Page 60 - Effective communication Skills by Dale King

It is a good idea to change up your pacing. Speak faster when talking about

information that most everyone knows or if you are recapping earlier section,
then slow down when you are hammering home some important information.
You can also use silence as a powerful tool but don’t get trapped in
predictable speech patterns.

Arouse Their Emotions

Humor is very persuasive. It will give you an advantage because it can

change the room’s chemistry and the brains of everybody present. Never try
to tell a joke if you aren’t a comedian. Just let your natural sense of humor be
present and if something comes to mind, let this humor come out.

If you can tell them something personal about yourself, you can make them
feel more connected to you. I listened to a presenter recently who confessed
to her audience that she had been a short-order cook, taxi driver, and
bartender to be able to pay her college tuition. Her audience was thrilled and

amazed while she drove her point home that everyone can do more than we
realize if we just have a will to do whatever it takes. A good definition of
courage is acting out of character.

Get Your Audience Involved

This takes some improvisation because you might not be able to predict how
willing your audience will be until the presentation day. Try to get people

involved in any way you can. This might include bringing them on stage with
you so you can demonstrate something when making a major point.

An interactive audience can be persuaded faster than a passive one. With
most circumstances, having give and take between an audience and a speaker
can break the reserve and reticence of the audience and encourages them to
begin engaging with the presenter and to be a part of the proceedings.

Some churches use the call and response tradition during worship. You can
see it in universities and schools where a good teacher can ask questions and

get even the shyest student to participate.

Make the Headlines Clear

Create the headlines for the slide to show a point of view. Your audience will
get the main idea and then read the rest of the slide for the evidence to