A captivated audience is interested and engaged. They are happy to be in your presence, possibly even excited about the experience. The following tips make it possible to become a captivating speaker that mesmerizes your audience and keeps them coming back for more.
Ask Questions
One way to generate engagement is to ask questions. People love giving their opinions. Ask them what they think. When they respond, applaud them for the question they asked. Telling them it is a great question builds rapport.
The definition of captivation is a state of intense interest. Your audience will stay interested when you allow them to provide input. Asking questions is also a way to direct your listeners’ interest to a particular topic.
Compliment Your Audience
“Thank you for bringing up that point, Susan.”
“That’s a great question, Bill, and I am glad you asked it.”
“You must be a mind reader. That’s exactly what I was going to address next.”
Those are some compliments you can give your audience. Anything that makes a person feel good about the experience you offer will boost their interest in what you have to say. You can compliment their articles of clothing or recent achievements when you meet your audience members before your presentation or make some relevant, complimentary statement while you are speaking.
Announce an Unadvertised Bonus for Sticking around for the Whole Speech
Announce this at the beginning of your speech. Be very profuse with your thanks. Express genuine gratitude for everyone attending. Then, tell them you would like to show your gratitude by giving them a gift if they stick around until the end of your presentation.
Make this bonus relevant to what you’re speaking about. You can capture the attention of your audience when this reward is unadvertised. It is a pleasant surprise. Don’t discuss the details of the bonus; the imagination of your audience will keep them engaged throughout your presentation.
Paint a Picture with Powerful Emotions
The best salespeople will tell you to sell the sizzle, not the steak. You don’t talk about the features of the product. Instead, you focus the attention on the benefits of the product that trigger powerful emotions. This means creating an emotional experience as a speaker.
Tell your audience to imagine an amazing reality. Use words that evoke emotion. If you use a statistic to prove a point, follow it up with an explanation of how that information leads to a powerfully positive experience. Paint pictures with your words. Tell stories instead of just mindlessly chattering on. The more emotions you can stir up, the more captivated your audience will be.
Captivating speakers are not born. They are made. You can become an enthralling speaker if you work at it. These tips help you cast a spell over your audience so they stay fully engaged and interested in your words.
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