There are more ways to start a speech than I can count. I previously
discussed the attention-grabbing opening, and one effective way to do
this is with an open-ended question for the audience to respond to,
such as “Have you ever found yourself in a situation like…?” or “Can
anyone give me an example when…?” Many speakers have an audience
respond to a question in unison, as a group response can be full
of energy if you have the right delivery and the right audience (e.g.,
size, demographics). For example, “When I say ____, you say _____.”
In these cases, the speaker is breaking the invisible wall that sometimes
gets built between speaker and audience. The key is to engage
the audience so that they feel like a part of the presentation. The success
of the presentation grows exponentially when the audience gets
into it from the very beginning, whether mentally or physically or by
having the speaker grab their attention.
Once you have their attention, you must maintain audience engagement
to keep the momentum as the presentation progresses. There are
several ways to ensure that your audience remains committed to your
message through their own involvement. Depending on the type of
presentation, you may want to provide key points or facts highlighted
on a handout for people to absorb and take away. Another way is to
provide a fill-in-the-blank answer sheet for your participants to complete
during the presentation to reinforce the message. People learn
in many ways; however, the more engagement you get early on in a
presentation, the greater the chance of information retention.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com