Imagine youโre sitting in an auditorium with 150 other people. Youโre listening to a speaker whoโs talking about one of your favorite topics. The presentation is enlightening and energetic, but, somethingโs missing.
After the presentation, you have a revelation:
You felt like the speaker was talking at you, and not with you.
When we feel talked at, it seems like weโre listening to a lecture from a disengaged presenter. Itโs not a two-way conversation.
You may remember the talk, but chances are you wonโt.
How To The Deepen Connection With Your Audience, And Keep Their Attention
What can you do to capture and keep audience attention?
Check-ins
What can you do to capture and keep audience attention?
Check-ins.
Itโs important to check-in with your audience to ensure theyโre still alert and engaged. How do you do this?
There are a variety of methods:
- Ask questions
- Conduct polls
- Pause to gauge their reactions.
These check-ins serve three purposes:
- You engage listenersโ emotions and your stories become shared experiences.
- You ensure the audience is still following along and understanding your material.
- You can adapt your delivery to better suit audience needs. You may notice theyโre struggling to keep up or they seem disengaged. You can adjust your pace or delivery style to better suit their needs.
Additionally, if you notice audience interest in a specific aspect of your talk, you can focus more time discussing it to keep them engaged.
Gain A Better Understanding And Create An Experience
Check-ins can confirm the audience understands the message or point of your speech.
When I tell a story about sitting in my bosses office, I ask,
โHave you ever been in a meeting, expecting it to go one wayโฆ and it goes in a completely different direction?โ
Iโve tapped into listenersโ experience because everyone has been in that situation. Iโve also foreshadowed that something unexpected is about to happen. They lean because they want to hear what happens next.
Checking in also makes listeners feel like theyโre in your story. This creates a shared experience.
In another story, I talk about a rainy afternoon when I was in first grade.
During indoor recess, I decided to jump on top of my desk.
I ask the audience, โWhat do you see? What can you hear?โ
These questions trigger memories from their own early school experiences. My story becomes their story, thus a shared experience.
Asking questions. Conducting polls. Pausing for reflection.
These let you know if your audience is getting the message. They help you adjust your presentation and create a deeper bond with them.
These let you know if your audience is getting the message. They help you adjust your presentation and create a deeper bond with them.
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