6 SECRETS THAT HOOKS AUDIENCE ATTENTION
6 SECRET THAT HOOKS DEMANDS AUDIENCE ATTENTION
Have you been into a presentation and watch a speaker spoke only to find yourself falling asleep within the first few minutes? How about great gurus who has great things to share, but they couldn’t get us to listen? Well we’ve been there before..
The problem is not because they’re not enthusiastic enough, or energetic enough, it all lies in the way they present their introduction. It is said that the first 45 seconds of your presentation will determine whether the audience would want to CONTINUE listening to you or not! So the question here is… How can we make that 45 seconds count and DEMAND the audience attention that we deserve?
Think about a time when you stepped into a boring presentation. What would their introduction sound like?
Chances are, it’s something like this..
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mahathir, the founder of ABC company, a specialist in Public Speaking, and today let me share with you about why public speaking is important.”
There’s nothing wrong with an opening like that, but these days, that introduction style is stronger than any sleeping pill isn’t it. It’s overly used, it’s boring and it’s not something I’d want to continue listening to! So what are some ways we can make our introduction more impactful and have you saying………
HERE ARE 6 SECRETS THAT HOOKS AUDIENCE ATTENTION
HERE ARE 6 SECRETS THAT HOOKS AUDIENCE ATTENTION
Let’s get rid of the typical “Good afternoon, my name is, what I do is, and what I’m gonna share with you is..” style. Start your introduction with a question that intrigues the audience. The question you are crafting should be 100% relatable to your presentation. So how do you use it?
Let me give you an example..
“Ladies and gentlemen, raise your hands if you hate public speaking!” – Engagement
“Isn’t it useful to be able to speak confidently on stage?” – Rhetorical
As shown above, there are two kinds of questions using this technique, Rhetorical Questions (A question that doesn’t require an answer) or Engagement Questions (A Question that gets the audience engaged, and probes an answer.
These are just some examples that you can use in your presentations. You can search up more information on what kind of question is suited best for your presentation, or even get feedback from your peers and see what works for you!
SECRET NUMBER 1: QUESTION
SECRET NUMBER 1: QUESTION
Let’s get rid of the typical “Good afternoon, my name is, what I do is, and what I’m gonna share with you is..” style. Start your introduction with a question that intrigues the audience. The question you are crafting should be 100% relatable to your presentation. So how do you use it?
Let me give you an example..
“Ladies and gentlemen, raise your hands if you hate public speaking!” – Engagement
“Isn’t it useful to be able to speak confidently on stage?” – Rhetorical
As shown above, there are two kinds of questions using this technique, Rhetorical Questions (A question that doesn’t require an answer) or Engagement Questions (A Question that gets the audience engaged, and probes an answer.
These are just some examples that you can use in your presentations. You can search up more information on what kind of question is suited best for your presentation, or even get feedback from your peers and see what works for you!
SECRET NUMBER 2: QUOTE
Starting your introduction with a quote can also be an intriguing one. It evokes emotion and projects credibility. Choose a quote that is best suited for your presentation. So if you’re talking about Public Speaking or Presentation, you can start your speech with a quote like this.
“All great speakers were once bad speakers, a quote by Ralph Watson Emerson. In public speaking it is not about how fast you get there, but the journey you take to learn… bla bla bla..”
You get the idea. Again, if quotes doesn’t resonate with you or your presentation, you can opt for the other 5 techniques, see what works for you!
Statements are words. Something that you say or write in a formal or official way : something that is stated. : an opinion, attitude, etc., that you express through the things you do, the way you dress, etc.
An example of a statement for a presentation is..
“Speaking is hard, and I believe most of us find it harder to speak on stage.”
A general statement or an opinion counts. Generally there are statements in every part of your speech, just find a way to make your statement intriguing, exciting and fresh!
SECRET NUMBER 3: STATEMENT
SECRET NUMBER 3: STATEMENT
Statements are words. Something that you say or write in a formal or official way : something that is stated. : an opinion, attitude, etc., that you express through the things you do, the way you dress, etc.
An example of a statement for a presentation is..
“Speaking is hard, and I believe most of us find it harder to speak on stage.”
A general statement or an opinion counts. Generally there are statements in every part of your speech, just find a way to make your statement intriguing, exciting and fresh!
SECRET NUMBER 4: STORY
Have you ever heard a presentation so compelling, emotional, touching, exciting, and almost all kinds of feelings could be evoked? That’s probably because they used the elements of STORY in their speeches!
Whether it is an informational, Demonstrative, Persuasive, or Inspirational Speech, a story fits in nicely anywhere! So what’s a story? A story is utilizing someone else’s experience, or your own personal experience and sharing it in a speech. Let me give you an example of a story
“I remember when I was a young boy. Speaking on stage, was the last thing on my mind.. But one day, something happened, and it changed me forever..”
A story grabs audience’s attention, because human brains love the feeling and connection we get from stories rather than pure facts and numbers.
Facts are great, they give the audience a picture of what the numbers and information mean. Facts when presented in a certain way can improve credibility and make your presentation more appealing.
An example of facts in your introduction could be..
“According to Mahathir, it was found that 75% of the world is afraid of public speaking! The question is, are you going to stay in the 75% or be the top 25%?”
That is an example of utilizing facts and questions in your opening. Think about ways you can make your fact sound interesting, and intriguing!
SECRET NUMBER 5: FACTS
SECRET NUMBER 5: FACTS
Facts are great, they give the audience a picture of what the numbers and information mean. Facts when presented in a certain way can improve credibility and make your presentation more appealing.
An example of facts in your introduction could be..
“According to Mahathir, it was found that 75% of the world is afraid of public speaking! The question is, are you going to stay in the 75% or be the top 25%?”
That is an example of utilizing facts and questions in your opening. Think about ways you can make your fact sound interesting, and intriguing!
SECRET NUMBER 6: IMAGINE
One of my favourite introduction technique that I personally use in most of my presentations. Imagine evokes imagination which can be linked to our human senses. Since humans are beings that love imagining, this technique has been proven to be one of the most powerful ways to demand audience attention.
Let me give you an example of this technique..
“Imagine the time when you were speaking on stage, the sound you heard, the things you see, and the things you feel. Were you nervous or confident?”
This technique is truly a powerful one as it embodies a bit of NLP techniques and Vivid Descriptions.
And there you have it! 6 secret introductions that demand audience attention! The best way to make an interesting opening speech is to have a combination of the 6 techniques. So find a few that resonates with you and see how you can make your next presentation a powerful, and impactful one that will demand the attention from your audience!
