5 Ways to Keep Audience Attention During Your Presentation
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5 Ways to Keep Audience Attention During Your Presentation
Recently a presenter asked, “What can I do to keep the audience’s attention throughout the whole of my presentation. There are always people who don’t seem to be listening.”
True, keeping your audience engaged all the time during a presentation can be a daunting task especially if you don’t know the tricks to keep their interest.
Best practices for presentations, including practicing and structuring your presentation effectively, are important to make a quality show. However, it’s the little things, the speaking and body language tricks you use, that will keep your audience awake long enough to hear it.
Make it easier for your audience by following these 5 guidelines:
1. Tell a story
Humans take naturally to stories. Narratives are an evolutionary social tool we use to convey experiences, so we find it far easier to listen and relate to a story than we do a list of facts or statements. Transform anything you can in your presentation into a story format.
When you say “ I’ll tell you a story about…” your audience will perk up. Your stories should of course reinforce the point you’re making.
2. Ask questions effectively
This technique is engaging and the more questions you ask the more interest you will stir among your public. Seasoned public speakers know how effectively ask rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is a device used to persuade or subtly influence the audience.
It’s a question asked not for the answer, but for the effect. It could a very effective way to end your speech with a question and make your audience think further about you and your subject.
3. Use the power of louds and softs
Speaking in one constant tone will bore your readers, even if you somehow manage to put some emotion behind it. Certainly, some sections or your presentation are more compelling or more important than others.
Use the power of louds and softs to accentuate those differences. Speak softly when you can afford your users to trail off, and rise back up to a higher volume when you drive home an important point.
4. Be passionate about what you say and know your subject
When you know and love your subject it shows through. People feel your passion and it is contagious. People start feeling passionate about it almost unconsciously and see it as very interesting indeed.
5. Set up some jokes
Even the most serious of topics deserve some kind of humorous break. It’s your job to help people find humor throughout your presentation. If you can get them laughing, or at least smiling, you’ll keep their attention firm. Obviously, you’ll want your jokes to be appropriate, but don’t be afraid to push the boundaries confident, unexpected humor tends to facilitate likeability.
To summarise: connect with your audience, inspire them with your passion and have a giving attitude. Speak in a simple way, ask questions effectively, stress important messages and use pauses generously
Your presentation doesn’t have to be boring, so why would you let it be? Sign up for our Public Speaking Class today and ace your next presentation.
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