Deliver Unforgettable Presentations

Patricia Fripp is a professional speaker and speech writer. She has delivered more than 3,500 presentations, and is the founder of an online learning platform for speakers and companies. She is the author or co-author of six books on professional presentation skills. She is also a co-host of the weekly Unforgettable Presentations podcast.

Darren Lacroix beat 25,000 contestants from fourteen countries to become the World Champion of Public Speaking in 2001. Since that time, he has delivered keynotes in every state in the United States and forty-five international cities.

Mark Brown is a Certified Speaking Professional who has delivered more than 3,000 presentations to over 1.7 million people on five continents. He is co-author of The Speaker's Edge and co-host of the Unforgettable Presentations podcast.

Even in the digital age of business — no, make that especially in the digital age of business — the number-one skill for getting ahead is to have the ability to stand up and speak eloquently in public. If you can speak clearly, concisely, and in an engaging way, you'll get more buy-in for your ideas, and become unforgettable.

The template for delivering an unforgettable presentation is:

1. Step #1 — Find great content. Your best content for an unforgettable presentation will usually come from your life and career experiences. Look for great content in your life lessons, especially your failures.

2. Step #2 — Simplify with Clarity. Clarify the intent and purpose of your message, and then based on that what do you want people to know, feel, and do? Keep your message simple, direct, and crystal clear.

3. Step #3 — Use great structure. Structure is the skeleton beneath your words. A great presentation template to use is the Fripp Presentation Model. It allows you to communicate your message with authority.

4. Step #4 — Give a strong opening. Always begin with a strong opening which arouses interest. Do something or say something which gets the audience's attention immediately. Get to the point quickly.

5. Step #5 — Compelling close. Close in a compelling way by connecting to your premise, and by inspiring action. Make your close the highlight of your speech, and let your words linger in their minds.

6. Step #6 — Make it unforgettable. The surefire way to be unforgettable is to tell stories which elicit emotions. Develop and use great stories. This will always be a point of differentiation and distinction.

7. Step #7 — Own the stage. Prepare like a pro for presentation primetime. Add visual aids, rehearse, but above all find ways to connect with your audience. Authenticity and serving the audience work best.

1. Speaking to be remembered is the number-one skill for getting ahead in the digital age. Practice until you give unforgettable presentations.
2. The better you become at making presentations, the more buy-in you will get. Learn how to speak and prosper.

"Yes, being unforgettable takes time and effort, but when you deliver unforgettable presentations, you become the presenter everyone loves. This gives you an unfair advantage in your career and opens the doors to more opportunities for you and your company. This goes beyond a single presentation on a single day; it becomes a multiplier." -– Patricia Fripp

Awesome book this week. Professional speakers Patricia Fripp, Darren Lacroix, and Mark Brown team up to provide a great template for how to deliver unforgettable presentations. I really liked their 7-step structured approach. I also agreed with their suggestion that in the digital age, being able to stand and speak eloquently is a skill that will help you get ahead. If you follow their template, you will speak cleanly, concisely, and persuasively.

The authors also made another point that makes a lot of sense: "Presentation preparation is the difference between good, great, and unforgettable. Yes, being unforgettable takes time and effort, but when you deliver unforgettable presentations, you become the presenter everyone loves. This gives you an unfair advantage in your career and opens the doors to more opportunities for you and your company. This goes beyond a single presentation on a single day; it becomes a multiplier."

DELIVER UNFORGETTABLE PRESENTATIONS is very hands-on, and filled with practical presentations tips and more. Warren Buffett has always said attending a Toastmaster's course and being able to express his ideas in public has been invaluable during his career. I tend to agree. This book provides the perfect template for speaking persuasively. It's a great skill to have.