The opening of your presentation should have impact, if you want to gain control of your audience's attention. Since the first thirty seconds of your speech are probably the most important, you will need some passion for your subject matter here. In that period of time you must grab the attention of the audience and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech.
So how do you capture your listeners' attention in that first thirty seconds? Some speakers use an icebreaker like a joke or an introduction. However, your opening will carry much more impact if it is not only a bit off-the-wall, but also relevant to your message.
For example, if you were tasked with giving a presentation on how sales were for the company last year, you might consider opening your speech by launching a small rocket to seize attention. I don't recommend using any incendiary devices, as the attention you capture could be more than you desire if things go horribly wrong, however, just a small rocket pumped up with an air charge or a gyro would be enough to get your point across. It's simple, it's effective, and it's straight to the point. In the first thirty seconds, you've grabbed their full attention. Incidentally, this visual can be used whether sales skyrocketed or hit rock bottom (in which case, you would use the rocket to illustrate what sales were NOT, but to unfold your plan on how they will be, or some such).
Once your audience is interested and intrigued you can move forward and advance to the core part of your speech. The more of the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell) you can involve in that part of the speech, the better you can hold your audience's interest.
I once attended a company presentation where the speaker was telling us that the way forward was a matter, simply, of following a recipe and making sure that all of the ingredients were there. Just prior to saying this the room filled with the smell of hot, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies as the caterers brought in warm plates of gooey cookies. Her illustration was well received and her presentation continued to compare "the way forward" to her "cookie recipe". The message was offbeat and had a strong impact.
If you are using a PowerPoint presentation as visuals, be careful not to read the slides or the bullet points word-for-word as this might imply that your audience cannot read for themselves. Rather, use the slides or bullet points as a guide to drive home the strongest parts of the message you are delivering.
For example, if you are giving a presentation about the current plight of Ethiopia, your slide might state that, according to the United Nations, 126,000 children are in urgent need of food and medical assistance there. However, instead of stating this fact, since your audience is able to read the slide for themselves, you carry on to speak about the drought and skyrocketing global food prices that are causing this problem.
By not reading your slides to your audience, you are creating a bond with them as a speaker, since you are able to give your full attention and eye contact to them. You do not have to keep looking at your slides for long periods of time through the course of your speech.
A visual presentation is sure to bring your informative speech topics to a whole new level of interest and props are the best way to do that.
However, do not underestimate the value of a good story.
Speaking monotonously and indifferently creates a sense of detachment not appreciated by the audience. It implies a lack of passion for your subject matter and, after all, if you don't care about the subject, why should they? The stage is not the time to become dispassionate. Instead, tell you audience a really juicy and riveting story.
Why do you think the public patronizes movies and theater so much? It is partly because they want to see depth of emotion (or passion) expressed fully and partly because they love a good story.
Once a young priest asked his honest grandmother how she found his first sermon. She answered, "Sonny, I noticed only three flaws in it. First, you were reading. That's okay, but second, you were not reading very well. And third, that sermon was not worth reading at all!" We can only imagine how the priest reacted to such words, but I doubt that he was pleased. We can learn from the most prominent orators and their secrets of success by telling our audience a good story that illustrates our point.
Have you heard of a thing called a pregnant pause? Somerset Maugham said that "if you take a pause, make it a long one." Scientists determined that being silent (not shouting) serves as an attention grabber, as long as it is on purpose. Let your silence be thoughtful and deliberate. You will impress everyone, if after a reflecting pause, you continue your speech with more energy. Contrasts are a great way to capture attention.
Your pauses will have the added benefit of giving you listener the ability to think about your words and really absorb your message.
At the end of the day, in order to deliver a presentation with maximum impact, involve as many of your audience members' five senses as possible. Use visual aids and props, tell moving stories, vary your speech patterns, use a pregnant pause, and offer them something to taste, feel, or smell. Get them up out of their chairs and moving. Do whatever you can think of to get them involved! And you will have created a presentation that is not only memorable, but one they will want to hear again and again.
Source: Shelley Dudley
Related: Presentation Workshops
More Presentations Skills Tips