Episode #519

How To Say What Your Audience Can't Unhear

With Tamsen Webster

“Every time we make a decision, it is the conclusion of a story that we have built in our minds unconsciously about why that decision does or doesn’t make sense.”

One of the most rewarding parts of being a professional speaker is the feeling of making a difference — the idea that the message you have to share can create real change with your audience. But how do you actually make that happen?

Tamsen Webster knows a thing or two about creating an effective message. As the Idea Strategist one of only nine legacy-level TEDx events in the world who has worked for organizations like Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Klaviyo, Tamsen has decades of experience in helping speakers develop their message.

This week, Tamsen is here to break down how aligning your message with the audience’s existing beliefs and desires is the most effective way to create lasting change. If you’re ready to make an impact from the stage, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss!

You’ll learn:

  • How to simplify complex ideas
  • Why storytelling is so powerful
  • How to build the “compact case” for your message
  • The 7 principles of creating lasting change
  • How to harness the “curiosity curve” in your talk
  • How to turn your basic idea into a finished speech
  • And much, much more!

Lots of people like to quote Maya Angelou — “They’re going to remember how you made them feel.” But wouldn’t it be even better if they also remembered what you said in addition to what you made them feel?”

Want to know exactly how to find and book more paid speaking gigs?

Download our 18-page guide to the 6 proven steps you can use to book more paid speaking gigs in 2024!

About Tamsen Webster

Part message designer, part English-to-English translator, part magpie, Tamsen Webster helps leaders craft their case for large-scale change. In addition to her work in and for major organizations such as Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Klaviyo, she’s a judge and mentor for the Harvard Innovation Labs, a professional advisor at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and has spent over 10 years as the Idea Strategist for one of only nine legacy-level TEDx events in the world. She was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022 and is the author of two books, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible and Say What They Can’t Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change. She lives in Boston with her husband, two sons, and two brindle Greyhounds, Hazel and Walnut.

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