One of the hardest parts of being a public speaker is truly grabbing your audience’s attention. It can be both hard to get and easy to lose. Luckily, I’ve compiled a list of nine tips to help you get the attention of your audience right away and maintain it throughout your entire presentation.
Key Takeaways
- A – Ask questions to get your audience thinking
- T – Tell personal stories
- T – Tailor your message to your audience
- E – Establish credibility
- N – Nonverbal communication will be your best friend
- T – Time your delivery just right
- I – Incorporate humor
- O – Offer something of value
- N – Never leave them hanging
See Related: 7 Important Ways To Connect With Your Audience
#1. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions
When you want to capture your audience’s attention, you need to get their brains moving.
The best way to do this is by asking questions. But, of course, these questions need to be thought-provoking and not too dull. Otherwise, there’s no point.
Thought-provoking questions get the audience engaged and thinking about what you’re saying. This kind of critical thinking is what reels them in right off the bat.
#2. Tell Personal Stories
Storytelling is one of the primary ways we have communicated for years. By telling a personal story, you can connect with your audience and get them interested in what you have to say.
It’ll also make your message more relatable and help you build trust with your listeners!
#3. Tailor Your Message To Them
Connecting with your audience means that you’re able to reach them on a deeper level. And to do this, you need to tailor your unique speech to them.
This will show your audience that you are looking to reach them on a more substantial level. And it proves you’ve done your homework!
Bonus: 7 Ways To Empower Your Employees
#4. Establish Yourself As A Credible Speaker
Your audience won’t care or listen to you if they think you don’t know what you’re talking about. As an experienced corporate emcee, I’ve learned that you need to prove yourself as a confident and knowledgeable speaker as soon as you step onstage.
This will build trust with your audience and make them more open to hearing what you have to say.
#5. Nonverbal Communication
The most integral aspect of your speech isn’t what you say. It’s more about how you say it. This is known as nonverbal communication.
Things like facial expressions, gestures, and body language will draw your audience in. It’ll make you intriguing, interesting, and engaging. And that’s the key to getting your listener’s attention!
#6. Time Your Delivery Right
If you want to leave a mark on your listeners, you must know how to deliver your speech correctly. It’ll make your message all the more impactful and intriguing.
Timing your delivery to match the audience’s attention span and interest level can help to maintain their engagement.
#7. Incorporate Humor
Everyone loves to laugh. That much is given in life! So, use humor and comedy to make your presentation come to life.
Humor can lighten the mood, make you more personable, and make your speech enjoyable. And if you’re not quite sure how to pull this off, you can always hire a professional emcee to make humor and clean comedy the main focus of your event.
#8. Offer Solutions
Most public speakers use their skills to motivate, inspire, or teach their listeners. But how do they do that exactly?
They offer solutions.
Leaving your audience with tangible takeaways will give them something valuable and useful to chew on even after you’ve finished your speech. And that’s a surefire way to leave a lasting impression!
#9. Never Leave Them Hanging
It’s easy to grab your audience’s attention when the content of your speech revolves around something they find interesting. But remember – in this day and age where social media is all about keeping us entertained to the max 100% of the time, your audience’s attention is automatically being pulled elsewhere.
To combat this, make sure you don’t leave your audience hanging. Keep them interested in what you have to say by delving into their interests.
Make sure you give them what they want while expanding their horizons at the same time. This way, you’re able to reel them in without losing their focus halfway through your speech.
Keep Reading: Fun And Professional Ways To Implement Humor At Work
—
Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
