1. Be different. Memorable speakers do not attempt to be one of the crowd. Memorable speakers set themselves apart – they stand out. They stand out with something they do or say, the way they present themselves or their material. One technique I use in my speeches is magic. A simple magic trick can easily drive home a point you want your audience to remember. Memorable speakers do not just stand in front of the audience and talk.



2. Remain positive. Regardless of the topic, memorable speakers remain positive. Memorable speakers consistently try to communicate a message of what TO do rather than what NOT to do. To be a memorable speaker spend more time in your speech giving your audience tips and techniques to help them get out of their rut or fix their problem rather than spend a lot of time telling them how they got into the situation. You can use the downside as a tool or a speaking point but focus the majority of your attention on the upside.

3. Be confident. As an experienced speaker I can tell you that it does take confidence to just make my to the podium, stage or microphone and start speaking. I have seen far too many less than memorable speakers slowly make their way to the stage and begin speaking like a shy little school child. Be confident in your speaking abilities. The best way to build that confidence is to practice, practice, and practice. Follow the practice process I laid out in my article The practice process. Finally, give speeches, long or short, at every opportunity, nothing beats experience to boost your confidence.

4. Use humor. Memorable speakers know how to tickle the funny bone of their audience, and they are not afraid to do so. More importantly then know not just how but when and where to use (or not to use) that humor. I have a number to humor tips in my articles “Speaking with Humor” and “Boom! Goes the joke bomb!”

5. Call to action. Memorable speakers always give their audience a call to action. Now matter what the topic of the speech, a memorable speaker will give their audience the know-how then call them to action against that knowledge. Challenge your audience to go out and improve their business, life, and health with the material you share every time you close your speech.

6. Engage the audience. The average person's mind will be able to process far more bits of information that you can utter even on your faster day. Therefore, if you do not engage the audience through questions, activities, or thought provoking stories and examples, you will loose them. Do not let your audience think about anything else except the material you are trying to impart upon them. Get them to participate in your material. Talk with them rather than just talk to them.

7. Be yourself! Do not try and imitate those great speakers you watch. Watch them for tips and techniques. Watch them to see what works and what does not work. However, when you develop your own material, make it your own. When you get on stage, present your own material in your own way. With YOUR style. Your audience came to see you, not Zig, or Brian or Anthony or someone else; they want to hear YOU. Be yourself and you will be far more memorable a speaker.

Think Successfully & Take Action.

Tracy