The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters - Lifecycle Performance ...

Prepare Outstanding Content / 55
be absolutely tailored to that group of people based on the research I
have done on the audience. You could say that I am pathological about
what that opening is about.”
Brad: Memory expert Bob Gray is one of the most novel and
unique presenters I have ever seen. Bob starts his presentation
by demonstrating his ability to speak backwards and
write upside down, backwards, and inverted with both his
hands and feet while blindfolded. Bob then asks three volunteers
from the audience to select the name of any country.
Bob then lists the capital, population, and square miles
of each country, which are then verified by another volunteer.
Lastly, he asks for two volunteers to state the date,
month, and year of their birthday, provided they know
what day of the week on which they were born. Bob then
tells them the day of the week and they verify his answers.
Bob then challenges the audience by telling them that he
doesn’t have a photographic memory, but rather a trained
memory, and offers to teach them his memory techniques.
Now, did his powerful beginning get the audience’s full
attention? You bet. You can see Bob perform these feats
at www.memoryedge.com.
David: Mark Brown, the 1995 World Champion of Public Speaking
says, “You must have your opening (one to four minutes)
down cold. Have it so firmly rehearsed you could say it in
your sleep.” Why? Because as you take the stage you must
take charge. And you can’t take charge if you are unsure of
your material.
Have you ever heard a speaker start slowly…and then stay
slow? It is agonizing. On the other hand, have you ever heard
a speaker open briskly and powerfully with a compelling statement
that just makes you want to hear more? These are the
speakers we perk up to hear. Here is an example of a compelling
30-second opening from a speech by Frank Morris:
“At this very minute around the world, parents are anticipating
their child’s second birthday…and with it comes the