WAKE UP YOUR AUDIENCE

Why do you make presentations? Is it your idea? An

assignment? A necessity? Part of your job? Of course
there must be a reason for each presentation: to
sell...to educate...to motivate. But to what kind of
audience? To your boss? To an audience of a
thousand people? Or maybe to one very important
client? (But aren’t all clients important?) How many
of us would choose to stand up in front of people
without a reason? Well, some might, but the majority
of us would not. Speaking in public is listed as one of
the top ten fears of most people. So not only is
making a presentation potentially fearful, but once
past that, you have to make it a good one for
effective results. And a good presentation cannot be
considered good if the audience is bored. So how do
we get their attention? How do we wake them up?

The people seated in front of you may be mentally

slumbering in their chair before you’re halfway
through. If they think they know or even guess what
you’re about to say, they lose focus, skip ahead, plan
their next client meeting or what they’re having for
lunch. All of our minds in this fast-moving
contemporary society of ours are full of meaningless
and meaningful data. Your job is to get and to keep
the audience’s attention. To wake them up. Here are
some specific ways to do this as well as a few
creative ideas.

MOVEMENT

Take advantage of one of our natural human

inclinations: the DNA code that forces humans to pay
heed to any sharp movement within our field of
vision. Imagine a grazing zebra when it spots the
buff-colored mane of a lion. Its sympathetic nervous
system kicks in and the zebra starts to run. The
primitive species that didn’t pay attention are gone
for good. This is not to suggest startling your
audience into stampeding out of the room. No, just
activate that DNA code with some sort of movement.
You’re not a statue; don’t stand as still as one.

Explore the full range of physical expressiveness.

Move your entire body from one place to another,
across the stage, standing up, bending over, spinning
around. Gesture with your hands, even feet? while
remaining in the same location. Increase the speed,
range and variety of your movement; it creates an
impression of vigor and excitement.

GESTURE

Gestures, a form of body language or non-verbal

communication, are a major component of human
life. In some societies, gestures are used to initiate a
mating ritual. Religious and spiritual gestures are
also commonly known, such as the Catholic sign of
the cross. We communicate daily with all kinds of
gestures; whether hailing a taxi or blowing a kiss, the
universal meaning of many gestures is understood
quickly and accurately. As gestures are so easily
understood, in many cultures, what we do with our
hands may even replace words.

Our instinct tells us to trust body language more than

words. Early on we learn that body language often
communicates more honestly than words. Having a
serious conversation with someone whose arms are
crossed or whose eyes do not contact yours might
leave room for doubt about the speaker’s sincerity. If
you as a speaker do not match your body language
with your words, how much will the audience pay
attention and/or believe what you’re saying?

We’ve all had this experience: You’re talking to

someone about an important topic. How does their
message and/or conversation come across if during
an important point, they look away or yawn. What if
they start shaking? Blush? Keep blinking as if to keep
themselves awake?

As a speaker, it is imperative to match your words

with your body. Lean forward to be sincere. Raise
your arms to express joy. Pound on the podium to
make your point. Follow your own instincts and do
what expresses your message the most.

STILLNESS

Often the most important movements can be its

complete absence. Calm, powerful stillness.
Unfocused movement such as rocking back and
forth, shifting, repetitive hand gestures or finger
fidgeting decreases your power and credibility and
can distract the audience from your message. When
you’re not making a gesture or movement that
supports your presentation, choose stillness. When
you can stand still in silence, with self-confidence,
the audience interprets this as power and control.
Just don’t do it for very long.

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT
-Catch the audience off guard by inviting them to
participate.

-Employ a dramatic gesture at an unexpected

moment.

-Make a loud sound by clapping, stomping a foot,

slapping the table or making an unexpected sound
with your voice.

-Tease the audience.

-Reveal an interesting prop or use an object in the

room in an unusual way.

-Stop and be silent.