Unfortunately, many people don’t feel confident in their public speaking skills. What’s worse, they have trouble remembering the key ideas they want to convey, which only makes their anxiety worse.

Luckily, there is a very simple and easy-to-use way to remember what you need to say during a presentation, and I’m going to share it with you today. Here is how it works:

First, outline the major steps or points you want to make. Be thorough in this process, ensuring that you have made a note of everything that has to be covered in your talk or presentation.

Then, represent these key points with a visual image. If the start of your presentation is about “fundraising,” for example, visualize a gigantic collection box or plate. If the next point is about “strategy,” visualize a chess piece, and so on.

Next, start to associate or link these images with items of furniture in a particular room in your home. This can be a piano, fireplace, table, lamp, or any other item along a route that you walk frequently. By doing this, you are giving visual “shape” to each of the ideas. It sounds like a simple technique, but it’s surprisingly effective.

So, if the first piece of furniture in your living room is a couch, visualize a huge collection box sitting on your couch. If the second piece of furniture is a piano, see a large chess piece playing the piano. Remember, it’s the ridiculous images that are memorable!

Then, practice your “mental walk” a number of times. As you do, make sure you recall the items of furniture or items along the route in the same identical sequencereinforcing each point or detail with the piece of furniture or landmark. In a short amount of time, they’ll become intertwined in your mind.

Finally, when it’s time for your presentation, simply take the identical “mental walk” through the room or route and recite them back with ease.You’ll be amazed at how well and easily you remember the key points. Best of all, it’s asystem you can use again and again, so it will still be there for you the next time you need to speak in public, too! In fact, if you have many speeches to deliver in a short period, you can simply choose another room or route.

To make your memory more powerful, stop by my blog again in the near future. Or, if you’re looking for a fun and entertaining presentation for your group, contact my office to check available dates today.

The post How to Turn Your Next Major Presentation Into a Walk in the Park appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.

So here is my eighth post on memorizing the US state capitals. Again, please take a moment to read the April post regarding how our memory tends to cling to the absurd and make sure you are reviewing these crazy images at the critical times in order to store them onto your long term memory. (See below)

OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities for Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

The capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City. For Oklahoma is see an Oak tree. I always picture the one in the backyard which played a huge part in my childhood where I grew up in England. If you cannot picture a particular Oak tree then any tree will do. In this tree I imagine hundreds of model skyscrapers (City) hanging from the leaves like Christmas tree ornaments.

Oregon’s capital is Salem. I change Oregon to Oar Gun and picture two gigantic guns being used as oars in a sailing boat. I can’t help but instantly think of the Salem Witch Trials whenever I hear the name Salem. So I imagine a couple of witches rowing this boat, see real ugly caricature cliché images of witches, perhaps like the witch from The Wizard of Oz.

Pennsylvania’s capital is Harrisburg. This is an easy one, how about a huge Pencil stuck in a Hairy BURGer……imagine taking a bite, disgusting I know……but memorable!

Rhode Island’s capital is Providence. I picture a lonely Road winding its way across an Island, I then imagine a Professor Dancing along this road, Prof Dance/Providence.

And finally the capital of South Carolina is Columbia. I see Carol Singers again, just as I did for North Carolina, only this time they are dressed in swim suits which represents warmer weather in the South. Personally I see old 78 and 45 rpm records stuffed into their swim suits. Whenever I hear the name Columbia I am immediately transported back in time to my living room in England. I see my dad playing his old 78’s with the Blue Columbia labels, I also see my old Columbia 45’s with their black and white labels. If you are young enough to have only ever downloaded music and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about regarding 78’s and 45’s, then you can picture the Carol singers in their swim suits, and they are stacking a Column of Beer/Columbia in front of the door where they are singing.

So to review:

An Oak tree with Skyscrapers as Christmas ornaments
Oklahoma/Oklahoma City

Two Witches rowing a boat using guns
Oregon/Salem

Eating a Hairy Burger with a Pencil stuck through it
Pennsylvania/Harrisburg

A Professor dancing along a lonely Road
Rhode Island/Providence

Carol singers dressed in swim suits with records stuffed in their suits
South Carolina/Columbia

Here is my standard wrap up.
Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. I have just ten more to go then you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.

Please share if you found this informative, thanks.

Bob Gray CSP HoF

Motivational Speaker

The post Eating a hairy burger with a pencil! Oklahoma to S. Carolina appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.

OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and Georgia.

Colorado’s capital is Denver. What do you see for Colorado? I immediately see an image of the Rocky Mountains. What do you see for Denver, I see John Denver, so my image is of a giant John Denver sitting astride a Rocky Mountain while strumming his guitar.

Colorado sounds like Collar, maybe see a dog Collar. You could see John Denver with a dog collar around his neck like he’s a punk rocker, couldn’t get much more absurd than that! If you are not familiar with John Denver then break the word into Tin Fur, sounds close enough to Denver, as long as it conjures up an image it will work.

An empty tin of beans, say full of fur, sitting atop a rocky mountain or hanging from a dog collar. Pick one and stick with it or better still come up with your own, just remember to make it as ridiculous as possible.

Connecticut’s capital is Hartford. I see a giant ice cream Cone (for Connecticut) being run over by a Ford truck, driven by a huge heart. See that image, a Ford truck driven by a huge pumping heart, yes with arms and legs, smashing into a gigantic ice cream cone. See the Ford covered in Strawberry ice cream after the accident.

Delaware’s capital is Dover. Delaware reminds me of Tupperware, and being a Brit I see the White Cliffs of Dover. So I imagine a huge piece of Tupperware nailed to the White Cliffs of Dover. Or you could imagine opening some Tupperware and a huge Dover Sole flies out and hits you in the face.

Florida’s capital is Tallahassee. I always see Oranges for Florida. Tallahassee I break into Tall Horse. Because we are already familiar with the name Tallahassee an image of a tall horse will work just fine. If you need to you can imagine a large letter ‘C’ painted on the side of the horse, Tall Horse C. So I see a tall horse, almost Giraffe like, rearing up on its hind legs picking oranges from a tree, both with its mouth and its front legs. Knowing that Florida is the Sunshine State you could use the Sun and a Tall Horse.

Georgia’s capital is Atlanta. You could use Peaches for Georgia or anyone you know named George. For the capital I see a set of Antlers. So I have a nephew named George and I see a set of antlers growing from his head. If he reads this I’m sure to hear from him. Or see Peaches being impaled on a deer’s antlers.

So to review:

John Denver sitting astride the Rocky Mountains or a Tin of Fur hanging from a dog collar’
Colorado/Denver

A gigantic Ice Cream Cone being knocked down by a Ford driven by a Heart
Connecticut/Hartford

Gigantic piece of Tupperware nailed to the White Cliffs of Dover, or a piece of Dover Sole jumping out of some Tupperware
Delaware/Dover

The Tall Horse with the ‘C’ painted across its side picking Oranges from a tree.
Florida/Tallahassee, and finally:

Someone named George with Antlers, or Peaches impaled on a deer’s Antlers.
Georgia/Atlanta

Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. Before we know it you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.

Bob Gray is an award winning international keynote and memory workshop presenter. A Guinness World Record Holder, Certified Speaking Professional and Canadian Speaker Hall of Fame inductee.

The post Colorado to Georgia continuing to Memorize the US State Capitals appeared first on Funny Motivational Speaker, Entertaining Humorist - Bob Gray.

Let’s now store into memory their capital cities. If you did not read my first post please take two minutes to read it over to get an understanding of how ridiculous images force our memory to latch onto information.

OK, let’s memorize their capital cities.

Alabama’s capital is Montgomery. See a photo Album balancing on a golf tee, see Colin Montgomery, the British golfer striking the album with his driver and driving it 250 yd’s down the fairway. Hear the thud of the driver as it strikes the album, see the photo’s scattering across the fairway.

If you are not familiar with Colin Montgomery you could use Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein from the 2nd world war, see him looking through a photo album while driving a tank! Or any Montgomery that springs to mind will work.

If you absolutely cannot think of anyone familiar named Montgomery, then you can break the name into smaller workable chunks like, Mint Gum Rye.

Imagine instead of photos in the album, hundreds of Mint leaves or breath mints instead. As you pull the mint(s) from the page there is a long strand of gum attached, the mints or leaves have all been stuck into the album with chewing gum. You take the mint with the gum and place it in a glass of Rye whiskey and drink this awful concoction. You will only need to see this image a couple times before it will be lodged into your long term memory.

Alaska’s capital is Juneau. See Sarah Palin standing at the lectern shouting “Do you know?” Or see a June bug on her Nose, June Nose/Juneau. See her cross eyed as she tries to deliver a speech with this huge June bug crawling up and down her nose.

Arizona’s capital is Phoenix. See a huge cactus splitting open, perhaps hit by lightning, hear the cracking of the cactus as a Phoenix literally rises from the cactus.

Arkansas’ capital is Little Rock. See hundreds of little rocks in groups of two by two walking up the ramp to the Ark, no animals just little rocks. You can even give them little arms and hands holding onto each other as they stroll up the ramp into the ark.

California’s capital is Sacramento. If you are already familiar with the name Sacramento, then a simple image of a sack will do. A sack full of gold bars may be a little obvious, it sounds perfect, but not really unusual enough. Our memory tends to cling to the unusual, not the normal or obvious.

So instead of seeing hundreds of gold bars stacked on top of each other in a bank vault, replace them with hundreds of sacks, see a bank vault full of tiny sacks.

You may think of the Beach Boys to visualize California, so see the Beach Boys playing a concert with huge sacks over their heads.

If you are not familiar with the name Sacramento, then you can split it into workable chunks just as I did with Montgomery. Sacramento would become Sack Ram Men Toe, see this chain of images and associate it to gold bars or the Beach Boys or whatever image you conjure up for California.

So to review:

The photo Album, being hit on the driving range by Colin Montgomery.
Alabama/Montgomery

Sarah Palin shouting “Do you know?” at the lectern, or the huge June bug crawling up her nose.
Alaska/Juneau

The Cactus splitting open with the Phoenix rising.
Arizona/Phoenix

The Little Rocks walking two by two up the ramp into the Ark.
Arkansas/Little Rock, and finally:

The bank vault full of tiny Sacks or the Beach Boys with sacks over their heads.
California/Sacramento

Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will post perhaps four or five state capitals and a crazy image over the next dozen or so posts in order for you to become accustomed to forming crazy ridiculous imagery. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc. We need to shake up the creative side of our brains before we tackle more business related issues…and besides, this will probably win you a drink or two in a bar!

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