Unforgettable Presentations

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 349 "I WAS GONNA SAY THAT!" Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

You're in the audience, listening the speaker before you, and you hear them make a point, tell an anecdote, or use language that makes you think, "I was gonna say that!" How do you respond? Can you avoid this? In today's episode, Mark and Darren answer these questions and more as they share recent experiences and offer solutions.

SNIPPETS:

• Don't panic

• Be unique

• Avoid 'stock' material from the Internet or AI

• Avoid plagiarism

• Research the previous speaker's material if possible

• Collaborate with the previous speaker if possible

• Share your own perspective

• Be flexible and adapt

• Use improv techniques

• Call back to the reference if necessary

• Edify the previous speaker

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 348 - GO BACK TO YOUR WELL? Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

It's not unusual for presenters to 'move on' from past presentations. Toastmasters is a good example. Today, Darren and Mark encourage you to 'go back to the well' and revisit old presentations. They may hold new value today.

SNIPPETS:

• Maintain a story folder; an old story may have new significance

• Don't discard/delete 'old' material

• "Unearth the old, uncover the GOLD" – Mark Brown

• Revisit old presentations

• Look for new value in old presentations

• Review, revise, rework, reinvent

• Enlist your list to learn what has resonated over time

• New experiences can enhance old material

• Apply newly gained wisdom, insight, and perspective to older presentations

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 347 YOU DON'T KNOW? Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

Can you ever truly know the full impact of your presentations? Today, Mark and Darren provide the answer by sharing anecdotes, experiences, and insight gained from their combined 60 years on the platform.

SNIPPETS:

• The vast majority of your audience will never tell us how we impacted them

• You get only one shot at that audience

• Seek to grow continually

• When competing, focus more on your message than on the trophy

• Dollars follow impact

• Go all-in on your message

• Strive for more

• Have a meaningful 'heartset;' focus on serving your audience

• Think about how your audience will apply your message

• When you're told you had impact, ask HOW

• If helpful, revise your presentation based on the impact

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 346 - THE TWO BIGGEST PROBLEMS? Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Speakers must exude confidence to inform, inspire, and influence. However, EGO and SELF-DOUBT can have a significant impact on us and our audiences. Darren and Mark offer advice on how to effectively manage both and serve our audiences well.

SNIPPETS:

• Don't undervalue your experiences

• "You are uniquely qualified to serve the person you once were." - Rory Vaden

• "One man's mundane is another man's magnificent.' – Mark Brown

• Your life story can inspire and give hope

• Someone in your audience will relate to your emotions and experience

• Check your ego at the door

• Be coachable

• Crave qualified feedback

• Don't let ego hinder future opportunities

• Look for value in every evaluation

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 345 - YOU? YOUR? Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Our messages must serve our audiences, and two words are most helpful in achieving that goal. Darren and Mark expound on the power and value of the words 'YOU' and 'YOUR,' as well as their unforgettable impact on our audiences.

SNIPPETS:

• 'YOU' and 'YOUR' are enormously powerful words

• Examine your 'I/YOU Ratio'

• These words draw audiences in

• Usage makes our content relatable and relevant

• They engage people's brains

• Put your audience in your story

• Change 'I' to 'YOU' in stories with "IMAGINE:"

• Replace 'I' with 'YOU' with "PICTURE THIS:"

• Avoid "You guys"

• Replace "How many of you have…" with "Have you…"

Ep. 344 YOUR RELATIONSHIPS? Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

The concept of relationship selling is not uncommon, but today, Mark and Darren go beyond selling to explore the greater value of building relationships.

SNIPPETS:

• Build relationships beyond the booking

• Use relationships to recommend others

• Relationships provide opportunities to serve

• A relationship may not bear fruit immediately

• Seek to give before seeking to get

• Bring you and your personality to every assignment

• Ask yourself: What do others think of you

• A 'no' can be beneficial when you maintain a relationship

• Be the client's favorite

• Show genuine interest in your client beyond the business relationship

• Analyze your 'failures;' a lack of success may have led to success

Ep. 343 SUCCESS BACKWARDS? Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

There's a story behind every booking. Today Mark and Darren examine how our 'booking stories' can reveal what is necessary to get more bookings now.

SNIPPETS:

• Go back to the well

• Revisit the decisions that led to previous bookings

• Trace the full path of the booking

• Identify people who could help lead to your next booking

• Ask: "What was I doing back then, that I need to start doing again?"

• Recover abandoned tools, tips, and techniques

• Apply new technology to 'old school' principles

• Go back to the principle of relationship-building

• Reconnect with prospects who said 'No'

• A 'No' could be a 'Not now"

• Analyze your 'failures;' a lack of success may have led to success

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 342 NERVOUS? INSECURE? PERFECT! Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

Feeling nervous before a presentation or feeling insecure when facing an intimidating audience can be positive. That may seem counterintuitive, but Mark and Darren clarify in today's episode. Drawing on their combined 60+ years of lessons learned, they provide advice and specific techniques for using nervousness to your advantage.

SNIPPETS:

• Being a little nervous can be a good thing

• Use nervous energy to fuel additional preparation

• Let no one out-prepare you

• Research: get more than you need, to give what they need

• Get over yourself, and into your audience

• "Skillset without mindset leaves your audience upset" – Craig Valentine

• Before each presentation ask FOUR QUESTIONS:

• WHAT IS MY INTENT

• AM I PRESENT ("Don't be perfect; be PRESENT" – Darren)

• WILL I HAVE FUN

• HOW WOULD I GIVE THIS PRESENTATION IF I KNEW IT WAS MY LAST

• If the character doesn't change, there is no story

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 341 FIVE STORY ESSENTIALS – PART 2 Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

Stories can transform presentations, and when certain essentials are met, a story can be unforgettable. Today's episode is the second of a two-part conversation about five story essentials…tools which, when used effectively, will make your story unforgettable. This is PART 2 of 2.

SNIPPETS:

• Identify a GUIDE/GURU, a source of wisdom, insight, guidance, and help

• The guide need not be a human

• Letters, pets, or inanimate objects could be guides

• The guide may say very little but still be very effective

• You cannot be your own guide/guru

• The hero must undergo a TRANSFORMATION

• The audience must clearly see the hero BEFORE and AFTER

• The audience must witness the change take place

• If the character doesn't change, there is no story

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Ep. 340 FIVE STORY ESSENTIALS – PART 1 Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Everyone enjoys a good story, and unforgettable stories contain certain essentials. In this episode, Mark and Darren expound upon three of their five story essentials, showing not only how they work, but why. This is PART 1 of 2.

SNIPPETS:

• STORY is a FORCE MULTIPLIER

• Define the HERO/protagonist/main character

• Help your audience to SEE the character

• Give the audience a reason to identify with the character

• Give one physical and one emotional characteristic

• Consider giving a character name

• Be very clear on the hero's DESIRE; declare what they want

• Get to the depth of desire…WHY they have the desire

• Listeners lean in to the WHY

• Establish the CONFLICT, the challenge, the obstacle

• Escalate the conflict, and escalate it even more