Mastering the Art of Public Speaking: 5 Essential Tips for Success – Part 3

In this article, we delve into the third strategy (part 3 of 5):

Strategy #3: Engage your audience with these techniques!

In the world of public speaking, a presenter’s ability to captivate and hold the attention of the audience is crucial for a successful business presentation. Whether you’re giving a motivational speech, instructional lecture, or sales pitch, engaging your audience can make the difference between a speech that is forgotten and one that is remembered. In order to make sure that your presentation connects with your audience from beginning to end, you can use a few crucial methods:

Stun your audience from the very beginning!

The opening is crucial since, in the first few minutes, your audience will begin to decide whether or not it is worthwhile to pay attention to you. A genuine involvement with the audience in your introduction, in my opinion, makes a strong entrance—you don’t need an overly dramatic or theatrical one. Saying something like, “Many of you find insects disgusting, but do you know that most of us would have consumed an insect at least once,” can be used to play with and disrupt the audience’s attention at the beginning. One can take an obvious premise and work backwards from there.

Alternatively, you may start your presentation with an attention-grabbing introduction to capture the interest of the audience. This may be an intriguing anecdote, a shocking statistic, a thought-provoking inquiry, or even a pertinent quote. By getting off to a great start, you captivate your audience and establish the tone for the remainder of your presentation, which keeps them interested and involved.

We have already prepared a training video on killer introductions you can use immediately: Click YouTube link to watch – https://youtu.be/fZSHeNiyeLo?si=0YE9CLbfWylflDlr

Use signposting to maintain the ‘leash’ on your audience (just a joke)

Keep things succinct by using short headlines (you can always elaborate afterward). Consider the heading “The summation of future cash flows’ present values, discounted using an estimated rate of return and assuming a constant rate of…” Oh my, how many people in your audience are going to nod off? Maybe “How to Price a Bond Accurately” would be a better title. Slang, acronyms, abbreviations, and non-universal language should all be avoided unless you take the time to explain them at the beginning.

Ps: the usage of ‘leash on audience’ above is also a headline that kept you intrigued, isn’t it? *wink wink*

Signposting is putting out ‘breadcrumbs’ to guide your audience along your presentation with clear “signboards”. Use words like ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’, ‘lastly’ – this helps enhance audience’s knowledge retention and interest level.

Throughout your speech, use attention-grabbing or call-to-action statements such as “I believe,” “I recommend,” “I cannot emphasize this enough,” “If there is one thing I wish you would take away from this speech is,” and others. A fantastic way to wrap it off is with an exciting and fascinating finish, like asking audience members to join in and state a crucial point with you. At this point, focus on the delivery and commit this section to memory. I swear, this always works.

Last but not least…(see what I just did again?)

Apply storytelling techniques to your speeches

People love stories, so using storytelling techniques in your presentation can help keep them engaged. Provide examples and anecdotes to support your points to make your presentation more memorable. Use concise, straightforward language and make sure your tale is pertinent to your audience and goal.

While it’s true that “Facts tell, Stories sell,” we would also argue that effective storytelling is necessary for stories to thrive (i.e. “They sell, only if you tell them well!”). You must be able to organize, create, and present an engaging narrative to an audience—whether it be orally or in writing. A gripping story may transport the audience and persuade them to feel the emotions and experiences of the characters.

Now, storytelling itself is a huge chapter and we have a separate article to share techniques on effectively using stories to enthral and entertain your audience: Click here to read the article – https://www.publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/2021/04/22/creating-value-with-stories-the-art-of-storytelling-in-modern-presentations

In summary, a presentation’s ability to hold the attention of its audience demands a diverse set of skills, including compelling information, skillful delivery, interaction, storytelling, and personal involvement. You can make engaging presentations that stick with your audience long after the applause has subsided by putting these techniques into practice. In the end, knowing your audience and adjusting your presentation to suit their requirements and preferences will be the key to success.

Stay tuned for Part 4 in which we share tips with regard to the fourth strategy on how to master non-verbal communication skills (body language)!