7. For those of you who are more theatrical, open with some role-playing that relates to a specific message. Get your ideas from your own life or TV sitcoms.

8. Use analogies. They help your audience understand new ideas and situations by showing how these things are similar to something in their own lives. For instance, our lives will never be same again because of September 11. The message: Life is impermanent and change is constant.

9. Be there fully for your audience. Although you have prepared your script, be in moment. When you do this, you can adjust your presentation to meet mood and energy of group.

10. Risk being fully who you are. Be genuine. Display your enthusiasm for your audience. Have courage to talk about uncomfortable things.

11. Demonstrate candor. Tell your truth. Be vulnerable. Be ethical. Share your mishaps.

12. Involve your audience. Speakers often get their best lines from audience. Research shows that people retain more when they are involved. Have them work in pairs or small groups and share their stories and experiences.

13. Refer to people by their first names, if possible.

That's because checklists work best for very linear kinds of information delivery. The instructions for starting a computer or piece of equipment, for example. In these cases, there's no room for nuance or fine distinctions. A switch turns on, or it turns off; we don't discuss way switch looks or sounds. So, think of checklists as tools for developing lists or describing sequential actions.

This context also leads to another strategic use for checklists, which is to ensure nothing is forgotten and nothing extra goes into instructions. Make a checklist of steps involved in a process and you have a tool for seeing that it stays on track.

You can also use checklists for inclusion and exclusion. For example, when I travel, I print a packing checklist to make sure I pack things I need, and perhaps just as important, don't pack items I don't need. This kind of list has strategic value because it helps me manage my time and resources.

In this case, checklist also acts a memory-jogging tool. Having started on packing list, some non-list items may be recalled. For example, if I make a note to include a magazine to read on plane, then I might also remember to stop delivery of newspapers while I'm away. That's then something new to add to next iteration of checklist.

In summary, don't just think of a checklist as a way of making a list. Think of it as a tool that will help you achieve your objectives.