If you’ve ever given a talk and felt your audience drifting off into their own daydreams and not staying tuned in to your presentation, you’re not alone. With the prevalence of distractions like social media cluttering up our lives, staying focused on a single thing isn’t as easy as it used to be… but especially when you’re trying to keep people focused on the information you’re trying to present. In this guide, you’ll discover several key tips that’ll make your presentations more engaging and keep the audience locked in.
1: Create a visually appealing deck.
It sounds simple, but sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we often overlook. The human eye is drawn to visual stimuli, so it makes sense to use a deck that’ll keep your audience hooked. If you’re not a designer by trade, then using something like the presentation software by Beautiful.ai can really help you to create a stunning deck that’ll grab your audience’s attention.
2: Realize details matter.
Each slide of your presentation should tell a story, and it should be easy to follow. Too many slides will lose the interest of the audience quickly, so try to keep things concise by limiting each page or slide to just one main idea or concept. Of course, this is a tough balance to get right, so it might take a few tries before you really nail down what works and what doesn’t. If you do have some spare time on your hands, then definitely experiment with this point as much as possible because it could lead to amazing results.
3: Avoid dry language.
If you’re presenting some very simple or obvious information, then using a more nuanced and descriptive tone can really help to enhance the experience. When you choose a more descriptive tone, your audience will feel as though they’re being pulled into what you’re talking about. This helps them to get more out of the experience, so try using some new language once in a while to see if it helps.
4: Make your presentation interactive.
Interaction is one of the best ways to keep your audience engaged throughout the entire duration of your talk. By making certain slides or points interactive, you can encourage people to take part in what you’re saying. If you have a slide that asks questions, then try to get everyone to answer them so they feel as though they’ve played an active role in the presentation. If you have a certain message or key takeaway that needs emphasis, then this is also another great way to do it.
5: Make your presentation memorable.
If you want people to remember the things you say during your presentation, then it’s a good idea to make it memorable in some way. There are many tricks you can use here, but two of the most popular ones are asking questions and sharing stories. When you ask questions throughout your talk, people will feel more engaged and compelled to pay attention. Asking the same question at the end of your presentation is a great way to embed things into their memory and add some familiarity to what you’ve said earlier.
Sharing stories is another important technique because it breaks up the more intellectual elements of your talk and adds some color and life to them. You can share stories about things you’ve done or things that other people have done, and it’ll provide some valuable context for what you’re trying to say.
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