27/07/08 09:27

Worksheet:

2. Techniques to obtain audience attention

English Development Programme

Subject:  

- Think about how you can relate to your audience - and think about how to make them relate either to you or the subject of the speech

- Maybe an anecdote will obtain audience attention (or surprising statistics, asking for audience participation or asking the audience questions)

- You could try appealing to the audience on a personal level.

1. Ask if there are questions.

2. Tell the audience that they can ask questions at the end of the presentation (or confirm that they can ask questions at any time during the presentation).

3. Ask if you can do anything to clarify (you can refer to a previous or following point).

4. If they will not stop and you are standing, continue your presentation but try to move nearer to them (or look at them and say that, if they don't mind, questions can be dealt with at the end of the presentation).

5. Lower your voice or pause.

6. Hope that someone else will stop them.

7. When all else fails, try to acknowledge that things are out of control and ask the group whether a new meeting should be scheduled.

- check understanding

- refer to visual information