How to Grab Your Audience
by Their Corpuscles
and Wake Them Up!
By Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch
All eyes are upon you. Tension fills the air. Your audience awaits
your first words. So what should you do? You cut the tension and
"break the ice" confidently and powerfully -- you grab
their attention, get them leaning forward with anticipation, and
make them feel that they're going to get what they came for. How
do you do that? First...
Pause dramatically for a few seconds.
Lean forward slightly. Make eye contact with some in your audience.
Smile if you'll be starting on a light note. Feel the exchange of
energy between you and your audience. Then begin by using one of
these strategies...
Tell a memorized personal anecdote or short story that introduces
your message.
Use visually descriptive words that cause your audience to experience
emotional shifts that are congruent with the emotional aspect of
your message, or...
Relate a memorized personalized joke or
humorous story that ties into your thesis.
This builds rapport rapidly and gets your audience into a "I
want to hear more" mood. Keep it short and don't introduce
it by saying, "I want to start by telling you a joke [story]."
Just get into it, or...
Make a shocking or unexpected memorized
statement and stare at your audience.
For example, "I made ten thousand dollars on the phone last
night in my polka dot PJs... legally." (Pause and stare.) "I'm
going to tell you exactly how I did it and how you can do it too."
or...
Ask a memorized rhetorical, involvement
question.
Then hold up your hand and wait for your audience to raise their
hands. For example, "How many of you work for a living?"
or "How many of you sell?" You accomplish four things
by doing this. First, you get your audience's attention. Second,
you put your audience in a positive emotional state with a YES answer.
Third, by following your lead and raising their hands, your audience
demonstrates their rapport with you. And fourth, they get involved
physically in your presentation, or...
Cast your premise into a memorized "would
you rather" question with a predetermined answer.
For example, "Would you rather be working your own business,
making your own decisions, choosing your own hours, making a six-figure
income, or be working at a job 8 to 10 hours a day building your
boss's dream? (Pause) Today we'll discuss how you can develop your
own business, be in control of your own life, and build your own
dream."
An attention-grabbing opening is critical for presentation success.
Memorize your opening to insure a flawless delivery. Use a strong
pause. Tell a descriptive story that moves your audience emotionally.
Do or say something unexpected. Ask a thesis-related question that
involves your audience either physically or emotionally. Launch
your presentation with one or more of these strategies, and you'll
seize your audience's attention and wake them up!
© Allan Misch and Allan Kaufman,
Allan and Allan, Inc., 2003. All rights reserved.
Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch http://www.nosweatspeaking.com
specialize in rapidly reducing public speaking fear and offer 2
valuable, bonus reports and public speaking tips in their complimentary
monthly No Sweat Speaking™ Ezine.
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