What is a “dynamic ramp?”

In your speech, perhaps you share a story from many years ago and then you jump to a recent story, and then you add a conclusion at the end.

That’s three distinct sections.

How will you let your audience know when you’ve switched to a new one?

Ramp up the intensity as the story progresses, and then pause and hit the reset button. Bring the pace and the intensity down and build it up again throughout the next section.

At the end, hit reset again. Bring the energy down to cue your audience that something new is happening.

Watch World Championship of Public Speaking finalist Errol Leandre finish the first section of his speech at 2:24 and then reset the dynamics to start a second one at 3:03.

After the climax of the first story, Errol used a dynamic ramp to bring the energy back down and begin building up the intensity of his second story.

He makes it clear that he’s starting a new section and a new story, and it gives him some headroom so he can build the energy up again. If he’d stayed at the peak, he’d have had no place to go!

Is your speech organized into sections or chapters? Use dynamic ramps to keep your audience on the rails.