CONFIDENCE 4 U

Presentation skills: How to capture and maintain the attention of your audience

16-Jun-2008, Number 221

Written and published by Rachel Green.
Visit our website at http://www.rachelgreen.com
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In this edition:

1. Welcome and background news.
   
2. Top tips on how to capture the attention of your audience.
3. More tips on how to speak in public with confidence.
4. Special offer: F.R.E.E. CD set, "Confidence for women in public speaking".
5. Laugh your socks off.
   

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1. Welcome.

I've recently had the opportunity to be in the audience during several presentations, whilst waiting to give my own. It's been an interesting experience and has highlighted various ways that presenters can connect with, impress and capture the attention of their audience.

Read on to the tips section to get some top tips on making your audience sit up and take notice.

Welcome to all our new readers from around the world, including this fortnight from the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, USA and Malaysia. Welcome!

The winner this fortnight, of a free E-book from our range, is Mamoun from Saudi Arabia. If this is you, please contact us to claim your prize by 21st June 2008:

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2. The TOP TIPS: How to capture the attention of your audience.

Tip 1: Research your audience in advance.

The more you know about your audience in advance the better. Find out who they are, what they are interested in, their age, their gender, the problems they face, the kind of work they do, the hobbies they have, their education level, where they live and more. Also, find out what they already know about your topic and what else they want to know. Once you have collected relevant information then adapt your presentation to them.

Tip 2. Choose examples relevant to your audience.

The examples you give to illustrate your information need to suit and be relevant to your audience: their age, gender, interests, lifestyle, problems, prior knowledge, and so on. Go out of your way to pick the most relevant examples for them. For example, if you were speaking to an all male audience, would you use examples to do with stiletto heels and wedding dresses? No, of course not, unless they were relevant. If you were speaking only to women, and women in business, would you use examples related to cricket and rugby? Only if they were relevant.

I recently saw a gentleman use cricket stories with an all female audience and it diminished the audience's interest in his presentation. He even asked the audience who was interested in cricket and on finding only 2 or 3 women were, he proceeded anyway. Don't do this if you want your audience to be interested. Don't do the audience research then ignore it. Instead, choose examples that your audience will be interested in and easily relate to.

In contrast, I saw a woman talking to an audience that comprised many parents. She naturally gave examples of the kinds of things her children got up to and her reactions to this. The audience paid attention. Choose examples relevant to your audience.

Tip 3. Get up to speed quickly and keep time.

Audiences loath presenters going over-time, they get restless and fidgety. This applies even if you are good. Never keep an audience waiting for their tea or toilet breaks. Don't hold up the next speaker. Stick to the time schedule you are given even if you have to stop without saying everything you wanted to. I recently saw a lady go on for so long, that not only did she eat into the next presenter's time by about 25 minutes but she made the whole proceedings so late many of the audience had to leave before the last speaker came on. This was totally unfair on both the audience and the speaker. Get up to speed quickly and finish on time. The audience will love you for it.

Tip 4. Stick to the topic.

If an audience has come to your speech expecting you to speak on a particular topic then speak on that topic. If you don't, you will be disappointing the audience. They will have pre-set their minds to think about the designated topic and when the expected content isn't delivered they will disengage (usually). Stick to the topic.

Tip 5. Work out the best way to get your message across to THIS audience.

There are many ways to engage an audience. There is no one right way to deliver a speech or presentation, there are many ways. What matters most is that you find the best way to get your message across to each audience. What will they relate to? What will intellectually engage them? What will answer their problems? Is it cartoons, audience participation, video demonstrations, props, photographs, music, demonstrations, stories, quizzes, or something else? Work out what you can do to get your message across in the best way for each audience. Package your content for each audience. Please don't stand there only speaking and showing a series of bullet points on your powerpoint. This is known as death by powerpoint! It bores audiences. Instead, be interesting and you'll gain and maintain the audiences' attention.

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3. More tips on presentation skills and public speaking.

Each month new tips are placed on our page of Personal Development Tips and Articles.

There are several sets on public speaking and presentation skills for you to read. Click on the links to read three of them:

1. Five ways to cure your public speaking stage fright.
   

2. Five easy ways to overcome nervousness in public speaking.
   

3. Eleven things to avoid in public speaking.
   

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4. More ways to have confidence when giving presentations.

"Confidence for women in public speaking."

Do you dislike speaking in public and giving presentations? Do you get anxious or nervous? Do you blush, shake or sweat; or do you simply not know how to prepare or what to say?

Would you rather be a confident public speaker and presenter? Yes! Then discover how to develop more confident public speaking and presentation skills by listening to the seven women featured on these dynamic and unique CDs. They'll tell you how they give successful presentations and how to overcome stage fright. You'll even hear me coaching some of the women to overcome their nerves and improve their skills so you can do the same.

Click here for more details.
Click here to order.

Bonus: If you buy these CDs on the website no later than Saturday 21st June 2008, then you will receive a second copy of the CDs for F.R.E.E. worth $49. Give them to a friend and help them too. And there are no extra charges for postage or packing wherever you are in the world.

To be eligible for the extra copy you must order through our On-line Book and CD store and click newsletter when it asks you where you heard about the CDs. Don't miss out - hurry as this offer closes, 21st June 2008. This offer is ONLY available to CONFIDENCE 4 U Readers.

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5. Laugh your socks off.

Thanks again to our Confidence 4 U reader Angelee Deodhar, from India, for this fortnight's joke.

The evils of liquor.
A professor of chemistry wanted to teach his 5th grade class a lesson about the evils of liquor so he produced an experiment that involved a glass of water, a glass of whiskey, and two worms.

"Now, class. Observe closely the worms," said the professor putting a worm first into the water. The worm in the water writhed about, happy as a worm in water could be.

The second worm, he put into the whiskey. It writhed painfully, and quickly sank to the bottom, dead as a doornail.

"Now, what lesson can we derive from this experiment?" the professor asked.

Johnny, who naturally sits at the back, raised his hand and wisely responded, "Drink whiskey and you won't get worms."

(PS: Please don't repeat this experiment, it is cruel to worms!)

If you have some clean jokes we can use, please send your contributions to

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When you make your presentation relevant and interesting for the audience you'll have the audience's attention the whole way through. Enjoy presenting.

With kindness,
Rachel.

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Further information for you

Learn in your own time.

There are nine CD sets, a printed book and 5 Electronic books to help you, including the NEW! CD set on "CONFIDENCE for women at work," and the very popular E-book "How to be a brilliant master of ceremonies." Please order in our online book and CD store - we have a secure server: click here.

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Disclaimer: The information in this magazine is of a general nature and may not suit everyone or every situation. While every care has been taken to ensure it is useful and appropriate, no responsibility can be taken for the results gained from its implementation. Please seek individual professional guidance for any difficulties you may have with your confidence, relationships, marriage, presentations, managing people, work, health, communication or emotions. Thank you.