Bullets Are For the Enemy...
Don’t Make the Audience the Enemy!

Hello Reader,

Here is what I mean...

Notice what happens when you are presenting, and you put a bunch of BULLET POINTS on a slide:

They read.

You talk.

And then we wonder why it seems like they “never heard a word I said!”

It’s not a character flaw in your audience. It's not even your message. It’s just how brains work: We cannot read that and listen to you at the same time - reading and listening use the same language system and don't share well.

The fix (steal this): Use the Notes + Image swap.

1. Take everything you want to say (all the bullets, the nuance, the proof) and put it in the Notes field at the bottom of the slide.
2. On the slide itself, show one beautiful visual... something emotionally connecting that supports your point.

Bonus: when you have to email the deck, the Notes are right there, so the slides still “work” as an email document and a presentation.

Watch this one-minute clip to see how this message affected my audience.

Then, try this today (5 minutes for a breakthrough):

Pick your worst “word salad” slide. Make the swap. Then rehearse it once out loud. Notice how your voice and presence change when you’re not fighting your own slide.

Notice how much better you feel about your work!

If you’d like, hit reply with “SLIDES” and send me one slide you’re struggling with. I’ll give you some feedback, and together we'll make your next presentation much more memorable and "rememberable!"

—John

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TEDx Truths, Speaking Myths & The Motivation Behind “The Motivated Speaker” with Ruth Milligan

Today I talk with Ruth Milligan - someone I've known since the very earliest days of TEDx. She is an executive speech coach, TEDx curator extraordinaire, and founder of Articulation Inc. Ruth ran TEDxColumbus for 12 straight years (a Herculean feat that deserves its own standing ovation!) and recently released her new book The Motivated Speaker. Not “motivational,” mind you, but motivated.

There’s a big difference, and we unpack that in this episode. We start by going behind the scenes of the TEDx world... what most people don’t know about how speakers are selected, what really goes on in organizing these events, and why “your keynote is not your TEDx talk.”

Got a big presentation coming up, or know someone who does?

Book a complimentary 30-minute consult: https://links.executivespeakingsuccess.com/widget/bookings/30min-discovery-call-jkb​

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