Are your presentations so compelling that your audiences lose track of everything else? When Douglas Kruger started his presentation on what world-class speakers do differently, that was its effect on me. His session was almost over when I realised reporting on it was my responsibility. Here’s how he did it. And how you can, too.
Douglas Kruger embodies many of the ideals of the aspiring speaker. A PSASA Speakers Hall of Fame(SASHoF) inductee and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), he is also a multiple award-winning global keynote speaker. In addition, he is the author of numerous business, non-fiction and fiction titles. The latest, Wicked-Smart – Brilliant Ways to Do Just About Everything Better will be launching soon. Douglas shares a treasure trove of his expertise on his YouTube channel, which sports more than 700 videos and over 100 000 subscribers. He regularly appears in the media as a thought leader in his field. And on top of all that, he comes across as perfectly approachable. Clearly, this is a speaker with something worth saying.
At the July 2025 PSASA Virtual Chapter meeting, Douglas challenged the audience with his take on what world-class speakers do differently. The art of his delivery was in the fact that it did not feel like a presentation at all, but rather like a personal conversation. Woven between the stories and statistics and roller-coaster realisations, Douglas offered a masterclass in what world-class speakers do differently.
His takeaways make up a checklist of questions to challenge and equip every speaker to step up to the global stage. Here are the questions, with a summary of how each one can raise your speaking standards.
- Is your first story amazing enough?
Your opening story can capture your audience and set the stage for your credibility and your message. Are you saving your best story for last, or front-loading your presentation with it? - Do you take your audience sufficiently far away in their imaginations?
You want to take your audience as far away as possible from the doldrums of reality — even into a dream state. People have enough of the mundane every day. Can your delivery take them beyond that? - Can you make them the main character and show them postcards from the future?
When each member of your audience feels like it’s about them, they are invested. Seeing their future — whether an ideal or worst-case scenario — urges them to take action. - Is your voice strong enough?
This question reconnected to the lively opening discussion around Douglas’ question: “Can you be too polite to be a world-class speaker?”. Essentially, this question challenges speakers to take a stand. Even if it alienates some, it is certain to set you apart and escape mediocrity.Recommended viewing: Alan Weiss Presentation at Harvard - Do you speak in questions?
Questions evoke a completely different response from your audience than statements do. They tickle the mind to pay attention. Ask, don’t tell, and notice how it engages the crowd on and off-stage. - Have you mastered machine-gun facts?
The ability to deliver rapid-fire statistics in your presentation quickly establishes your authority and skills as a speaker. On stage, this can be a superpower. - Have you contrasted A versus B?
Rather than just highlight one side of an argument, set it against its opposite. When you heighten the negative to accentuate the positive, this contrast increases your impact. - Are you a magnet for new content?
Fresh knowledge enhances your value as a speaker and thought leader. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn from within your field and beyond it. Audiobooks and podcasts are excellent ways to do this while going about daily activities.
Do you play with your audience? Playful interaction with your audience enhances their experience. And your own. One demonstration from the session was the way Douglas enlisted audience feedback from the opening discussion (“Be lekker to work with”) throughout the presentation. These simple but sobering questions give a rising speaker a good deal to think about. In his presentation, Douglas Kruger certainly demonstrated how powerful they can be. The speaker who acts on them will certainly be several steps closer to world-class.
Find Douglas Kruger, CSP, online:
Website: https://www.douglaskruger.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglaskrugerspeaker/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DouglasKruger1 Books: https://amzn.to/4lCh5gE
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hOwcgDWy40
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