You’re about to be interviewed on a podcast. You know the general topic you'll be asked about, but you have no idea what questions will be thrown your way. Oh, and you only have eight minutes. Plus, it won't be edited.

In this week's article I'm breaking down how I used our Core Messaging system to be totally prepared without any rehearsing, and delivered a knockout interview.

In 2024, our team at Conquer the Red Dot® had the privilege of helping 7 students book their talks and 11 speakers to deliver the talk of their dreams at conferences including TEDxAlexanderPark, TEDxBocaRaton, TEDxWesternU, and TEDxBelltown Women.

They spoke on topics from finance to activism to mental health to the science of balance, racking up a combined 1,724,000 views and one Editor's Pick.

In this week's article, we're discussing how you can turn your audience's attention into true engagement so they'll stick around long enough to hear about your brilliant solutions.

Being a subject-matter expert, and sometimes even being a great speaker, are no guarantee that you’ll know what works best for one specific talk. We do a lot of work with people delivering TED-style talks, and we see this all the time:

• They think they need a story… but don’t know which one to tell

• They believe it needs to be backed by science… but don’t know how much research to mention and how to describe it

• They think it needs to inspire people… so they turn into motivational speakers

Try as you might, that fire is never going to catch 🤷‍♂️

And those are just three out of dozens of things a speaker needs to consider.

In this article, we're going to look at two common mediums, or vehicles, for speakers to deliver their content: keynotes and workshops.

What are they, what is their purpose, and what can we do to ensure our message is received in the best possible light?

Learn the essential strategy for opening any talk, presentation, or pitch with impact. This guide explains why typical tactics—like starting with a story, statistic, or question—often fall short, and introduces the “Premise Principle” for engaging your audience from the first sentence with clarity and purpose.

I’m scrolling through my feed when I see it again: another 'professional' venting about clients expecting top-quality work for pennies—or worse, for free.

“Why don’t clients value our work?!” the post reads. “It’s like they think I should be grateful for exposure! I’ve spent years perfecting my craft, and they still ask me to work for next to nothing!”

I shake my head and start to scroll by, but I just can't let it go. This problem is SO easily solved, and it starts by asking yourself a simple question:

"Is there anyone else in my market doing similar work and getting paid more?"

Discover why professional speakers often fail in TED-style talks and learn the key differences between keynote speeches and Red Dot presentations. This article offers practical advice for both polished keynote speakers and experts new to public speaking, ensuring your message is clear, concise, and impactful.

Discover why data alone fails to engage and inspire action, as evidenced by a poignant personal anecdote. Learn how storytelling captivates emotions, leading to meaningful action, backed by research insights. Explore the dynamic interplay between narrative and data for effective communication and driving change.

Discover the transformative journey from memorizing to internalizing speeches in this insightful guide. Learn practical techniques for embodying your talk, enhancing audience connection, and ensuring your message resonates deeply. Perfect for speakers aiming to elevate their presentations from mere recitation to impactful storytelling.

Discover the A.C.E. framework (Align, Challenge, Expand) for speech design. Learn to build compelling messages that resonate with your audience's beliefs, encouraging action and change. Perfect for speakers aiming to connect deeply and drive meaningful outcomes, regardless of the presentation's polish.

Explore effective strategies for leaders and experts to captivate audiences through meaningful engagement in presentations, emphasizing authentic connections over mere entertainment, and offering practical insights for impactful, substance-driven public speaking.

Explore effective strategies to accurately price and confidently charge for your speaking engagements. Learn to identify your audience, leverage market knowledge, and build self-assurance in your value. Our guide provides actionable insights for professionals aiming to secure fair compensation for their expertise.

Unlock the secrets to success in the speaking industry with key insights from the AAE Speaking Industry Benchmark Report 2023. Discover the most sought-after topics, optimal pricing strategies, and the importance of keynotes in our comprehensive guide. Enhance audience engagement and secure your spot as a top speaker by understanding event organizers' needs and mastering audience connection.

This article explores five common mistakes great speakers make that lead to unengaging speeches, including prioritizing story over substance, solutions over understanding the status quo, entertainment over engagement, misordering ideas, and not focusing on audience needs. It offers practical insights for impactful public speaking.

Discover key techniques for successful speaking: Learn how to create clear, engaging messages, provide actionable takeaways, and develop a unique hook. This article offers insights from Speaker Slam, demonstrating how to enhance presentations for TED-style and professional events, ensuring they resonate powerfully with audiences.

We've all suffered through those 20-minute presentations featuring slides brimming with bullet points, inscrutable graphs, and bewildering stats. But are slides themselves the culprits, or is it about how they are used? As speakers we all want to deeply engage our audiences, provide them with actionable takeaways, earn rave testimonials, and over-delight our clients.

It's hard to imagine a talk being clearer or more efficient than "How to use a paper towel." At Clarity Up we work with experts and leaders to clarify their communication and make a dent in the universe by developing their core messaging.

Discover effective strategies for captivating your audience right from the start. In this insightful article, we explore three commonly taught approaches to opening speeches that fall short of expectations. Gain valuable insights and learn alternative methods to grab attention, create curiosity, and make a lasting impact on your audience.

Discover how to captivate any audience, even with "boring" topics. In this article you'll learn techniques like starting with the problem, natural storytelling, and embracing your passion. It's time to communicate like you, but better!