Audience

From EESwiki

Basic audience contact

Getting into contact with your audience is the essential first step to get your message across and to succeed with your presentation. As anything else in a presentation, audience contact is first of all a matter of attitude: you need to want it – and a lot will follow quite naturally and automatically. In addition there are two simple rules:

1.Look into their faces!

This is the most important rule: Look at people if you talk to them. If you don't, people will quickly get the impression that you don't talk to them – but only to yourself.

2.Get active – and your hand up!

Getting in contact with your audience is an activity. It asks for an active speaker. Our hands are our most important tools. Activity without using your hands looks passive.

Some details and hints on “how to do it”

Try to look into peoples faces all the time and especially at the start of the talk. Look somewhere else only if there is good reason (short! look into your notes, point to something on the projection, etc).

Especially in official talks in an unfamiliar environment an audience may seem frightening or even hostile (even if this is not really true). It may help to check out your audience before you start. Then pick someone you either know, or at least who looks friendly, and look at him or her during the talk.

As a bonus: When looking at people, sometimes try to smile – and you are perfect!

You don't need to do a lot of hand-waving if you are not used to “talk with your hands”. You can keep them quietly in an “active position”. When standing, you could, for example, simply put them together, but keep them above your waistline.

Sometimes it is easier to keep your hand up if you have something in your hand, such as file cards with notes or a pointer (a real stick is better for this than a laser pointer).

As a bonus: Sometimes open your hands for a broader gesture – and you are perfect!

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