How to Give a Presentation that Will Keep Your Audience Engaged

Did you know there was a name for fear of public speaking? It’s called Glossophobia, and it’s estimated that around 75% of the population suffer from it.

Even if you’re confident in the content that you’ll be presenting and you are familiar with the people to whom you’re presenting, it can still be a daunting task to face. On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who greatly enjoy giving presentations.

Either way, knowing how to give a presentation is everything. The best thing you can do for yourself is to plan a presentation that will keep your audience engaged.

Keep reading to find out how to give a killer presentation!

Hook Them at the Start

You can hook your audience in many ways at the start of your presentation.

You could immediately present a shocking fact that will leave people wanting to know more. You could engage them by asking a question or a show of hands.

You could do something surprising like making a loud noise or bringing in a relevant prop.

Regardless of what you decide, you want to ignite interest in your audience right away as it’s the best chance you have of keeping them engaged.

Tell a Story

One of the best presentation skill tips is to tell a story or stories. As goes the age-old saying, “Facts tell, and stories sell.”

Try to think of at least one unique story that is engaging, interesting, and relevant to the topic at hand. Use narrative insight to back up your points. Human beings are natural storytellers and are more inclined to listen and relate to stories over many facts.

Even better, think of a story that might make your audience laugh, cry, or simply be inspired by what you’re showing.

Engage Your Audience

You can engage your audience by touching on their emotions. If the subject is a little dry, you could add humor to keep your audience focused. If your presentation is meant to be inspiring, you might consider telling a story that demonstrates perseverance and success.

You may also engage your audience by involving them verbally and physically. You could ask your audience to answer questions, perform an exercise, or solve a puzzle.

You could even use music to set the tone for your presentation.

Cognitive Dissonance

The best thing you can do to keep your audience engaged is to keep them guessing. You want to give them enough so that they completely understand what you’re talking about. You don’t want things to be too simple or too complicated.

But it’s also a great idea to keep them wanting more. Keep things balanced by saving the best for last and giving them bits of information at a time.

If you’re revealing a graph on PowerPoint, for example, reveal it one bar at a time until the most surprising result. You want it to compliment your speech with a professional presentation.

Or you could tell the first half of a story, and tell the second half at the end of your presentation when you make your final point.

Make Your Presentation About Them

In addition to telling stories that your audience can relate to or approaching them and asking questions in a way that speaks to them, there are other ways you can make your presentation about them.

You can grab their attention with relevant music or quotes. You can talk about shared goals, anxieties, aspirations, and knowledge. Bringing up something that might touch on people’s anxieties and then finding a way to soothe that anxiety is another way to make it about them.

Be Conscious of Your Voice

Be animated when you speak so that you compliment your stories and add to your emotion physically with hand gestures and expression. Walk around while you talk. Take a sip of water and remain human.

Be thoughtful of the inflections that you use in your voice. Get excited to emphasize your stance. Get angry at a statistic or something you don’t agree with. Be emotional about the quality of your product.

Don’t be a robot.

Practice so That You Can Go off Script with Ease

Go over your presentation enough times so that you don’t have to read from or even necessarily use your cue cards. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to go off script now and then during your presentation.

You might be inspired while presenting to tell a story or a thought you hadn’t planned before. You want to be able to do that with ease and without worrying if you’ll forget pieces of your presentation.

Don’t read from your slides. Keep them short and sweet so that in a moment’s glance, you are quickly reminded of the topic at hand. Whatever tool you use to present information is for both you AND your audience. You want your audience to also be able to quickly read and understand what you’re showing them.

Fear of public speaking cuts wages by 10% and also inhibits employees getting promotions to management by 15%. In addition, delivery matters more than your content. Your voice and your non-verbal communication are what engage and sell or inspire your audience.

Your Conclusion Is an Important Part of How to Give a Presentation

Knowing how to give a presentation that is engaging and influential is an empowering skill to have. Furthermore, it will inevitably lead to further success in the field or business for which you’re presenting.

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