We all fear that moment. You look out on a sea of faces and your mind goes blank. You can't remember your next point and you wish you could disappear with your memory.
You can avoid blanking out when you know how to maximize your mind.
These tips will help you achieve total recall of your talk:
1. Rehearse out loud. You'll remember more when you hear your own voice. Tape it and play it back. Listen to it in the car or as you fall asleep.
2. Practice the 3x5, 3x5 Rule. Avoid one lengthy rehearsal. Instead, take short chunks and practice them 3 to 5 times a day for 3 to 5 days. Frequency of repetition aids memory.
3. Create key words and phrases. The idea is to memorize concepts-not words. The more verbiage, the more difficult to remember. Bullet points allow you to talk about your points and not read your slides.
4. Exaggerate the visual. For each concept or bullet, take the key word and turn it upside down, enlarge it, color code it, change the font. Exaggeration makes the concept more memorable and aids retention. (Of course, this is done during rehearsal and not for the eyes of the audience.)
5. Use pictures. The mind thinks in pictures-not in words. Use icons, graphics, and symbols as prompts and you'll be amazed at how easily you remember your content.
6. Tell your story. People learn better and retain more when you tell stories. A situation that you experienced has a natural sequence to help you recall events. Stories don't have to be touchy feely. Reveal an interesting experience as a case study or tell a before and after success scenario.
7. Engage other senses. This is called synesthesia.. Your recall increases as you intensity your experience. For example, if you're talking about a financial downturn in the market, imagine hearing a warning siren or feel what it's like to be in a torrential downpour.
8. Associate. Take your concepts and create an acronym. To recall the process of managing question and answer periods I use the word CRAM-concentrate, repeat, answer, move on. Comedians use this technique. They assign each story or "bit" with a key word. They take the first letter of the key word from each story and form an acronym. This keeps them on track and they can easily access the segments in correct sequence for a one hour monologue without notes!
9. Make complex data concrete. Use analogies and demonstrations to make the data come alive.Tthe audience will understand it better and you will recall it more easily.
10. Get physical. By acting out parts of the presentation you maximize your memory. Walk to one side of the room. when you are talking about past history. Then move the opposite side when you're making future projections. You'll trigger your memory when you physically change your position. And the audience will be anchored to hear your message.
11. Recover with grace. If you do forget, pause and give yourself time to remember. Or use humor. But have a fall back exercise. Ask the audience to repeat your last three points. Put them in pairs and have them talk to their partner for one minute about an important point. This give you time to recall and recover.
When it comes to remembering your speech, you can blank out and say Hasta La Vista, Baby, or like Arnold Scwartzenegger, you can achieve Total Recall.
Copyright Diane DiResta 2005. All rights reserved.
Diane DiResta, President of DiResta Communications, Inc. is an International speaker, training coach, and author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz. To subscribe to Impact Player, a free online newsletter visit http://www.diresta.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
If you are taking your newest products to a trade... Read More
At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed... Read More
"Let it be known, no person, thing, or situation... Read More
What is stage presence? Can it be learned?There are, undoubtedly,... Read More
8 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills 1. Join Toastmasters.... Read More
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one... Read More
Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More
Once upon a time????."Yeah right, don't tell us a story,... Read More
You don't have to be on a stage to be... Read More
Communicating Bad News The Right WayIt's the rare executive who... Read More
WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of... Read More
Interview with Julia Apple-Smith, Manager of Employee Development at Sauer-Danfoss... Read More
The social skills of a small businessperson, franchisee, independent contractor... Read More
Kvetching is the Yiddish word for complaining, hand to the... Read More
So you're going to have a booth at a trade... Read More
Although there are any number of different networking groups and... Read More
It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors... Read More
Since the events of September 11th and the economy slipping... Read More
Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for... Read More
KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More
A major cause of trainers being unreceptive to their audience... Read More
The most important tip...EVER!Make sure that you always think of... Read More
Have you ever been slideswiped? You walk into a meeting... Read More
I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More
LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT: Lesson plans, believe it or not, are... Read More
Whether you use a mouse or a remote control to... Read More
There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there... Read More
The most critical job of a manager, when you boil... Read More
I am of the belief that the majority of people... Read More
Remember back when the ability to create a slide show... Read More
You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you... Read More
Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a... Read More
DEVELOPING LESSON PLANS: In developing lesson plan formats, two things... Read More
Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a... Read More
Usually the emphasis on making an effective speech is what... Read More
Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning... Read More
Tomorrow's the day and you're dreading it. You're scheduled to... Read More
According to the Lamalle Report on Top Executives of the... Read More
Imagine you are the most amazing figure skater who ever... Read More
No matter what your business is, you will enhance your... Read More
People remember best what you say last. In a presentation,... Read More
If you are taking your newest products to a trade... Read More
Although there are any number of different networking groups and... Read More
Eye contact is mandatory when giving a public presentation.The goal... Read More
Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More
Regardless, if your goal is to make a sale or... Read More
Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More
Delivering humorous speeches involves a lot more than simply having... Read More
For communication to take place, a message must be transmitted... Read More
Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for... Read More
Did the "Painless" part of the title get your attention?Speaking... Read More
Super Preparation ?Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every... Read More
When its time to give your next sales presentation, here... Read More
If you're ready to kick your career or business up... Read More
I just got back from my whirlwind speaking engagements and... Read More
There are five key elements that can make... Read More
1. Play "find the meeting" by changing the location and... Read More
A client recently called to say she was going to... Read More
The social skills of a small businessperson, franchisee, independent contractor... Read More
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one... Read More
Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be... Read More
"I'm not an expert on this topic, but . .... Read More
Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More
"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be... Read More
Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you... Read More
"Let it be known, no person, thing, or situation... Read More
Presentation |