Even the most confident of public speakers can be daunted by the thought of a work presentation. Not only are you speaking in front of colleagues, you also need to make it interesting enough for them to stay focused. Here are some tips to keep their attention on you, not what’s for lunch!
Engage Your Listeners
Firstly, try to actively involve your audience. You can do this by regularly asking if anyone has any questions or by asking for relevant examples that they have experienced. This should make sure they have to stay more engaged with your content – no sneaky napping!
Make Yourself Clear
When you are planning your presentation, take a step back every now and then to ask yourself whether it is easy to follow. If you tend to stray from the point, your audience is more likely to stray away too!
Make it Funny
If appropriate (and you are confident you can do it well), a few humorous additions can make all the difference. A funny speaker is a lot easier to remember and your listeners will have to pay attention to catch the next joke!
Use Visuals
Slide after slide of text gets boring fast. Use graphs and images to illustrate your points and people’s eyes are more likely to stay on the screen. If it makes sense, insert a video partway through the presentation to recapture your audience’s attention. This also gives you a chance to rest your voice.
Caffeine
If you’ve tried everything and people are still yawning, hand out strong coffee at the start of your presentation. Everybody loves free stuff!
