Check out this interview with Randall Craig on Professionally Speaking TV where we talk about Teamwork, speaking, and being President of the National Speakers Association.
Interview with Randall Craig – Professionally Speaking TV
Ask for the Order at the End of Your Presentation
The end of your presentation is the crucial point where the cup meets the lip. You present a great speech, but if you haven’t shifted the audience’s perspective, increased their knowledge, or inspired them to do something differently, your words are for naught.
Your audience will not take action unless you ask them to. Don’t assume they know what they should do as a result of your brilliantly crafted presentation. Salespeople are always encouraged to “ask for the order.” You should make a similar request of your audience. What do you want them to do? Suggest a relatively easy action they could do when they get back to the office that day or the day after your presentation. Or, be bold and make a more challenging request.
Presentation coach Nick Morgan says the only reason to give a speech is to change the world. And why not? Expect to change the world with your words! By making your presentation more engaging and interactive, you will connect with your audience so they can be inspired to action. And isn’t that the point?
Have a Mini-Conversation with the Audience
Whether you are speaking to a few people or to a packed auditorium, present your information in a conversational style rather than a stilted “this is how presenters present” style. Most of us are pretty engaging when we speak one-on-one or to a small group of close friends. So why not take that comfortable, casual style with you onto the stage or to the front of the room? Your local television news anchors and reporters have a more conversational tone and so can you.
As you begin your talk, think mini-conversations rather than a stand-and-deliver speech. Look at a friendly face in the audience and stay with that person for a sentence or two or until you complete a thought. Allow yourself enough time to connect with that person – typically three to five seconds. Then move to someone else in the room, distributing your mini-conversations smoothly and deliberately throughout the room, without being too predictable as to where you will go next!
Remember to reach into the rafters, the cheap seats, and the fringes of the audience – when you pull them into the conversation, it pulls in everyone in between!
