in your speeches.

I’ve always prided myself in being a content-rich speaker so imagine my surprise when I had the following conversation after a speech. A couple ladies cornered me and said, “You had a lot of content in your speech.” I said, “Thank you.” Then they said, “We mean you had too much content.” At first I thought, “Too much content? I’ve spent all this time striving to be a content-rich speaker and now they’re telling me I have too much content?” Guess what? They were right.

The problem with having too much content is just what one of the ladies told me. She said, “As soon as I’d begin writing something down, you’d say something else worth remembering and I wouldn’t catch it. Because you shared so many points, I’m afraid I won’t recall any of them.”

Here’s the problem many speakers will face if they are not careful

When we start to know more and more about our topic, inevitably that “more” ends up finding its way into our speech. What’s important to realize about speaking is that oftentimes less is more. Just because you know more doesn’t mean you have to show more within that speech.

Here are two great solutions to keep your audience from feeling lost or overwhelmed

1. Tighten up your structure by calling back to each major point before you move onto the next point. For example, if my point is on Facing Reality, once I make the point I can transition by saying, “So you face reality with whatever measurement scale you use because, remember, you master what you measure. Once you face reality, the next step is to…” Then, every time I finish my other points, I make sure to call back to every single one of the points I already covered. For my four Rs, I’ll call back to Facing reality, Relinquishing what’s in the way, Relying on the people and processes, and Reforming to a better way. Regularly calling back like this makes your message very clear and keeps your audience members from getting lost.
2. Use my 10 to 1 Rule of Thumb. Part of my mistake was that I tried to fit too many points into too little time. Now I use my 10 to 1 Rule of Thumb. For every 10 minutes I speak, I feel I can make an average of one point that I can illustrate effectively and make palatable for my audience. Therefore, if I’m asked to speak for 45 minutes, I’ll do my 4 Rs to Remarkable Results speech. If I’m asked to speak for 30 minutes, I’ll do my 3 Rs to Remarkable Results. The key is to heed the old speaker proverb that, “When you squeeze your information in, you squeeze your audience out.” By using a similar formula to my 10 to 1, you’ll move towards much greater clarity and your message will be easily digested.

So What Can We Learn  from This?

Being content-rich should not include filling your audience up with content until they overflow. Instead, it should be about giving them a few solid, memorable, and actionable ideas that they can use to improve their situation. Indeed less is more. I’ll leave it at that.