This blog post will share advice on not only how to CAPTURE your audience’s attention, but how to KEEP your audience engaged throughout your presentation.
This is especially important in the current culture we’re living in, where audiences have so many distractions, often even multi-tasking during our presentation.
Read on for some great techniques to avoid this during your presentation.
Audience interaction – Make sure you interact with your audience as early as possible in your next presentation. Ask a simple yes or no question, get them to vote with hands up, or even try a thumbs up or down.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, try to build an interaction that will last all the way through the talk, for example by telling the audience “when I say … you must all say …” This is a creative way to get the audience involved with the performance and feeling engaged right from the first minute.
Change the tone of your voice – When making a presentation it’s really important that you don’t always speak at the same volume and at the same pitch, as the audience can easily tune out.
This is especially a problem for non-native English speakers when presenting in English. One method is to practise changing the volume and tone of your voice, record yourself speaking on your mobile phone then play it back. You will be surprised how effective this simple method can be!
Use body language – We’re not suggesting you need to dance or sing during your next presentation to capture your audience’s attention! But the use of body language is critical given that research tells us 55% of communication is from body language, 38% is from tone of voice and just 7% is the words we use.
Therefore, the gestures you make with your hands and way you use your body are essential tools to keep your audience on the edge of their seat.
The element of surprise – A famous example of using the element of surprise is when Steve Jobs pulled the new MacBook Air out of an envelope at Macworld 2008. No one was expecting it and it was most definitely a “wow” moment for the audience.
Which part of your next presentation will be a “wow” moment for your audience?
Variety is the spice of life – During your next presentation, try to mix things up. Ask a question and get your audience to put up their hand if they agree with you. Show a short video clip or use an interesting photo or picture. Get your audience to stand up and teach them something.
Most people can only concentrate for a very short time, so you need to keep changing the way you deliver your presentation and the tools you use to ensure you maintain their attention from the beginning until the end.
Summary
Nobody wants to lose the attention of their audience during an important presentation. Try experimenting with the techniques above, and see what a difference it can make to the engagement and enjoyment of your next presentation, both for the audience and for you!