Most of the audience do something else than listening to the co-worker presentation; they admitted themselves in a survey conducted with the help of Harris Poll. 28% send text messages, 27% check or send emails; and 17% take a nap! It is a daunting task to hold the attention of the audience when the human attention span has reduced to eight seconds in recent times.
But you can make the presentation riveting, stirring and appealing by making the audience a part of the storytelling. Nothing is more absorbing than an audiovisual narrative, using a slideshow maker to compose your presentation in a more gripping and engaging fashion. To be a good orator you need eloquent skill and confidence, which comes from experience. The spotlight on the stage would not make you nervous any more but will be a tool to brim you with confidence.
1. Break the ice
In the bigger picture, everything around us is a presentation. Brands use social media to promote their products. A great presentation can win the heart of a stranger across a mobile screen. But the audience consists of individuals with different moods, mindset and taste. Some simple tricks can rejuvenate the entire audience, and put everyone on the same level. Break the ice, to reset their attitude and get their focus back on the presentation. Ask the audience to exchange greetings between them, or put up a few questions, which they like to hear addressed during the presentation.
2. Storytelling
Nothing is more alluring and fascinating than a year of a story from a great orator. Stories are nourishment to the brain and mind during the presentation. Storytelling fascinates the audience across all age, gender and social, economic status. When you start a story, the audience becomes eager to know what happens next. A few legends, myths in the story make it more fascinating. Start from the status quo and then slowly reveal the path of betterment. You make the audience aware of the present situation and provide some simple solutions to improve the state. Every human being wants to better the problem; the audience will be hanging on the edge of their seats, fuming to hear the end of the story.
Do not pay too much attention to the technicalities or the content of the slides. A perfect presentation is the infusion of perfect story and flawless, forceful delivery. Both these factors are dependent on each other; to make a memorable presentation, you must work on both these aspects.
3. Visual effects
Viewers watch over 6 billion hours of video on YouTube alone every month. Research conducted by the University of California how visual attention affects and activates specific brain cells. The paper was published in the journal Nature on 26th June. Despite the deep impact of visuals, few presenters utilize this powerful tool. Videos make the presentation more engaging, appealing. Visuals have an inherent characteristic of evoking human emotions, which otherwise would have been challenging to bring out. Please select a suitable video which will reinforce the narrative, and set the right ambience for it. You will get many templates from VideoCreek to make the presentation more exciting.
Structure; the flow of the narrative should be smooth and seamless. Before you add anything on the slides, videos or content, please put them in black and white. Make sure the points, the ideas you want to incorporate further are relevant and ensure linearity and succinctness. If you are using slides as a visual aid, make sure you present them in sequence, and your views must not be recurring and monotonous.
4. Keep it short and sweet
If your speech is long and meandering, the audience loses their attention pretty soon. You want to make the presentation engaging, not to test the patience of listeners. After half an hour, the audience looks restless, edgy you risk diluting the whole presentation and leaving the audience little to take away other than an ordeal. Famous spokespersons have always kept their speech short and sweet with well-thought phrases and sentences meaningful and impactful. JKF`s renowned line “It’s not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” leaves the audience speechless, making them think over the few lines. Quick, dry wit gives your statements the punch, clout which makes the audience think.
5. Simplicity has its beauty
After initial warming up:
- Go to the core concepts and essential ideas of the presentation.
- Continue with the style with which you have started; you cannot afford to jump to monologues if you have created with some daring ironic phrases and dry wit. If you have activated the speech with a pleasant tone, you must carry on with it, throwing little jokes here and there.
- Keep the mood upbeat.
- Do not deviate too much from the core structure.
- Move one point from another in a logical, rational fashion, giving sufficient emphasis on crucial information and coming to a sound conclusion.
Keep the presentation as simple as possible, with lots of room for interaction. The main aim of the presentation is building an interpersonal relationship with the audience, to engage with them not to preach about the product in monotones. Ask questions, or encourage them to ask questions. Incorporate some elements of doubt, which opens to the discussion, make them part of the presentation, not a mute spectator.
6. Infuse a sense of humor
Some of the best speeches, remembered, applauded, viewed and heard by millions feature plenty of humor. Bring a smile to the face of the audience, the universal sign understood across the world. The infusion of humor on your speech will break the ice, and make the audience feel at ease. Do not be sarcastic; do not hurt the feelings of the audience to be humorous. Use beautiful, heart touching language, charisma, wit and humor to convey your message. Sometimes a silly innocent joke evokes the inner child of the audience. Instead of power, speaking uses language, which is close to the audience`s heart. The more serious the situation, the heavier is the air, the jokes will make things lighter yet more powerfully it will hit.
