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Give people a reason to pay attention from the start.
Your complimentary engagement guide
You know
your stuff.
Help it stick.
Give people more than information. Help them understand, remember, and use what you share. Explore eight practical principles for making your message land.
Request How Adults Learn — Principles of Engagement™ and join my mailing list. Confirm your email to receive access. Unsubscribe from marketing emails anytime.
COMPLIMENTARY GUIDE
The Eight Principles of Engagement™
How
Adults
Learn.
PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENT™ Help people understand, remember,Adults
Learn.
and use what you share.
Present Your Way To Success™
Engage From Any Stage.
Engage From Any Stage.
INFORMATION → UNDERSTANDING → ACTION
MAKE YOUR EXPERTISE USEFULPresentations & trainingLeadership & salesNetworking & everyday conversations
Attention is a starting point
They heard you.
What happens next?
A room can be quiet while people are confused, distracted, or unsure what to do. Engagement grows when people see why your message matters and have a way to connect it to their own work.
Delivering the information
“Here are the five steps in our new process. Let me walk you through each one.”
Inviting people to use it
“A customer needs an answer today. Which step would you take first—and why?”
An illustrative example of moving from explanation into relevant practice.
The art and science of engagement
Eight principles.
More ways to connect.
Start with one principle and consider how it could change your next presentation, training session, or conversation. Select a principle for a practical prompt.
01 Primacy & Recency
Give your opening and closing deliberate attention. Use them to establish your purpose and reinforce what matters most.
“What do I want people to remember from my first and final moments?”
02Ownership
Invite people to contribute, make choices, and connect the message to their own experience. Give them a part in the learning.
“Where can they make this idea their own?”
03Effect
Consider how the experience feels. Encouragement and constructive feedback can help people feel more willing to participate and practice.
“What will help people feel comfortable trying something new?”
04Relevance
Connect your message to a real concern, goal, or situation your audience recognizes. Help them see why it matters.
“Why should these people care about this today?”
05Readiness
Consider what people already know and what they need before taking the next step. Begin where your audience is.
“What do they need before they can use this?”
06Complexity
Make the message manageable. Break a complex idea into clear parts and build toward the bigger picture.
“What is the simplest useful place to begin?”
07Impact
Make an important idea concrete through a meaningful example, story, demonstration, or experience. Help people recognize its significance.
“What would make this idea meaningful enough to remember?”
08Repetition
Return to important ideas through practice, reflection, and application. Give people more than one opportunity to use them.
“How can they revisit this idea in a useful way?”
Select any principle to open or close its explanation.
Put the principles into motion
Connection takes CARE.
My CARE pathway gives you a practical way to think about your next message. Use the eight principles to strengthen the choices you make along the way.
Articulate
Make your point clear enough to understand and explain to someone else.
Relate
Connect the message to the people and situations in front of you.
Encourage
Help people choose a meaningful response or next step.
Meet your guide
Hi, I’m David.
I help expertise
become understanding.
My path through radio, theater, the Air Force, and corporate training taught me that knowing a subject and helping someone understand it are different skills.
Across more than 30 years in training and development, adult learning has shaped how I coach. I help business owners, leaders, and technical experts make their messages clear, relevant, and easier to use.
This guide introduces the principles behind that approach. Bring a real message, choose one idea, and put it to work.
Public speaking & presentation coachAdult learning specialistRetired U.S. Air Force NCO
“Talking and Telling ain’t Training or Selling®.”
Your next step starts here
Get the guide.
Make it your own.
Request your complimentary copy of How Adults Learn — Principles of Engagement™ and join my mailing list, including The Speaker’s Edge™, for practical communication strategies, speaking insights, learning opportunities, and program updates.
- Request your copy. Complete the form with your details.
- Confirm your email. Follow the instructions in your confirmation email. Check spam or promotions if needed.
- Put one principle into practice. After confirmation, access your guide and choose an idea to try in your next conversation.
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A few helpful answers
Before you get started.
Who is this guide for?
Business owners, leaders, trainers, sales professionals, speakers, and technical experts who want to help people understand, remember, and use their message.
Is this only for trainers?
No. Adult learning principles can inform presentations, leadership conversations, sales discussions, networking introductions, and other situations where you need to create understanding.
Do I need to use all eight principles at once?
Start with one principle that fits your situation. Try a practical adjustment, notice the response, and use what you learn to improve your next conversation.
How do I receive the guide?
Complete the form and follow the email-confirmation instructions. Access to the guide is provided after your email is confirmed.
What if I already subscribe?
Use the same email address when requesting the guide and follow any confirmation instructions you receive.
What if I don’t see the confirmation email?
Check your spam, junk, or promotions folder. Look for a confirmation email from Present Your Way To Success, and make sure the address you entered is correct.
What kinds of emails will I receive?
Practical communication strategies, speaking insights, learning opportunities, and program updates, including The Speaker’s Edge™. You may unsubscribe at any time.
What if I want help applying the principles?
Bring your goals and questions to a free 30-minute discovery call . We can discuss your communication challenges and whether coaching is a useful next step. For ongoing practice and feedback, explore Speak With Impact Network™ .
You know your stuff.
Make it clear.
Make it relevant.
Make it land.
Start with one principle. Bring it to your next conversation. Build from there.
Get my complimentary guide ↗