Ep. 274 TOO MUCH CONTENT?

Can you ‘up your game’ in 2025 make it your best year yet? Darren and Mark offer solid suggestions for upgrading your program, your presentation, and your presence in the marketplace. Applying these principles and practices will put you firmly on the path to being unforgettable...and making this YOUR BEST YEAR YET!   SNIPPETS: • It’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY   • Assess your presentation and your business with the goal to improve   • Consider upgrading your speech title   • Revisit your content (open/close, structure, humor, delivery, stories)   • Review your video/audio recordings; what can you enhance?   • Upgrade your introduction, perhaps start using a video   • Rebrand if necessary   • Start or re-launch a newsletter   • Be intentional about social media presence; pick a platform                                             • Attend GAME CHANGERS conference at Stage Time University   • Collaborate with others   • Collaborate with a Mastermind, get a coach, attend industry conferences  

What does it take to deliver an extremely sensitive and emotional story, and why would you do it in the first place?   Darren and Mark get answers from ‘serial entrepreneur’ CEO Smoke Wallin as he explains why he shared his sensitive story to 2,000 CEOs. His answers will provide guidance and wisdom for anyone who is ready to tell their unforgettable sensitive story.   SNIPPETS: • Share your story to help others   • Think it through and compose your talk with sensitivity to your audience   • Don’t shock your audience   • Be very clear on your purpose and intent   • Only share after you feel called to share    • Share when you are ready   • Telling your story can unlock the container that chains your life   • Define and refine the message   • Your story is a gift; give it freely   • Share for the right reasons                                             • Decouple your identity enough to have detachment from the pain   Check out his speech: https://youtu.be/jhz3q-baDuA?si=jiC8EmokkTJY2X_U

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