In regards to Tip #3, I think it's important to know if we are connecting with the audience. That way we're able to make adjustments, and maybe find a way to make a connection. Sometimes it's easier just to plow forward without recognizing feedback from our audience. I'm guilty. Maybe we're afraid to acknowledge the truth of the matter….that the audience is bored, or disagrees with us, or whatever the case may be. But this sort of feed back should not be looked upon as a bad thing.

If we just own up to our lack of connection with our audience, while focusing on our main objective, which is to connect and engage, we will stand a much better chance of connecting and getting our point across.

Letting ourselves be real, and realizing we are not perfect, can help us not take a disconnection with our audience so personally. With this understanding, we can be more effective at finding what we are, or are not doing, that is causing their disinterest. And then, maybe we won't appear as just someone in front of the room, just rambling off a bunch of words, but a real person, who understands and can touch the human side of the audience. And hopefully achieve the main objective of why we are there in the first place…to effectively communicate our message.

I have performed numerous presentations to 1000’s of people and written by own book on the subject.

Therefore, I would like to add:

Planning and preparation. What are the audience expecting? How will you know the presentation was a success? If you want to look great (remember you are on show) you will not be able to bluff your way through.

Visual/aids/props – should I use them? What are the best ways to use them? I always do and they have to be in context with the content.

Actual delivery – make sure you are passionate about the subject.

Post delivery. Ask for and get some feedback – so next time the presentation is even better.

Andrew

Tell Stories
(about the companies culture – about the leadership style of the company – you'll be much more engaging…and interesting)

Look deeply at the audience
(show them you are interested!)

Be Honest
(please, can't we just all be honest for a change)

Smile
(seriously, I know you think that interviewers are supposed to be cold and stoic, but this is 2007 – deal with it)

Relax
(I promise you'll have a lot more fun this way).

"In their new book, The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas, Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor G. Richard Shell and management consultant Mario Moussa provide a systematic approach to idea selling.
They tell the story of rock star Bono's visit to then-Senator Jesse Helms' Capitol Hill office to enlist his help in the global war against AIDS.
Bono had all the facts and figures at his fingertips, and launched into a detailed appeal based on this data. He was, in essence, speaking to Helms the same way he had recently spoken to executives and technical experts at the many foundations and corporations he had approached about this issue. But within a few minutes, Bono sensed that he was losing Helms' attention, and he instinctively changed his pitch. Knowing that Helms was a deeply religious man (and drawing on his own born-again Christian values), Bono began speaking of Jesus Christ's concern for the sick and poor. He argued that AIDS should be considered the 21st century equivalent of leprosy, an affliction cited in many Bible stories of the New Testament. Helms immediately sat up and began listening, and before the meeting was over had promised to be the Senate champion for Bono's cause."

Communication is all about the audience!

Your content can't suck (you can never make up for lousy content), but when judging performance in a speaking engagement, the most dynamic, entertaining and memorable speaker will always get the highest scores. People won't remember what you said (again it can't suck) but they will remember how the experience made them feel.

That's why story telling really works.

Apart from that, creating a richly dynamic experience for the audience really matters:

1.) involve the audience by asking them questions and getting them involved.
2.) the richer the content in terms of media the more engaging the presentation (video, music, physical movement – try walking around IN your audience instead of remaining on stage or at the podium)
3.) increase your energy level to near the point of absurdity.
4.) Include some sort of action/rewards audience stimulus, where the audience has a stake: I always try and bring giveaways, and create an audience activity (such as them asking questions) in order to give the items away.

A great book to consider reading is Influencer, (Patterson, Grenny and others) which just came out, which talks in great depth about the power of story telling.

The person with the most dynamic infotainment wins, not the smartest nor the one with the absolute best content.

Jason

I just wanted to thank you for the career session last night at UW and pass along just how well you engaged your audience. After our group breakouts everyone was hoping for more discussion with you~*

Your braid theory was a hit! Although I do think sometimes I suffer from braid envy… like 23 yr. old Ryan who seems to have it all figured out ;)