Props in Speeches Create Stickiness

What prop--a tangible thing that you can hold up for your audience to see--can you use to create an indelible message in the minds of your audiences?

Business speakers typically put a lot of time and effort into graphic images, bullet points and facts and figures. These feel real and serious to the speakers and their audiences. I agree that there are benefits to them.

However, human beings are stimulated by creative and unexpected elements in a speech or presentation. This is where props help you and your audiences.

Think of props as analogies or metaphors.

• Analogy is defined as similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.

• Metaphor is defined as one thing conceived as representing another; a symbol

I use small fish nets to demonstrate concepts about business networking. The empty net represents the person who gives all their cards away. The net filled with paper represents the person who collects cards. The net filled with coins represents the person who builds connections through business networking just like the net which is created strengthening the connections between the threads.

A woman who was in an audience where I spoke how to implement Speakonomics! (TM)  focused on using a prop in a spotlight speech of her own. As a PR expert, she promotes her clients. She used pom poms to make the point that she is a cheerleader for her clients. That's a great analogy.

What props can you use as metaphors or analogies? Share your ideas through our comment link.