They’re lying. They’re not telling you the truth. Anyone who tells you they don’t want to be remembered is telling you an unbelievable story. They may have convinced themselves otherwise but the truth is we all want to be remembered. Preferably, we want to be remembered for the great things we did instead of that time you tripped on stage in the fourth grade play. But, we take what we can get, right?
Well, you don’t really have to. You can create your “memorable.” You can be intentional about your “memorable.” If you are a speaking from a stage, this is ESPECIALLY when you want to create your “memorable moment”.
How do you do this?
1. Be enthusiastic, excitable and energetic – People are drawn in to energy. They remember the guy who lit up the room but ignore the one snuck in, shoulders low. This doesn’t mean you need to be a charismatic ball of fire. You don’t need to yell and announce your presence everywhere you go. But, you can smile brightly. You can wink. You can wave. You can speak confidently. Your energy shows before you open your mouth to say a word. So, if you are on stage or in conversation, don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm.
2. Use names and their personal stories – When you remember people’s names, it’s an amazing gift for them. OMG, he remembered me! Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. People perk up when you call their names. If you call their names from the stage, woohoo! Winner winner chicken dinner. You’ve got ‘em. They may not remember what you spoke about, but they’ll remember you as the guy who called their name. If they shared something with you and it’s appropriate, then show you were listening and remembered their conversation.
3. Don’t say anything – Imagine someone standing in the middle of a stage, a huge smile on their face, hands on their hips, just looking back and forth but not saying anything. You would wonder what’s going on, right? But you would remember them. Sometimes, a big pause is just what the doctor ordered. They’re wondering what’s next…especially if you have been energetic up until now.
4. Be your own applause – Walk in clapping. Get your energy up and get their energy up. The entrance, before you say a word, tells them a lot about whether they should pay attention or not. So, why not grab their attention from the start.
5. Ask an off-the-wall question – Maybe they’ve been sitting there for a while…or, maybe they’ve seen four standard presentations already. You know the one, the one with the 4 word title, their name at the bottom, then several slides with a title, 4 bullet points and a picture…just to change things up. But what if you started a presentation with the question, “How many of you have felt like throwing someone out a window?” Then you move on into the reality of feelings and how we actually deal with life’s stressors. But, the initial question is shocking. OMG, am I supposed to raise my hand in public for this one?
This is part 1. I’ll be back later on this week with a few more tips!