They say the average attention span nowadays is 8 seconds. Yikes.
With the evolution of technology in full-force, bringing us loads of information at our fingertips in a manner of seconds, it’s tricky to grab and maintain anybody’s attention.
It doesn’t matter if you have the most brilliant ideas to share if nobody is listening to you.
It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are on a certain topic if nobody is listening to you.
It’s not about what you know anymore, but HOW you deliver what you know.
As we’re all connected to the internet, information is no longer power. Over 2 billion people around the world are using smartphones, and we have the ability to research anything we want to know and learn about.
The ability to captivate your audience is power.
When your audience is captivated, you have their full attention. They are focused on you and everything you’re saying.
And when this happens, you have the ability to motivate, persuade, inspire, teach, or convince all who are listening to you.
And that is some powerful stuff.
Here are some tips to captivate your audience:
- Start with a story: Humans are wired for connection and storytelling has been the way people have been connecting with each other since ancient times. Stories evoke emotion, and emotion is what enables people to relate to you and to gain your trust. This is also a great opportunity for you to have some fun and to feel at ease, which sets the tone for the rest of your presentation.
- Surprise your audience: Give a shocking statistic that will make the peoples’ jaw drop. Or give an example to show one of your points that your audience isn’t expecting. Of course you want to know your audience and keep the shock value appropriate, but when you surprise them they’ll be waiting to hear what you have to say next.
- Be present: Whether you’re speaking to 2 people or 200 people, be present with your audience. Make eye contact, watch their body language, and be aware of yours. You want to be relaxed and confident. Smile at the people listening to you. Know your content so well that you don’t need to be reading from notecards or slides (or very little, at least). Get out from behind your podium so there aren’t any barriers between you and your audience. Staying present will help your listeners stay engaged with you.
- Make it about them: Aside from a story you may tell, try to refrain from “I” as much as possible. You want to make your listeners feel important and feel like you care. What are they gaining by listening to you today? How do you want them to feel? What motivates them? What do you want them to walk away with?
Audiences want to be captivated. If they are taking the time to listen to you, they want to walk away feeling like they’ve gained something.
And when you can captivate your audience, no matter how big or small, that’s when you have the power to share your gifts with the world.