CM May 2020

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Captive Audience
Engaging with your audience from the start.
AUTHOR – Clive Hawkins
THE onset of Coronavirus
has changed every part
of our lives and has
forced us to adapt to new
ways of working. This
has led to a big increase in
spare bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms
being turned into makeshift settings for
online conference calls, team meetings and
presentations.
Whilst this has shown to be a flexible
and effective way of working, it gives
audiences a rare glimpse into presenters’
homes and backdrop of books, photographs
and pictures adorning the walls they are
presenting from – and sometimes even
seeing family members wandering in as
well! This will often provide interesting
and amusing insights. However, it can also
distract audiences and lead to the backdrop
becoming the point of interest rather than
what the presenter is saying.
With any public speaking delivery –
whether its online or in front of a live
audience – you have only a very short
period of time to capture attention from
the start. So here are a few key tips to help
captivate your audience:
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING
Rehearse your presentation until you can
deliver it in your sleep and don’t need to
rely on speaking notes. Check your slides
are ready to go in the correct order and
that the camera, microphone and lighting
are positioned correctly for your delivery.
You will need to decide on the appropriate
backdrop to complement your delivery and
avoid any distractions. If you are presenting
from home, it is also worth putting up a
‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door and
locking pets in another room to deter
anyone unexpectedly walking in. Thorough
preparation is fundamental to a successful
presentation.
DELIVERING A POWERFUL OPENING
One of the most nerve-racking parts of any
presentation is immediately before you
start your delivery. Expectation is high as
your audience settles down to focus on you.
They are eager to hear what you have to say
and are already forming an opinion about
you before you have even started speaking.
So, what can you say to capture interest
from the start? It can help to begin with a
rhetorical question, key fact or reference to
a society anniversary that aligns with your
presentation. These can all be effective in
helping you hook in your audience from
the beginning. You should monitor news
coverage in the run-up to your presentation
as this ensures you able to adapt your
delivery to changing circumstances – which
is what we are seeing on a daily basis with
Coronavirus.
An audience will find you engaging and
credible if you can deliver your presentation
with interest, enthusiasm, and focus on
their subject interests. This is where an
effective use of your body language will
also come into play. You need to consider:
the words you say: are you going to use
easy-to-understand content, abbreviations,
memorable facts and figures, and seek
to have more of a conversation with the
audience?
the way you look: are you dressed
appropriately for your presentation or could
your attire unwittingly be a distraction?
Have you considered your posture so you
are looking comfortable and confident?
Are you going to avoid waving your arms or
looking away from your audience?
the way you sound: are you going to talk
eloquently, avoid any ‘ums’ and ‘ers’ in your
delivery and use your voice effectively for
tone, emphasis and pace?
Delivering a powerful presentation will
require you to focus on all these areas in
tandem. Initially, it is hard to co-ordinate
everything. With practice, it becomes
second-nature and when you see your
audience focusing on your delivery from
start to finish, you know you have cracked
it!
Clive Hawkins is Senior Associate
at Spoken Word Communications
clive@spokenwordgroup.co.uk
Clive Hawkins
It gives audiences
a rare glimpse into
presenters’ homes
and backdrop of
books, photographs
and pictures adorning
the walls they are
presenting from –
and sometimes even
seeing family members
wandering in as well!
Advancing the credit profession / www.cicm.com / May 2020 / PAGE 31