As a public speaking and presentation skills trainer in Singapore, one question comes up in almost every class: “How do I engage the audience and make my presentations more interesting?”
Getting the audience's attention, and keeping it, decides whether a presentation works. The better you are at it, the more likely people are to remember your message and act on it.
In this article, I'll share 10 ways to engage your audience. To help you remember them, I've put them into an acronym: C.A.P.T.I.V.A.T.E.S.
1. Commencement: open strongly
The first minute sets the tone. Start shakily and you risk losing the audience's attention. Start strongly and you connect with them straight away.
Here are some ways to open your presentation and engage the audience from the start:
Ask a question that gets them thinking
- “What if we could …?”
- “When was the last time you …?”
- “Why do you think … happened?”
Use a quote that fits your message
- Anthony Robbins once said, “Every problem is a gift. Without problems, we would not grow.”
- There's a line by Richard Branson that I really like: “Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming.”
- One of my favourite lines from the late Steve Jobs: “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.”
Tell a short story
- “Last week I met someone I hadn't seen in a long time …”
- “There's a very successful banker who only started working in a bank at the age of 40 …”
Share a surprising fact
A fact the audience doesn't expect makes them sit up. Choose one that is relevant to your topic, and say where it comes from so they trust it.
2. Applicability: show why it matters to them
People pay attention when they see that your content applies to their wants and needs. Interest comes first. Engagement follows.
So be clear about what your audience is looking for, then tell them early what they will take away. A quick run through the agenda works well: name the problems you will cover and hint at the solutions.
Be specific rather than generic, and keep it short.
3. Physicality: use your body with purpose
Whether we mean to or not, we are always sending messages through our body language. We engage the audience better when it is clear, expressive and purposeful.
Make sure that:
- Eye contact is held and spread across the room
- Facial expressions match your message
- Hand gestures are complete and expressive
- Posture is upright, strong and balanced
- Movement is clear and deliberate
4. Tone: vary your voice
When we speak in a monotone, the audience loses interest quickly.
Imagine a song with only one note. It wouldn't be very nice to listen to, would it?
The same goes for your tone of voice, volume, emphasis, pace and pauses. Vary them to suit the message you are trying to get across.
Vocal variety gives your presentation more depth and makes it easier to listen to.
Read more on how to improve your speaking voice and how to project your voice and speak louder.
5. Interaction: involve your audience
Interacting with the audience makes them feel included, and makes you look more thoughtful and confident. It also turns a one-way talk into an exchange of ideas.
The simplest way is to ask them questions, then link their answers back to your content.
Another way is to use what you know about the audience as examples.
Say one of your audience, Jamie, works in finance. When you talk about changes in the industry, such as the growth of cryptocurrency, you can ask how these changes might affect Jamie's work in the long run.
6. Visuals: support your words
Visual aids such as PowerPoint or Keynote slides can make your points easier to understand and remember.
Images, charts, diagrams and short videos add depth that words alone can't.
But don't overload your slides with text. Too much information leads to too little retention. Keep each slide clean, clear and focused on one idea.
7. Arrangement: give it a clear structure
A well-organised presentation lets the audience follow along, understand more and stay engaged.
Make sure it has a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
As you move between sections and points, use signposts and transitions. They tell the audience where they are and help them follow your thinking.
Examples of verbal signposts
- “Now that we've covered A, let's move on to B.”
- “You might be wondering why this matters. Let me tell you why …”
Examples of transition words
- In addition, firstly, similarly, for example, on the other hand, most importantly, that's why, even though
Signposts and transitions also help you rely less on filler words such as “erm”, “you know” and “right”.
8. Tuning: read the room and adjust
As you present, watch your audience's verbal and non-verbal cues to judge their interest.
Signs of boredom or confusion include yawning, fidgeting, crossed arms, and people looking away or at their phones. When you see them, adjust.
With your voice, try changing your pace, tone or volume.
With your body language, build rapport with stronger eye contact, a smile, livelier gestures, or by moving closer to the audience.
With your content, bring in a real-life example or a short story.
Stay flexible. Be ready to adapt to how the audience reacts.
9. Emotions: decide how you want them to feel
A line often credited to Maya Angelou says it all:
“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Be aware and intentional about the emotions you want your presentation to create. When you can shape how the audience feels about your content, your presentation becomes far more engaging.
Ask yourself:
“Am I trying to excite them? Surprise them with my findings? Give them hope? Remind them how serious a mistake could be? Help them laugh and relax? Inspire and motivate them?”
10. Storytelling: the most reliable way to engage
We've saved the best for last.
The most reliable way to engage any audience, in any context, is storytelling.
Stories get people interested. They make people sit up and pay attention.
Why?
Long before any media existed, people passed on information through stories. Our brains are wired to listen to them. Characters, a plot, challenges, twists and an ending are the parts of every human life, so stories feel familiar and easy to follow.
Stories bundle several pieces of information in a way that is relatable and memorable. Just make sure the stories you use are relevant, appropriate and told with a clear structure.
Putting CAPTIVATES into practice
To recap, here are the 10 ways to engage your audience: Commencement, Applicability, Physicality, Tone, Interaction, Visuals, Arrangement, Tuning, Emotions and Storytelling.
You don't need to use all ten at once. Each one you get comfortable with gives you another tool for keeping your audience with you.
So how do you get better at them? Rehearse. Refine. Repeat.
Related guides
- What good public speakers do differently
- The power of personalisation in presentations
- How to use the right tone of voice
About Speak Sell Succeed
Speak Sell Succeed teaches public speaking, presentation and communication skills to working adults in Singapore. Every course is taught in person by our founder, Iwan Yang, at our centre in Tanjong Pagar. Iwan has more than ten years of speaking and training experience and has personally trained more than 3,000 people.
Engaging an audience starts before you open your slides. In our Engage Audience with Confident Business Presentations course, you plan around your objective and your audience first, then build your slides and delivery, with feedback from Iwan as you practise.
Eligible Singapore Citizens can use SkillsFuture Credit for our courses, and NTUC members can claim UTAP. See upcoming course dates or message us on WhatsApp if you would like help choosing.
Frequently asked questions
How do you engage an audience at the start of a presentation?
Open with something that makes them think or feel: a question, a short story, a surprising fact or a quote that fits your message. Then tell them early what they will get from listening.
How do you keep an audience engaged during a long presentation?
Vary your voice, involve the audience with questions, use clear signposts so they know where you are, and watch for signs of boredom so you can adjust your pace or add an example.
What is the most effective way to engage an audience?
Storytelling. A relevant story with a clear structure holds attention better than facts alone, because people find stories easy to follow and remember.
What does CAPTIVATES stand for?
Commencement, Applicability, Physicality, Tone, Interaction, Visuals, Arrangement, Tuning, Emotions and Storytelling: ten ways to engage your audience.
