Memorable prop handouts for your speech audience from a dollar store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been skimming through a 2004 book by Robert V. Smith titled The Elements of Great Speechmaking: Adding drama and intrigue. On page 71 in a section titled Artifacts and Props his second paragraph says:

 

“You have likely been to meetings – especially lunches and dinners associated with professional gatherings – where the host organization provides a small gift -be it a lapel pin or something of greater worth. Have you noticed how many people can’t keep their hands off of the gift during the subsequent event. The gift becomes a type of talisman – a connection object. Now imagine that you plan such a scenario, only using an object of your own choosing – an object that ties into a message that you wish to imbue in the minds of audience members (see figure 9.4). This can work like magic.”

 

For example, for a speech about marketing or personal branding and the need to always blow your own horn, as shown above, you might hand out little plastic horns (at the dollar store a pack of six is just $1.25).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or you might discuss how preparing great slides is like having a magic wand – and hand out pocket-sized wands, as shown above.