Presentation skills training – Getting your Audience’s Attention
Here is a presentation tip: Getting your audience’s attention during your introduction.
You are about to open your mouth and speak for the first time. What do you say? It’s important to capture your audience’s attention immediately or as my mom, Nancy M. DiMino, would say: “We are as dead as door nails.”
What are your first words?
There are a couple of options:
1. Ask a question. Or two. You can begin your speech by asking your audience relevant questions. Generate curiosity by the choice of your questions. You can ask rhetorical questions or you may get your audience participating by really asking for their answers.
2. Make a comment. Make a personal comment on the subject matter you are presenting. Make a statement. This will set up the rest of your speech…are you going to support or oppose this opening comment.
3. Quote, anecdote, story. Capture your audience’s attention by using a relevant quote. Or a humorous anecdote. Or a poignant story. Whichever one of these three you choose…it will draw your audience in.
Let’s be clear here, choose one, not all three. A quote will give you a presence of being knowledgeable. An anecdote will be perceived as someone who reads. A poignant story will pull on the heart-strings of your audience and make you seem more down to earth on the platform.
Fuggettaboutit: If you get your audience members participating during your introduction, this will drive your presentation to the next level.
Speak from your Heart.
Ciao,
Maurice
