5 Ways to Liven up Your Audience

Has a boring speaker ever put you to sleep? Sure, this has happened to all of us, more than we would like to admit. Don’t be that guy.

The key to keeping your audience from taking the next mental exit from the highway of your presentation is to involve them in your talk. Yes! Studies show that the more you involve your audience, the more they retain because they are listening!

You can involve your audience in several ways. I have listed 5 great ways here. Select those that will work well with your presentation and that feel genuine to you. If it feels uncomfortable, it will look uncomfortable so don’t use it. 

1. Ask questions

Questions will cause your audience members to think. They can’t help it. If the energy in the room starts to drop, ask a question and select a member of your audience to respond. Then, thank him or her for participating and move on to the next person. Don’t worry about losing control of your audience. In sales, they say whoever is asking the questions is in control and this holds true for you during presentations too. Questions like “By a show of hands, how many of you…?” These closed-ended questions get your audience involved both mentally and physically.

2. Let them finish your sentence

If you said to your audience, “Lions and tigers and bears . . .” and if they have heard it before, they will respond with “Oh my!” This is a decent way to get your audience to participate. If they know the answer, they will blurt it out. If they don’t, you answer it. Choose something that should be so obvious they will absolutely get it. If you have to answer it, you will still have accomplished getting the audience involved. They will have spent energy trying to figure what the rest of the line is, and then you’ll have provided it to satisfy the curiosity. 

3. High-five

If you ever feel like the energy in the room is heavy, you can change it by using this technique. Simply ask a question (remember the power of asking questions). Ask, “Is this good stuff?” When your audience responds with “Yes”, then turn to the people on either side of you and give them a high-five and say “This is good stuff!” 

4. Do exercises.

If the purpose of your presentation allows,  split your audience into groups and have each group complete a task and then let each group present their achievement to the rest of the audience. 

5. Gamify by giving candy or prizes.

Reward your audience for participating, and they will participate even more. Simply ask a question and throw a small piece of candy to the person who answers it. Don’t use this throughout the entire speech, only for a few minutes in the middle of the talk.

There are many other ways and techniques to get your audience involved. What your audience  truly wants and will thank you for, is that you show them some attention. 

-Focus on freedom not fear-

It’s all about you. It’s not about the speech. FDS is here to help develop you.

Leave a reply for this post. 

Sign up with your email below to follow this blog. 

Checkout the FDS Dojo to find out about FDS training. 

Contact FDS to find out where you stand and what areas you might truly benefit from becoming a member of the Dojo. Will you earn your Black Belt in public speaking?