Do you have a speaking engagement on your calendar? Whether it’s a seminar, presentation, or meeting engaging your audience can make a huge difference. An engaged audience is more receptive, can help you decide what’s best to focus on, and will make your talk easier to do.
3 Easy Ways to Engage Your Audience
- Arrive early and mix with the crowd. Introduce yourself and ask what attracted them to attend and what they hope to gain from the presentation. Ask specific questions about your presentation; if their answer fits, ask if you may call on them. Identifying several people to call on paves the way for others to feel comfortable participating and will add another level of engagement to your presentation.
- Ask open-ended questions throughout your presentation. Don’t settle for closed-ended leading questions like, “You know what I mean, don’t you?” Call out questions such as why you do this, how you use it, and what you have found. Ask the audience what, why, and how.
- At the end of your presentation, after Q&A, it’s crucial to ask the audience what they got out of the presentation. Their feedback is not just a formality, but a valuable insight into how your message was received. Set it up by asking the group near the beginning of your talk to think about one takeaway from your presentation they will embrace. Then ask them to share what they learned and how they plan to use it.
Engaging Your Audience
There are many ways to involve your audience in a presentation. You can give assignments, hand out action sheets, or a social media call to action. All these strategies can help you connect with your audience. By taking proactive action, you can impact how your audience engages with you and not leave it up to chance. Remember, your audience is not just a passive listener but an active participant in your presentation. So, let me ask you what did you take away from this post?
How Can I Help You?
I’d love to meet you and your team virtually. I like to help people and organizations, but I consider three criteria before taking an assignment: I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, contact me.
Does your business have a management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.
If you enjoyed this post you might like How to Add Action to Your Next Presentation (even if it’s virtual).
