IDEAS FOR A PRESENTATION

It is quite hard to get the attention of an assembly and to maintain it throughout your exhibition. Many are the times that speakers fail to engage their assembly and they end up losing them less than halfway into the talk. Here are some talk ideas to keep people interested from the moment you step onto the podium till the minute you drop the mic.

Engage people

Do not make the talk all about you or the topic at hand. Instead, engage people by getting them to perform actions such as clapping and raising their hands. Now and then, pose a question to the assembly and select someone to answer it at random. 

This interaction will keep people alert as they try to ensure that they have the right answers to the questions. You can also perform stretching exercises during your talk if you feel that they have been seated for long. Physical activity stimulates the brain so be sure to use this to your advantage.

Music

For a long time, people have relied on images as a way to grab an assembly’s attention. However, this has proven not to be sufficient when the talk is long. As such, music is necessary to stimulate the assembly and to set a lively mood for the discussion. You see, without music, it is quite easy for the unconscious system to get distracted by other things in the room. Background music neutralizes the system’s ability to get distracted by other things. In this way, people can focus on the topic at hand without losing interest even if the talk is not their cup of tea.

You may be very good at talks and may have the humor to keep your assembly captivated, but they can still get distracted. It is for this reason that people are now using music in their slides and videos and playing it in the background. 

Memes

The internet is bursting with memes at every point, and many people cannot get enough of these fantastic illustrations. While some people may be tired of them, using a few in your talk is an excellent way to break away from the seriousness of the talk and to provide room for laughter. After some slides, put in a meme which will not only add some humor to your discussion but will also enable people to relax and better focus on what you have to say. 

After two or three memes in your talk, you will be surprised to see people sitting up and listening to you as they eagerly await the next break. Make sure that your memes are in line with your topic such that they serve as a compliment, rather than a distraction.

Simplify your visuals

Ensure that the visuals in your talk are simplistic such that they are easy to understand. Having complex figures on your screens will tire out your assembly after a while, and this will adversely affect their focus on the topic. Go for easy illustrations which are self-explanatory, and this will help your assembly follow at a moderate pace such that you will come to an end together. 

Eye contact

Having good humor and all the memes in the world is no good if you do not make eye contact with your assembly. This step is pretty hard for beginners in public speaking as well as shy people, but the effort is worth it. People quickly lose interest in speakers who will not make eye contact as they deem it to be a sign of dishonesty or lack of interest. 

It is easy to forget this but if you notice that your assembly is losing focus, look into whether you are engaging them with your eyes. Ensure that you do not focus on one individual, but instead, you move your eyes around the assembly.

These simple steps are the difference between engaging and losing your assembly’s attention. Be sure to practice them beforehand to ensure that you get the hang of what is necessary. Good luck with your next talk. 

Make sure to be well rested before doing your presentation. Read our article on how to rest well before a big event.