From the course: Nano Tips to Prepare for Public Speaking with Nausheen I. Chen

How to warm up the audience when you speak

From the course: Nano Tips to Prepare for Public Speaking with Nausheen I. Chen

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How to warm up the audience when you speak

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Talking to a cold audience is like trying to bite into frozen pizza. It's not going to work. Here's what to do instead. Always warm up the audience before, during, and after your presentation. First, before the presentation starts, use humor to ease into the situation and observe how the audience responds. You can do this in five seconds. Just say something that they can relate to. I got drenched in sweat in this beautiful heatwave we're having. Anyone else enjoying that as much as me? Say something that they know to be true. I know we've all had lunch, so I'll try to keep this light so it doesn't interfere with your digestion. I use this technique to see if the crowd responds to humor at all. Because if they don't, then I know right off the bat what not to try. I also then throw in a self-deprecating joke just to acknowledge their lack of response. If nothing else, that will get a few chuckles. Do humor your way, but humor can really lighten up a situation. Second, during your presentation, make sure the audience stays warm. This is a no brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't do it. Engage with your audience throughout; every 5-7 minutes in a long presentation and every 3-4 minutes in a short one, take time, to pause, ask a very simple yes or no question. Ask people to raise their hands or just take a sip of water and observe. Your presentation is not a lecture. Make it a dialogue. The audience will feel like you're invested and they will reward you with their attention. 3: After your presentation ends, make sure that you manage an inclusive Q&A session. If someone asks multiple questions, make sure you tell them, "Let's talk about this after the event." And in the beginning, if no one wants to ask a question, don't worry. Bring with you one or two questions that you get asked all the time. Make sure you have a strong ender, don't just end with the last question from the Q&A and fizzle the session out. Keeping the audience warmed up and with you throughout the presentation will give you motivation to perform at your best.

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