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Pick One Big Idea for Your Talk and “Show Don’t Tell”

By Jared Dees

Before speaking at an event, I try to watch or listen to a great speaker while I get ready in the morning. This weekend I watched and listened to Seth Godin’s keynote at the ConvertKit conference as I got ready for my own keynote later that morning.

What I enjoyed most about the presentation was that it was really only about one thing. He was only trying to make one point. He had slide after slide with images and videos to show example after example of the point he was trying to make.

There’s a rule for writing that says “show don’t tell.” This absolutely applies to public speaking. I have the tendency to make a very important point about the beginning of a talk without really building up the intellectual and emotional motivation it takes to believe this point.

Godin shows us at the beginning of the talk how our culture and economy has changed. He cites example after example to show this is the case. Only then does he start to explain the implications for what this means for the audience. That’s why people leave there inspired. What his presentation lacked in practical ideas, it made up for in motivation.

January 15, 2018 Filed Under: Author Tips, On Entrepreneurship, On Writing

About Jared Dees

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Praying the Angelus, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children.

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Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Praying the Angelus, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. See all of Jared's Books →

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