Know what to say when you need to change minds and influence decisions. Weekly briefing with unique insights from 20 years of working behind the scenes with leaders on their most important talks and presentations.
What makes a talk memorable
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THIS MOMENT COUNTS · 24 How can you make your talk memorable? Well, easy. Say something worth remembering. I’m serious. You find so much stuff about the things speakers should do to their talk to make it stick … Tell stories. Be authentic. Simplify your content. Use inspirational language. Make nicer slides. Do this with your body. Do that with your voice. And sure, all of that can help. But none of it fixes the basic problem. You can simplify something that was never worth remembering. I think we dramatically overestimate the importance of presentation technique and underestimate the importance of having something to say. → Something that makes me stop. → Something that explains a problem I could never quite put into words. → Something that connects two things I had never connected. → Something that makes me think, “Oh. That changes things.” That’s what we remember. And suddenly, a lot of the usual advice becomes secondary. The primary question is: Of all the things you could say, what’s the point worth making. If you find just one, that’s more than most presentations ever have. And then, yes, make it clear. Make it easy to grasp. Give me the example that makes it click. Repeat it if you need to. Tell a story. Pause. But never confuse the packaging with the thing itself. Even if it works, what use is it if people remember the talk, but not the point? A memorable talk leaves me with something I don’t wanna lose. Something I can’t stop thinking about. Something I must tell everyone about. Something that helps me in a meeting three weeks later, because I see the situation differently now. That’s the measuring stick. Not: “Was the talk impressive?” If you have that, you don’t need to manufacture memorability. You only need to make sure I see it. Keep lighting the path, Happening tomorrow: Before You Take the StageIf you want my help figuring out what’s worth saying in your next talk, join me for an exclusive live session on Oct 1st. It’s going to be a hot-seat format and it’s the only way to get direct feedback from me outside a private Talk Lab. Bring your most pressing questions about making your talk work and we’ll address them. If you'd rather just watch and learn, that’s fine, too. It’s free to attend. Hot-seat spots are limited and require a short questionnaire, which you can fill out after signing up (to ensure an efficient session and effective feedback). I’ll select them based on where I believe I can help the most, both the speaker and everyone watching. Expect 10-15 minutes per seat. If there’s no time for your question, I will reply with my thoughts via email. Hope to see you there: michaelgerharz.com/live Keep lighting the path, PS: If you’d rather have private help, consider a 1:1 Talk Lab. |
This Moment Counts
Know what to say when you need to change minds and influence decisions. Weekly briefing with unique insights from 20 years of working behind the scenes with leaders on their most important talks and presentations.
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · 30 Have you ever watched a movie with someone who absolutely loves it? Every few minutes, they lean over.“Watch this.”“Did you notice that?”“This next scene is brilliant.” They want you to see what they see. To appreciate all the little details that make the movie so good. And at first, you do. But then you don’t laugh at their favorite joke. So they explain why it’s funny. You aren’t particularly moved by a scene they love. So they explain why it’s brilliant. And...
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 26 “How do I get them to say yes?” is probably the question I hear most often before a big decision meeting. And it’s a fair one. You’ve done the work, you believe in the proposal, and so much depends on what the people in that meeting will decide. But I’d like to suggest a slightly different question. It sounds almost the same, yet it changes how you prepare, what ends up on your slides, and how you respond when someone pushes back. This Backstage Report is...
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · 29 One of the nicest things about introducing two people is when you get two thank you notes afterwards. Both are grateful you put them in touch. Both feel the new connection was very valuable for them, perhaps even something they’d been looking for for a long time. I’ve often thought that the best business deals have a similar quality. Both sides feel lucky. Both think they’ve got the better end of the deal, perhaps something that closes a gap for them. For example, you...