The name's Bond, James Bond...

There are a few things that are iconic about James Bond films: Q and his amazing gadgets, the 'will they, won't they' vibe between Miss Moneypenny and Bond and the opening sequence. I always look forward to the opening sequence of a Bond film. It's like a really great sneak peek at what's coming next (which of course it is). It's kind of become a Bond thing and it illustrates the point of this week's blog perfectly.  The core message for this week's blog is "grab your audience at the beginning, with a great opener"

The main reason you want to do this is because, if you do it well, your audience is much more likely to engage with you and connect with what you are saying (providing of course you continue to hold their interest). I'm pretty certain that most of us have been subjected to presentations that started off making us want to gouge out our own eyeballs and ended with us metaphorically banging our heads on the wall in boredom!  I can hear some of you saying "I dare you to make a presentation on health and safety interesting".  My advice would be to find an interesting and/or funny anecdote (preferably both) that illustrates your main message or one of your supporting points. I think human beings are hardwired to connect through stories and so when you start off with the right one, you grab their attention early on. You could also try including some fun trivia, or have a couple of questions that you throw open to your audience, to get them involved, right from the start. These are just 3 ideas, but there are loads more out there, if you're prepared to go the extra mile to come up with a great presentation. Be careful though, not to be too gimmicky. People can always sense when you're trying to manipulate them.  If you are authentic and passionate, chances are, your audience will tap into that.

The second reason, you want to grab your audience's attention early on, is that it's always harder to regain something you've already lost. It's a tactic I use with my 3 year old all the time. If I need her to do something, I always start with something she's interested in, so that she's less resistant to anything less interesting that she has to do later on.  Since 3 year olds are notorious for their short attention span, if it works for her, it's worth trying on adults don't you think?

Finally, if you capture and keep the interest of your audience, there's a much better chance that they will remember your core message, which is really what you want. We all have so many things vying for our attention, that if we tried to keep them all in our brain, it would probably explode! The beauty of a short, succinct and clear core message is that we have a much better chance of remembering it, long after we've left the presentation.

I hope this week's tips have given you a bit of confidence about how to make your presentation more engaging. If you'd like some help with a presentation or speech or want to become a more engaging public speaker then either give us a call on +234 706 335 0864 or use the contact form on this blog.


Until next time, speak up, because the world needs to hear your voice.