{"id":114831,"date":"2023-10-06T19:47:55","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T23:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=114831"},"modified":"2023-10-09T12:48:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T16:48:36","slug":"how-to-engage-an-audience-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-engage-an-audience-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Engage an Audience: Open Strong &#038; Connect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How do you give a speech that will grab and keep the attention of the audience? What does it take to make a speech engaging?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To engage an audience, you should focus on creating a strong opening and then finding a way to connect with them emotionally. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/learning-strategies-for-students\/\">Learning strategies<\/a> to do these two things will help you give a more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/effective-speech\/\">effective speech<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-engage-an-audience\/\">how to engage an audience<\/a>, check out the following tips and strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-engaging-your-audience\">Engaging Your Audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When considering how to engage an audience, you should prioritize an attention-grabbing opening, and then you can follow that with engaging content to keep that attention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-write-a-strong-opening\">Write a Strong Opening<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You only have about <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/ted-talks#the-opening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>60 seconds to keep your audience\u2019s attention<\/strong><\/a><strong> once you begin your speech<\/strong>. You may want to say something dramatic within the first minute, show a fascinating image (this can be beautiful, confusing, or funny), or pique their curiosity with a question or counterintuitive statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, you should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/public-speaking-for-success\/1-page-summary#opening-your-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keep your opening succinct<\/a> by refining it to a sharp, powerful sentence or two. There are several weak ways of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/opening-a-speech\/\">opening a speech<\/a> that you should avoid:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Don\u2019t open with an apology.<\/strong> Often used to seem humble, this technique makes speakers look incompetent or unprepared and can annoy audiences.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t open with humor.<\/strong> Most speakers can&#8217;t pull off jokes, so you&#8217;ll most likely make the audience cringe and pull away emotionally.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t open too formally.<\/strong> Scripted, overly rehearsed, and\/or dry openings easily lose the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-get-the-attention-of-your-audience\/\">audience&#8217;s attention<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-connect-with-your-audience\">Connect With Your Audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-16-undeniable-laws-of-communication\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication<\/em><\/a>, John C. Maxwell says that, to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/engaging-content\/\">engage your audience<\/a> during your presentation, you must focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-16-undeniable-laws-of-communication\/1-page-summary#communicate-for-connection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>connecting with them<\/strong><\/a><strong>. <\/strong>Connection breaks down barriers that prevent people from listening to you, which makes them more receptive to you and your ideas. Maxwell suggests a few ways to engage and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-connect-with-your-audience\/\">connect with your audience<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Put yourself in the audience\u2019s shoes. <\/strong>Consider what they feel, think, and desire, and make them feel valued in ways that are important to them. You can do this by interacting with them, expressing your gratitude, or celebrating their accomplishments. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/public-speaking-for-success\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Public Speaking for Success<\/em><\/a>, Dale Carnegie also suggests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/public-speaking-for-success\/1-page-summary#opening-your-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">using familiar in-group words and ideas<\/a>, like a Richard Feynman joke for a group of physicists.<\/li><li><strong>Remove mental and physical barriers. <\/strong>For instance, be friendly and create a comfortable atmosphere so that your audience feels at ease. Or, instead of standing behind a large podium, try sitting by the edge of the stage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Carnegie provides some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/public-speaking-for-success\/1-page-summary#opening-your-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other ways to engage and connect<\/a> with your audience when presenting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Speak from your heart: <\/strong>Facts don\u2019t convince\u2014emotion does. Deliver your speech with passion and enthusiasm. If you\u2019re not emotional about your subject, your audience won\u2019t be either.<\/li><li><strong>Act confident:<\/strong> Take the stage with poise and presence. Remind yourself that you\u2019re well-prepared, invested in your ideas, and here to educate an audience that came to listen to <em>you<\/em>.<\/li><li><strong>Speak conversationally,<\/strong> as if you&#8217;re chatting with a close friend. This will bring out a natural, sincere quality in your voice and help the audience feel connected to you.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Show your individuality.<\/strong> Real stage presence comes from an authentic individual owning their personality. Speak, move, and express yourself naturally. Carmine Gallo explains that allowing yourself to be emotionally vulnerable is important because it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/talk-like-ted\/1-page-summary#principle-9-be-yourself\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shows your audience that you\u2019re a human being<\/a> who has feelings, just like them.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you give a speech that will grab and keep the attention of the audience? What does it take to make a speech engaging? To engage an audience, you should focus on creating a strong opening and then finding a way to connect with them emotionally. Learning strategies to do these two things will help you give a more effective speech. To learn how to engage an audience, check out the following tips and strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":107110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,9],"tags":[1285],"class_list":["post-114831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-psychology","tag-the-master-guides-public-speaking","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Engage an Audience: Open Strong &amp; Connect - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing how to engage an audience is key for any public speaker. 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