How do you engage your audience during a public speech?

It is integral to know your audience in order to engage them when speaking in public for the following reasons: - By understanding your audiences demographics, interests, knowledge levels you can tailor your speech to resonate with them. - By knowing your audience and their background you can choose appropriate language and style / tone of delivery. If your audience consists of experts in their field your language can be more formal as opposed to simpler language if your audience is more general in nature. - Knowing your audience allows you to choose relevant examples in your speech that connect with them accordingly. This builds engagement. - When you show you understand your audiences needs you build connection and a rapport with them.

Knowing your audience is key to capturing their attention. Customize your message based on their interests, background, and knowledge. For experts, go into detail. For those less familiar, simplify without talking down to them. Speak their language and use relatable examples. Demonstrating you understand their needs builds a connection, making them more open to your ideas.

If you're using a presentation deck always go image heavy and very light on text. You are the focus of the talk and if folk are making sense of what's within your presentation then they aren't fully engaged with you. In my experience those who use great visuals and minimal text have great stage presence and a room in focus. Another useful idea is running a fun or informal poll near the beginning to ascertain the audiences understanding of the subject area, from this you can decide whether to go deeper into certain areas or use more colloquial language if needed.

I will always have a meeting with a client before I speak for them, whether that's at school/uni/conference/event etc, just to make sure I'm very clear who my audience is and what the client is looking for from me. I'm often termed as a motivational speaker as I share my own story of overcoming adversity. Generally the themes are around trauma, forgiveness, resilience etc. But I would never assume and always make sure I tailor my talk to the clients needs

Tailor your speech to the interests, preferences, and demographics of your audience. For example, when speaking to a group of students, incorporate examples and anecdotes relevant to their experiences and aspirations.

Begin your speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention and sets the tone for your presentation. This could be a thought-provoking question, a startling statistic, or a captivating story that piques curiosity and generates interest.

I recently learned about the in-motion start where you start speaking just a few moments after you have been introduced. Don't wait for you to walk to the middle of the stage before you open, instead start just at the time when the welcome applause starts to die down. The in motion start keeps the momentum going

I agree that the opening start to a speech is important along with the energy behind your words. I think it's important to find your own style. I'm not someone that moves around a lot on the stage and I often tend to stand in one spot. It's great to have a good hook to start with, so that the audience want to hear more!

Always grab your audience from the very start! Compelling statistics- Great Quotes- Start with a story - Start building the foundation of your key presentation points!  Do not start with acknowledging the people that brought you in. If you want to do that later great but that is a weak start! Grab your audience and get them excited from the start!

It is no wonder that they say, a picture tells a thousand words. Words alone can only do so much. But a smart play of visual aids can ACCENTUATE & ENHANCE your speech delivery by a mile. Some tips to consider: #1 - Strike a GOOD BALANCE of using visual aids and words. Prudence and common sense must prevail. Don't go for the extreme. #2 - Stay FOCUSED on your speech objectives & who your audience is. This will keep your use of visual aids at a SENSIBLE level. #3 - Be SENSITIVE to cultural nuances when choosing that video, song, image or colours. Your DIVERSE audience could be offended if you are not mindful of this point. #4 - BREAK THE MONOTONY. Include a pop quiz with audience participation or a poster as part of your speech presentation.

Incorporate visually appealing slides, images, or videos to complement your verbal message and reinforce key points. Visual aids not only enhance comprehension but also add variety and interest to your presentation, keeping the audience engaged and focused.

1. Ask questions - the audience love that! Quiz. 2. Take the help of visuals that are not common or create a metaphor. 3. Take good time to decide what can work well with the type of audience you are going to talk. 4. Invite the audience on stage in between, this also works well especially when people want to learn from other's experiences. Adult learning method. In public speaking, many public speakers also share stories to engage the audience as per the presentation objective and it works super fine.

Taking pauses can help you go from a novice to a more advanced speaker because most people are afraid of the silence when they are on stage. So people try to fill that silence with non-words and filler words. However if you simply pause, you will not only stop yourself from using the filler words but also hook the audience to your speech. Pause and just take your time!

I think it's really important not to speak at the one tone throughout your talk and learn to modify your voice. Pauses are also very important, especially if i've just shared something dramatic/important because I want them to take the time to absorb what I've just said. If I move on too quickly, they can't digest what they've just heard.

Share relevant anecdotes, personal experiences, or real-life stories that resonate with your audience's interests and experiences. Storytelling creates a connection with listeners, evokes emotions, and makes abstract concepts more relatable and memorable.

I love storytelling and it's what I'm all about!! I think that if a person hears a story at the right time in their life, it has the power to transform and can often change the direction of their life too, giving them a whole new map of opportunities that they never thought possible. Stories have the power to heal others. It breaks down isolation, shows them they are not alone and offer hope. I really believe in the power of sharing stories and I've had so many people come up to me after a talk saying how much it helped or I could have been sharing their own story

Stories can be the key to locking in the points in your presentation. Find a relevant story, preferably in your own life to add impact and a connection to your point. Be sure to bring in the sense during the story - sight, smell, touch, sounds. The more sensory points the more memorable the story and the point you are making. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable about failures you have overcome. These can be some of your best stories! Why? Because we can have all the degrees and certifications in the world but the school of experience and overcoming challenges shows others a type of learning that is profound!

I will always leave my audience with some questions for them to think about and hopefully go and make changes with in their own life. Whatever size audience I'm speaking too, I will always refer to them as "you" to personalise my talk as much as possible, as if I am talking directly to one person. Eye contact is important too but it's about timing as well. Too quick and you don’t really connect and too long it can become uncomfortable. It’s about finding the balance

Oner of the easiest way to interact with a large audience is by making eye contact. You won't believe how big of an impact this simple hack can make in your overall delivery. When you look people in their eyes they feel that you are talking to them instead at them.

Foster audience interaction and participation by asking questions, soliciting opinions, or inviting volunteers to participate in activities or discussions. Engaging the audience in dialogue and involving them actively in the presentation creates a sense of involvement and ownership, enhancing their overall experience.

I enjoy doing call and response, and I tell them why, and give them a response, like "Yes? Yes!" Which o borrowed from Lisa Nichols.

Here a few ways I've engaged my audience in the past: - Ask questions where they can raise their hand - Start a poll using a QR code - Ask someone to share their story

You can also engage with your audience by asking rhetorical questions or through visioning exercises -example asking them to imagine or consider something. We often think of audience engagement as a full on verbal exchange or some interactive activity. But giving your audience space to reflect internally to provide personal context for your message is also a very powerful engagement tool.

Add interaction in your presentation. Ask questions that get your audience to think about their experiences or how they would have handled a situation. Key when asking questions is to not rush to the next question. Pause to let them actually think of their answer. Q & A near the end is helpful but never close your presentation with a Q & A. Always control the last words your audience hears.