118 - How to Grab (and Keep) Your Audience’s Attention: Tips From the UK’s Top Public Speaking Coach

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail UK's top public speaking coach and author of Just F*cking Say It!, Susie Ashfield, breaks down how to create messages that actually stick: simple, unexpected, vivid, and easy to retell. I’ve been a fan of Susie’s for years, so I was delighted when she agreed to be the closing speaker at my Mini Marketing Marathon in August. In this conversation, she pulls back the curtain on what really builds confidence on stage and in front of the camera, and how to land one clear message your audience won’t forget. Most experts struggle with the curse of knowledge : they know too much and jump straight into the deep end instead of landing one clear, simple message. Your message should pass the “eight-year-old test”: if an eight-year-old can’t understand it, it’s probably too complex. To grab attention, build in something different or unexpected so the brain takes a “mental screenshot” of your message. Make data tangible: turn abstract numbers into concrete images (like stadiums full of fans) so people can actually feel the scale. Public speaking gets easier by doing it, not avoiding it.