3 Keys to Captivating Your Audience
As we further hone the skills necessary for excellent public speaking, one of the biggest secrets to conquering the fear of public speaking is preparation. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” Many people needlessly suffer from the effects of public speaking because they simply “wing it” and speak off the cuff.
If you prepare in advance for your presentation, whether it is a 10-minute B.N.I. (Business Network International) presentation, church committee meeting, or a 30-minute team briefing, the better you prepare the more confident you will feel. This increase in confidence and self-esteem from advanced preparation will ensure the most effective presentation. As successes multiply your fear of public speaking will rapidly wane.
Here are 3 keys to effectively prepare your presentation:
1. Chart a Course.
Successful presentations begin with a keen strategy and outline. What do you want to achieve? What is your time limit? What resources can you use? No one takes a cross-country road trip without thoughtfully researching and mapping it out. So why should you do anything less for your presentation?
2. Know Your Audience.
Knowing who your audience is and understanding their needs, interests, and desires is the cornerstone of a powerful presentation. Craft your presentation with them always in mind. What is the age group of the majority of participants? What are their expectations in attending? Do you include stories to captivate some and statistics to reassure others?
Take time to assess your audience, their expectations, and how they best receive content. Have you designed your presentation for the audio and well as visual attendee? Do they learn and receive information best with handouts, Power Point, or just enjoy focusing solely on the speaker?
What outcome do they expect from listening to you? What key points do you need to make and reinforce to achieve a successful presentation. Watch this quick video to learn how to conduct an audience analysis to ace your presentation!
3. Structure Your Content.
The last key to crafting an effective presentation is organization. An effective bridge moves traffic safely from one point to the other because all the elements are assembled in sequence. In the same way, structure your talk so your content is solid, organized well, and leads to a logical conclusion. Start with a compelling opener to grab your audience’s attention and establish a connection with them. Effectively convey your key points and instill obvious transition points to smoothly move your presentation along. Create a wrap up with obvious takeaways that your audience will appreciate. This short video gives a concise way to understand the process of structuring your presentation.
Take the few extra minutes necessary to build a successful foundation for your presentation by planning your strategy, understanding your audience, and organizing your information. As a result, your fear will subside and confidence soar!
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