The How of Wow

Notes from The How of Wow by Tony Carlson

* According to Tony Carlson only 1 in 500 speeches is good enough to be remembered. To be among those remembered, Carlson says you need to give audiences insight, enlightenment, meaning, stimulation, wit, and entertainment.

* Emulate the greats and soon your own style will take over but with the power of the greats

* Few speakers ever rehearse enough. Every extra moment you have ought to go into rehearsing.

* Your opening line can be a shocker that lets the audience know you mean business. Don’t be afraid to say something that people already suspect, but noone will say except for you.

* Show your vulnerability early in the speech. I recall when Tom Peters said at an NSA convention. “It’s intimidating to think about speaking to a roomful of speakers.”

* Keynotes benefit by a strong start, a rising middle, that grows and grows until you feel a sense of catharsis, a climax of emotion that your audience enjoys.