“Have you ever thought about what you were doing on September 11, 2001, and compared it to September 11, 2002? Chances are, your memory of the former date is much clearer. Extreme moments tend to stick in our minds, and the same principle applies to presentations. If you want your audience to remember your talk and share it with others, you need to create memorable moments.

In 2009, Bill Gates delivered a TED talk that became a viral sensation. It even caught the attention of NBC News anchor Brian Williams, who rarely treats such events as “news.” What made this talk so extraordinary? Gates spoke about how deadly diseases like malaria are transmitted by mosquitoes. As he displayed a jar filled with live mosquitoes, he boldly stated that there was no reason why only impoverished people should be at risk of such infections. To emphasize his point, he opened the jar and released the mosquitoes!

While Gates reassured the audience that these particular mosquitoes were disease-free, his dramatic action made the talk go viral. It garnered 2.5 million views on the TED website and received around 500,000 search results on Google. However, it’s not just extreme actions that can set your presentation apart. Shocking statistics can also capture your audience’s attention.

As you prepare your presentation, consider searching for intriguing facts or statistics that support your argument. Here are two examples from well-known TED talks: “In 1972, there were 300,000 people in jails and prisons. Today, there are 2.3 million. The United States now has the highest incarceration rate in the world” (Bryan Stevenson). “One in every 100 regular people is a psychopath. So, in a room with 1,500 people, about 15 of them are psychopaths” (Jon Ronson). These statistics added a memorable and captivating element to the talks they were a part of.” This revised paragraph maintains the original message while providing more context for a better understanding.