You worked hard to ensure that you can get your ideas clearly to your target audience. Whether it’s a huge crowd or a small group of potential investors for your business, you want them to understand what you want to say. The problem is that during the actual presentation, you’re not getting the reaction you wanted. Some of them are sleeping while others don’t seem to care even if they’re listening. These are the possible reasons for such reactions and what you need to do to prevent them from reacting that way.
You’re monotonous
As a public speaker, you have to be engaging. If you are monotonous, it could impact how people react to what you have to say. Even if you have interesting ideas, no one will listen to you. For instance, if there’s a punchline you want to land, you have to use an appropriate vocal tone; otherwise, no one will even notice that you said something important.
You speak for too long
Children have a short attention span, but adults don’t have that much attention span either. After a few minutes, most adults decide if they will still listen to the speaker or do something else. Therefore, you have to find a way to reduce your speech. You also have to do other things apart from speaking. For instance, you have to try to be more interactive. Ask questions or play some games. There are many ways to get your message across without necessarily being the only resource.
You may also use props to help get your message across. You can use slides or print some of the details that you’re presenting to guide the listeners. Not everyone will follow what you say. Therefore, it helps if you can show the information through slides. You might have to invest in a projector ceiling mount if the venue of the presentation is in your office. It’s easy to use the projector when it’s already up there.
You don’t simplify things
The reason why you’re presenting is that you want people to understand the concepts you’re going to present. If you show the same information that people can read in books or online, there’s no point for you to be there. They would rather stay home and look for those details elsewhere. Your primary duty is to explain the concepts in a way that people will find easy to understand.
You don’t understand your audience
The way you present your ideas and the information you include need to be on the same level as the people listening to you. It’s crucial for you to meet them at their intellectual level. If you explain details in a way that’s too difficult for the listeners, they won’t care. If you try to dumb things down and you’re facing top executives and academics, they will feel disrespected. Before you prepare your speech, you need to have a clear understanding of the people you’re talking to.
Now that you understand these details, it’s time for you to rethink your approach to the next presentation.
