When You Open Your Presentation This Way It Is a Certain Crowd Pleaser

Do you want your audience to lean in from your very first sentence?

One technique that works with many presentations is to begin with a surprising statistic or a little-known fact that makes your audience think, “Really? Tell me more.”

Many of my speech coaching clients are leaders, engineers, and technical experts. Buried deep in the body of their presentations are fascinating statistics or insights that could instantly capture attention.

My first suggestion: “Your comments would be more dramatic, memorable, and attention-getting if they were moved to the beginning. Before the ‘Welcome to…’ or ‘I am …’ or ‘Thank you for …’

My second suggestion:
“Add an emotion to your statistics or insights to bring your audience into your presentation from your first remarks.”

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Memories of a Motivational Speaker

Perhaps you can relate?

After forty years in the same home, I finally decided it was time to tackle my office.

Yes… the drawers, the boxes, the files I promised myself I would “get to one day.” That day has arrived, and with it comes a mixture of nostalgia, discovery, and a surprising sense of renewal.

My speaking career spans even more years than my address.

Tucked away in one filing cabinet is a treasure trove of letters from clients. Thank-you notes from keynote speeches, enthusiastic follow-ups from sales training, and heartfelt messages from executives I coached. Some I remember vividly. Others… well, let’s say it has been a delightful reminder of how busy those decades were.

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No Overnight Success—A Reminder for Us All

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking for the Florida Speakers Association.

What a treat to discover their meeting was held at the fabulous Fort Lauderdale Improv! The venue itself inspired me to share one of my favorite stories and offer a suggestion every speaker can use.

For those unfamiliar, Budd Friedman was the founder of the original Improv Comedy Club in New York.

Opened in 1963, it became a legendary stage for stand-up comedy, which helped to launch the careers of Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Jay Leno, Bette Midler, and many others.

In the early 1990s, Budd spoke for the Learning Annex in San Francisco. I was thrilled to hear him and, as usual, sat in the front row. My advice to the Florida speakers—and to any professional—is this: when you hear someone famous speak, ask them an interesting question.

That’s precisely what I did. I asked, “Mr Friedman, is there such a thing as natural talent?”

He smiled and replied, “Yes. However, there is no overnight success. Jay Leno had natural talent, and it still took him 15 years to become established.”

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Where Words Come to Life

Last week, I attended the Professional Speechwriters Association World Conference. What truly made it unforgettable was the setting: Planet Word in Washington, D.C.

If you’ve never been, Planet Word isn’t just a museum—it’s an experience. It’s a living, breathing celebration of words, ideas, and human connection. From the moment you step through its doors, you can feel the energy of creativity in the air. Every exhibit invites you to play with language—to speak, listen, and rediscover the joy of communication.

Housed in the beautifully restored Franklin School, a National Historic Landmark, Planet Word blends 19th-century grandeur with cutting-edge interactive design. It’s a place where architecture meets imagination, where technology and history work together to tell the story of how language shapes our world.

For a gathering of professional communicators, it couldn’t have been more fitting. We were surrounded by inspiration. The walls spoke—sometimes literally, and reminded us that every great message begins with curiosity, courage, and craft.

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Want to Know Why Your Weak Words Are Taking Away Your Power?

My speech coaching clients frequently hear me say, “Are you going to do it, or kind of do it? Remember, you do not ‘kind of’ or ‘sort of’ do anything.”

Even seasoned executives who should know better use these weak words and phrases. Often, they’re trying to sound modest or approachable. Unfortunately, what actually happens is the opposite—they lose power, clarity, and credibility in both conversations and presentations.

What Are Speech Qualifiers?

Speech qualifiers are words and phrases that soften or weaken what we say. You know them well: “kind of,” “sort of,” “maybe,” “probably,” “just,” “a little bit,” “try,” and “I think.”

They might sound harmless, even polite. However, in leadership and sales, these words quietly erode your authority and undermine your message.

1. They Undermine Your Credibility

When you say, “I kind of think we should move forward,” you may believe you’re being cautious. What your listeners hear is uncertainty. Leaders are expected to be clear, confident, and decisive.

In Deliver Unforgettable Presentations, I remind professionals that every time they speak, they are either enhancing or lowering their reputation. Qualifiers suggest you don’t fully believe in your own message—and that perception is costly.

Think about the leaders who inspire you most. They don’t hedge their ideas. They speak with clarity and purpose. Confidence builds trust; uncertainty erodes it.

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 The Secret of How To Get Remembered, Rebooked and Recommended

If you’ve ever watched a presenter who seems to be speaking directly to you—as if they somehow knew your challenges and goals—you’ve experienced the magic of customization.

That isn’t luck; it’s strategy.

In Deliver Unforgettable Presentations, my co-authors Darren LaCroix, Mark Brown, and I emphasize that when you customize your presentation, it is one of the surest ways to be remembered, recommended, and rebooked. When your audience feels that your message is tailor-made for them, they engage more deeply, recall your ideas more clearly, and are far more likely to act on what you say.

So how do you do it?

  1. Start with your audience, not your slides.

Before you craft a single sentence, ask yourself:

  • Who is my audience?
  • What do they care about most right now?
  • What keeps them up at night?

In Deliver Unforgettable Presentations, we write that “anyone can stand up and deliver a presentation, but not everyone connects.” Connection begins with understanding your listeners’ priorities and language. Customize your stories, data, and examples to reflect their industry, their challenges, and their success metrics.

  1. Build your structure around what matters most to them.
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The Phrase That Pays: How to Be Remembered and Repeated

Every day, we are bombarded with more information than we can remember.

Whatever your role—executive, manager, salesperson, or team leader—you want your message to be remembered and repeated.

When your words travel beyond the room, you are speaking not only to your audience but to the audience of your audience. That’s how ideas grow, reputations spread, and influence multiplies.

Why Being Remembered Matters

In every form of communication—selling, managing, inspiring, training, or leading—the ultimate goal is the same: to make your message stick. Before your audience, colleagues, or customers leave the room, you want them to recall your words clearly and share them confidently.

That is the mark of a world-class communicator.

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Executive Presence: What It Really Means and How to Strengthen Yours

The phrase executive presence first appeared in leadership circles in the late 20th century.

It quickly became a buzzword in boardrooms, performance reviews, and coaching sessions. Yet for all the talk, it remained elusive. Many ambitious professionals were told, “You need more executive presence”, but few could explain what that meant or how to achieve it.

Executive presence is not a single trait you’re born with. It’s a set of behaviors, skills, and habits that signal credibility, confidence, and influence. It’s the ability to inspire trust in your leadership, even under pressure. And while everyone wants it, too few understand how to build it.

After decades of coaching leaders, CEOs, and professionals worldwide, I’ve distilled executive presence into practical insights. Below are 20 ways you can strengthen yours—immediately and over time.

  1. The 60-Second Rule

Most executives lose their audience in the first 90 seconds. Don’t start with small talk. Begin with a bold statement that makes people lean in.

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A New Market for Me – Who Knew?

For years, I have tracked who followed me on YouTube.

The numbers were consistent: 99% were men, and the largest group was ages 55–64.

Then I checked my stats for the last 28 days. Imagine my surprise—today, 75% of my viewers are 25–34, 25% are 55–64, and 58% are women. Quite a shift!

Even more surprising?

In the past week, two new executive speech coaching clients reached out. Both are 25-year-old, ambitious young men. One said, “Three years ago, I graduated from High Point University, and Steve Spangler recommended you.” I first met HPU’s remarkable president, Nido Qubein, at my very first NSA convention in 1977. Steve Spangler, a science rock star, is also my colleague in Speakers Roundtable, as is Dr. Qubein.

The other said, “My father recommended you.”

He never forgot how helpful you were to him 20 years ago!” And just this morning, I received an email: “I am writing to you on behalf of my son. Will you help him?” Who knew a whole new market was waiting for me?

My colleague Dylan Tweney from the Professional Speechwriters Association wrote about his experience at the most recent Renaissance Weekend.

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What Hollywood Teaches Us: 7 Ways to Become a Speaking Star

To become a better speaker, consider going to the movies.Learn from Hollywood

That is the premise of my popular presentation, How to Add Hollywood to Your Presentations. Think about it. If you had unlimited resources to design the keynote that would make you the most in-demand professional in your industry, where would you go for the best writers, directors, and production talent?

Hollywood.

In Hollywood, hundreds of creative professionals collaborate to produce one unforgettable movie. Most of us cannot hire that dream team; however, we can borrow their techniques. Here are seven proven Hollywood strategies you can use to make your presentations more compelling, more memorable, and more persuasive.

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