Episodes
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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
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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
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Missing episodes?
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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_
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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
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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 hereSNIPPETS:
• 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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We ALL speak with an accent, and at times it’s easy to believe that we must ‘lose’ our accent to be accepted. Today, Mark and Darren have a frank conversation with speech and accent expert Dr. Leslie Gordon, as she gives advice on using your accent as an asset.
SNIPPETS:
• Honor the skill of owning more than one sound
• Treat the world as a playground for your eyes and ears
• The way we speak creates a picture of who we are
• Your accent is a tool in your toolkit
• Your accent can create a connection
• Your accent is a layer of your story
• We all have more than one accent
• Focus on being understood and prioritize clarity
• Language can be a social and political tool, causing some to feel ‘othered’
• Move away from self-judgment
• Code-Switching requires great skill and is governed by rules
• Don’t think ‘accent reduction;’ think ‘accent acquisition’
• Your accent can feel like home
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Script writing takes work and the practical, time-saving methods that Darren and Mark discuss today will make the process easier. Listen as they examine how to create your first script, edit with impact, and use your script as a presentation roadmap.
SNIPPETS:
• You can’t edit what you don’t create
• In Microsoft Word use DICTATE to generate a transcript
• Create your ‘sloppy first copy’
• Separate each line of your script
• Add LINE NUMBERS in Google Docs, MS Word, etc.
• Add WORD COUNT
• Insert PAGE NUMBERS
• Insert LINE NUMBERS
• Customize with pause cues, timing cues, emotion cues, and stage direction
• Color code notes as you wish
• Say it better with fewer words
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Quotations from famous speakers, authors, and celebrities can be very appealing and can support your message. The same can be said of oft-quoted statistics. Today Mark and Darren discuss the importance of accuracy when using quotes and statistics, share a few examples, and provide simple yet effective advice for ‘getting it right.’
SNIPPETS:
• Do due diligence
• Your reputation and credibility are at stake
• Verification sources abound…web searches, AI, etc. Use them
• “Stop quoting dead white men!” – Patricia Fripp
• Create your own quotes
• Quote the people who have influenced you…teachers, friends, family
• Your audience needs your perspective
• Verify EVERY quotation for accuracy
• Double check the context of every quote and statistic
• Name the source of each quote and statistic
• Your accuracy…and inaccuracy has a global reach
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Sometimes, even after your best pitch, the answer is “No.” But that need not be the end of the relationship. Darren and Mark offer some sage wisdom about taking advantage of every ‘no,’ and sometimes turning a “no” into “yes.”
SNIPPETS:
• No can mean several things
• “Not yet, not the right time, not the best fit”
• Be remembered
• Have CONTENT and INTENT
• Don’t take “no” personally
• Build relationships, regardless of the outcome
• Play the long game
• Record and replay each sales call to learn from every “no”
• Be a referral resource when you get a “no”
• Be a favorite
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