Storytelling in Presentations For Dummies

Chapter 25

Ten-Plus Ways to Make Your Presentation Interactive

IN THIS CHAPTER

Asking questions and encouraging debate

Keeping your audience active — mentally and physically

Is there anything more frustrating for a speaker (aside from a power failure or an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction) than looking at a sea of bored faces who are nodding off, scrolling through their phones, chatting with their neighbors, or fidgeting in their chairs? Keeping your audience's attention for long periods of time can be one of the biggest challenges even for seasoned speakers. This chapter provides ten-plus suggestions to help you avoid that frustration.

Ask Questions

One of the easiest ways to make your presentation interactive is ask questions. Follow up with people raising their hands. Doing so

• Brings them closer to the subject matter
• Increases interest
• Empowers them
• Makes them part of the presentation

Move Around the Room

Don’t stand at the podium. Mingle with the audience. Move around the stage and room with purpose (such as handing someone the mic). Speaking from a podium gives you a place of hierarchy and removes you from your audience. By moving around, you’re symbolically leaving your place in the hierarchy, making yourself more available and relatable.

Get the Audience Moving ...