Here’s the situation: A meeting of independent publishers, and two speakers who did tried to involve the audience through interactive presentation techniques. Let’s hone our communication skills by comparing how much engagement they generated.
The first speaker received a lukewarm reception and received only a few questions after the official part of her presentation. The second speaker got a much better response, with more questions than he could handle in the available time.
So what were the differences between the two speakers? What interactive presentation tactics made one much more effective than the other?
Let’s start by noting the first speaker made an implicit sales pitch by focusing on what her company did (book marketing), and the second focused on sharing ideas from his successful book projects. The first speaker markets the books of other publishers, and her comments suggested (in a subtle way) that she hoped to recruit new clients from the audience. The second speaker, a fellow publisher, simply spoke about book marketing as he’s experienced it.
Comparing the two, we see that you’re much more likely to get a good response from sharing ideas, rather than trying to sell the audience.
The first speaker also lost ground by trying to answer all the questions herself, while the second involved audience members in his answers. In other words, the second speaker positioned himself as a facilitator as well as an expert.
The lesson from this is that audience members get more involved when they have a chance to answer questions, as well as ask them.
One more difference: the first speaker stuck to one spot at the front of the room, while the second speaker changed positions frequently. The first speaker mostly stood still, in much the same spot, throughout the whole session, while the second moved fairly constantly.
The lesson from these tactics? Your interactive presentation has a physical dimension as well as an intellectual dimension. Your ‘stage presence’ will make a difference.
In summary, if you want a good audience response and feedback to your interactive presentation, try one or more of these tactics. Over time, keep those that work for you, and discard those that don’t.
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