Bill McGowan, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4ml59Aw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience</a>, shares practical ways to make your ideas stick—on stage, on Zoom, and in any high-stakes moment. We get into dynamic delivery, smarter structure, and memorable language devices you can use immediately.In this conversation, we discuss:<ul><li>Dial it up (a bit):&nbsp;Why what feels “over the top” on video usually plays just right.</li><li>Story over stats:&nbsp;Using Francis Ford Coppola’s “three best things” idea to craft stronger openings and closings.</li><li>Primacy & recency:&nbsp;Designing beginnings and endings people actually remember (and skipping the dreaded agenda slide).</li><li>Cliffhangers > previews:&nbsp;Start with something engaging—don’t promise you’ll be engaging later.</li><li>Slow beats filler:&nbsp;How pacing reduces “uh/you know” and helps you choose better words.</li><li>Slides with a point:&nbsp;Lead each slide with a clear statement of value; know your closing line before you advance.</li><li>Be your own brutal editor:&nbsp;Cut 25% from emails and presentations to boost clarity and punch.</li><li>Levity, not jokes:&nbsp;Use a light touch to build trust and retention; avoid risky stand-up and overdone self-deprecation.</li><li>Seven memorable devices (highlights):&nbsp;Analogy/metaphor, “creative labels” (e.g., the “toothbrush test”), mirror pairs, original definitions, simple equations/ratios, and smart cliché twists (“survival of the quickest”).</li></ul>Links & resources:<ul><li>Book:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4ml59Aw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience</a>&nbsp;— Bill McGowan</li><li>Connect with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcgowan-7103b/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bill on LinkedIn</a></li></ul>﻿Connect with Erik:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.threads.com/@erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="http://facebook.com/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/erikjfisher.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li></ul>This Podcast is Powered By:<ul><li><a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/descript" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/descript101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript 101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://get.castmagic.io/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castmagic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=erik97" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ecamm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.podpage.com/?via=erik-fisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SGEEbr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rodecaster Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/beyondtheto-dolist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Top Productivity Books List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li></ul>Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/blinkist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist</a>.&nbsp;A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways.&nbsp;See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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Bill McGowan on How to Speak Memorably and Communicate with Clarity & Confidence

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