107: Make Your Presentations More Brain-Friendly Using Behavioral Economics with Melina Palmer

107: Make Your Presentations More Brain-Friendly Using Behavioral Economics with Melina Palmer

I love this line from my guest: “Our brains are lazy.”

That includes your audience’s brains (no offense).

Knowing this, how can you make your presentations more brain-friendly, engaging, and persuasive?

In this episode, Melina Palmer, who has a Master’s degree in Behavioral Economics, shares with us how we can use behavioral economics principles to be better speakers.

Melina breaks it down for us in simple and straightforward strategies we can use right away.

We talk about:

  • What happens when our brains get overwhelmed
  • Why 3 choices are better than more if we want people to buy
  • How much our subconscious brains are doing compared to our conscious (I was surprised by this)
  • How to create high points in your presentations to keep the audience engaged
  • The importance of repetition and reciprocity
  • How many calls to action to have
  • Making the audience feel smart and the dopamine hit that produces
  • Melina’s wardrobe malfunction at her first important speaking engagement (you will laugh with us!)

About My Guest: Why do people say one thing and do another? What really drives behavior? How does the brain actually work – and how can we best communicate with it? What does that mean for companies? Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast, has dedicated her career to seeking answers to these questions for herself and her clients. Melina uses behavioral economics to help companies and entrepreneurs understand the psychology of why people buy, unlocking the secrets of small changes that make a big difference. The result is messaging, branding, advertisements, pricing and products that are more “brain friendly” (meaning more leads, conversions, and revenue).

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/107

Visit Melina’s website and download her free e-book at http://thebrainybusiness.com/.

Listen to Melina’s podcast “The Brainy Business” at http://thebrainybusiness.com/podcast/.

Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999.

Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.

Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call.

Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts and leave a review!

Related Podcast Episodes:


Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.


A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.


As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable

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