*** SEE FREE VIDEO AT END ***
Quick test.
Think back to the last conference you attended.
Who spoke?
What did they teach?
What have you used since?
If your brain is buffering, you’ve just discovered the problem that **Hall of Fame speaker Tim Gard** decided to solve.
During Tim’s 2025 keynote at The Engaging Retreat, he recalled asking a prospective client who had spoken at the previous year’s event.
The client couldn’t remember.
What had that speaker talked about?
Couldn’t remember that either.
Tim became obsessed with becoming more than memorable. He wanted his message to be unforgettable.
Here are three of his lessons you can use in your next presentation.
### 1. Make every detail earn its luggage
Tim’s rule is simple:
**“If it doesn’t add to your story, it distracts from.”**
His tiny rubber chickens, fake spilled-ice-cream seat saver, and unconventional business cards weren’t random decorations. Each helped carry an idea—or Tim himself—beyond the presentation.
You don’t need to order 500 rubber chickens. Tim already has that market cornered.
Choose your central message. Then ask:
**What could people see, hear, hold, or do that would make this idea easier to remember?**
The answer might be an everyday object, a sound, a striking image, or a physical metaphor. It must make the meaning clearer, not merely make the moment stranger.
Mine is a door hanger that says “On Air” and on the opposite “Off Air”. It’s something every virtual speaker needs and they use it. It’s one of my most cost effective memorable items I have.
### 2. Build a participation ladder
Tim didn’t begin by dragging an unsuspecting stranger onto the stage.
He started with small, safe responses: nodding, raising hands, saying “bummer,” and celebrating with “woohoo.” As the connection grew, so did the participation.
Participation is a ladder—not a trapdoor.
In your next meeting, begin with a low-risk action: a nod, one word in chat, a choice between two options, or a quick response with a partner. Let people experience success before inviting them into something more visible.
THIS is SO critical to earning deeper engagement with your audience.
And always preserve choice. Engagement should feel like an invitation, not an ambush.
### 3. Borrow the principle—not the chicken
Tim explicitly warned us not to copy his props or repeat somebody else’s well-worn story.
Your advantage is the material only you possess.
Find a frustration your audience recognizes. Add the response, decision, or discovery that was uniquely yours. Then connect it to the lesson they can use.
Shared experience creates relevance. Your specific perspective creates originality.
### Try this for two minutes
Write your most important point and complete this sentence:
**When my audience sees, hears, or does ______, I want them to remember ______.**
Choose one story, object, image, or interaction that completes that connection. Then remove every detail that doesn’t strengthen it.
No special technology required. Poultry optional.
### Experience the craft in action
Tim didn’t merely describe memorable communication. He created it—with stories, objects, timing, surprises, and participation.
That’s the value of The Engaging Retreat: you experience engagement from the participant’s seat, examine why it worked, and decide how to adapt it for your own audience.
And Tim Gard is returning **October 20–22** as one of **19 speakers—including four Hall of Famers**.
Come discover the idea, story, interaction, or unforgettable moment that belongs only to you.
**[Register for The Engaging Retreat and make your message harder to forget →](https://evmconference.eventbrite.com?discount=evmjohn)**
The $997 In-Person ticket gets you:
* 5-minute 4-Camera Video
* 3 Days networking with 19 speakers like Hall of Famer Tim Gard
* All food and beverages for 3-days
* 1-Year membership in The Engaging Retreat Mastermind to help you achieve YOUR goals
BONUS VIDEO NOW – When you register for any ticket today, you get Tim Gard’s 2025 1-Hour Keynote with even more value!
REPLY if you’re interested a special deal or sign up today!
—John Chen, CSP
CEO, Engaging Virtual Meetings
(206) 856-8491
The Engaging Thought Leader
0 Comments