Get your audience engaged in your topic
You’re up in front of your audience. You broke the ice and you have the attention of your audience. Now it’s time to orient them, both intellectually and psychologically.
Direct your audience and focus your subject so your listeners are with you every step of the way. As you move toward your central idea, create a road map for your audience to follow.
There are three strategies you can use to orient your audience. These strategies can be used alone or in conjunction with each other, depending on the audience’s previous knowledge of your subject:
Preview your major points. State your central idea and the major points that will support it. If appropriate, be blunt about your objectives and goals (e.g.,” I hope to convince you today that…“ or, “I want to leave you with one, overriding thought…”). This preview strategy indicates you are not going to waste your audience’s time.
Give background information. Here you can define your terms, explain the situation, head off objections by indicating the boundaries of your subject, and clarify your position.
Stress the importance of the topic. This strategy allows you to offer a fresh approach, establish your credentials, and/or acknowledge the experience of your audience members. For example, “Every one of you recognizes the critical nature of this “ or, “This is too important a subject on which to remain ignorant.”
Getting your audience on board with you from the beginning or your presentation means they will be and psychologically engaged in your presentation. What more could a speaker ask for?
