Want to be a memorable moderator? Then memorize your notes.

One of the hardest aspects of being a moderator is keeping track of the name of all the speakers, and panelists, their topics and their introductions. 

Most moderators use cue cards where they have everything written down. Some moderators use cards with just the most important bullet points on them.

And then there is Lennart Paulsson. Lennart memories the whole run sheet so that he doesn’t have to use any scripts or cue cards on stage!

“Having the script memorized makes me free as a moderator. It also makes my delivery more authentic, less robotic and I am more present in the room.”, Lennart explains.

Lennart, who has been a professional moderator since 2010, has a process for how he can remember so many details:

“Three days prior to the event I will go down to a castle backyard close to where I live and with a picked up wooden stick draw big circles in the gravel. Each circle symbolises a session in the agenda. I stand in the first circle and recite the introduction for that event out loud. If I get it right I can move to the second circle, which represents the second session in the agenda, and so on. If I get something wrong I have to go back to the first (!) circle again and start over, until I have successfully read out the whole days scrip and made it to the last circle.” 

The audience benefit from Lennart’s dedication by getting a moderator who stands on stage and moderates from the heart.

The client benefit by Lennart showing how determined he is to really commit to the event.

The speakers benefit by having a moderator introducing them in a more personal and authentic way than reading from cue cards.

It just makes the moderation look extremely professional.

Lennart, of course, has a printed copy of his notes in his jacket as backup in the case that he will forget something. But most times that script stays in the pocket the whole day.

Lennart sees the process of memorising the whole script as a way of pushing himself to do better. It’s a challenge. And it keeps him on his toes.

Here are some tips that he has learned from doing this:

1) There is no need for loads of pre-prepared questions to panelists or interviewees. It’s better to have prepared a few questions (2-3) and then be present enough doing the event to ask interesting and relevant follow up questions. That way you get a more interesting interview that is more like a conversation than an interrogation, and you also do not have to memorise so much.

2) By knowing that you are going to memorize their introduction you become better at really listening to the speaker/panelists when you interview them before the event. That, in turn, makes the pre-event calls more valuable.

3) Speaking without cue cards is like riding a bike in unknown terrain without a GPS. Yes, it’s harder and potentially you get lost, but it also creates a huge feeling of freedom. It becomes easier to improvise, and you become more comfortable  dealing with situations that happens during the day.

There is a reason for why the phrase for having memorised a text is called “learn by heart” – because when you know what you are going to say without having to look at any notes you come across as more emphatic, more present, dare I say, more human.

And what could be more valuable for a moderator than that?

Be inspired by Lennart Paulssons habit of memorising entire scripts. And even if you cannot do it on Lennar’s level and memorise the whole thing, at least try to memorise as much as you can. Your audience, and your client will thank you for it.

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