It should be a low bar. A training or speaking session should offer more than just infotainment. More than an opportunity to relate, nod along, and think, Yes, I’ve been there too. More than 45 minutes of feel-good inspiration.

And yet, if you’ve attended enough Executive Assistant events, you’ll know that it often isn’t. Some sessions are brilliant. Thought-provoking. Packed with practical insights. The kind where you scribble down ideas and leave with something you can actually use.

Others? They sound good, they’re polished, and they might even be fun. But by the next morning, when you sit back at your desk, what has actually changed?

In truth, many speakers and trainers are experts at their topic. But that’s not enough. You also need to be great at engaging your audience to get your key learning points across. Not just relatable anecdotes, but a laser-focus on using making your presentation memorable. Make it stick. 

Making real connections

I say this as someone who used to be that speaker. When I started presenting at management support events, I followed what I thought was the proper way to do it. Stand behind a podium, read from notes, walk through carefully prepared slides. It didn’t work. Not for me, and definitely not for my audience.

People were polite. They listened. They nodded along. But I could feel the energy in the room slipping. There was no spark, no real connection.

So I started watching the best speakers. The ones who didn’t just talk at people but pulled them into a conversation. And I learned. 

Getting the conversation going

The best sessions don’t feel like lectures. They start with a moment to explain why you’re there. Not by listing every job title you’ve ever had, but by making it clear that you understand the audience’s world.

Then, they get the conversation going. That doesn’t mean standing up and hoping inspiration strikes. The best spontaneous talks are actually built on meticulous preparation. You know your material inside out. You have stories and insights ready to go. But instead of delivering them on autopilot, you respond to the room.

What works well for me, and has consistently resulted in top ratings, is to ask my audience what the key learning points of my topic are that they want to want to take home. Where are the pain points in their jobs? How can I help? How we can work together to make the most of our brief time together. 

I’ve seen some incredible speakers who use slides and visuals to great effect. If that works for them, great. But for me, the moment the audience visibly relaxes, when they realise I’m not here to lecture or read out a set of slides, is the moment the session really begins.

How to make real learning happen

For that to work, though, you need absolute control. If you look like you’re winging it, the audience feels it. They shift in their seats. They lose confidence in you. But when your energy and body language make it clear that you are in command of the session, people lean in. They engage. That’s when real learning happens.

So next time you attend an executive support event, ask yourself: Does the speaker actually engage the audience, or just deliver a polished speech? Do they respond to the room, or do they follow their slides no matter what? Are you learning something you can use tomorrow, or just nodding along?

Because the best speakers don’t just make you feel inspired for an hour. They give you something that sticks.

As a speaker and trainer, I never stop learning. Raising the bar at every opportunity. I owe it to my audience – to you.