The Homa Files

When speaking …

Here are the things you don’t want to do if you sense your audience is losing interest:

1. Speak faster to end the ordeal sooner.
2. Speak softer so they can’t hear how boring you are.
3. Ask “May I Have Your Attention Please”
4. Look pissed off, as if it’s the audience’s fault that you are boring.

The easiest way to regain the audience members’ interest is to address them by name, and ask simple questions:

• Shane, has that ever happened to you?
• Roberta, how have you handled these situations in your business?
• Sanjay, are the financial markets affecting the industry as much in your country as they are here in London?

Audience members for business presentations are no different than people in other social interactions. The more you get your date to talk at dinner, the more charming you will be perceived.

So it is with your presentations.

Source: How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation by T. J. Walker

This entry was posted on August 19, 2010 at 6:30 am and is filed under Powerpoint pitches, Presentations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.