Audience greeting. Successful Public Speaking: Sample Text

How to speak correctly and without hesitation Polito Reinaldo

Greeting the Audience

Greeting the Audience

Once in front of an audience, the first words you say should be a greeting to the people who have come to hear you. This is a respectful, polite way to address the audience and get their attention. This may seem obvious, but it is often forgotten.

It is rare that someone starts talking to a group without addressing its members personally, that is, without greeting them. But there are different types of greetings. Some people utter greetings for show, as a kind of tradition or ritual, while others put their soul into them, trying to be polite and friendly.

The greeting serves two purposes. The first is to really say hello: to wish everyone a good evening, for example. The second is to draw attention to the fact that you are standing in front of an audience. For example, when you say "Wait a minute" to make a toast during a party, it's more than just a greeting; you draw the attention of each participant to the fact of your presence and announce that you are going to speak.

The salutation is the part of the introduction that you see focuses the attention of the audience, makes people want your talk to be a success, makes them friendly, interested, and wants to pay attention to your message. The introduction also removes the resistance that the audience may have towards you, the subject matter, or the environment due to her discomfort or thoughts about what awaits them after the event is over. In short, the greeting informs the audience that you are ready to begin.

Being part of the introduction, the salutation also helps to win the audience over to your side.

Respect formalities and seniority

The form of greeting should always match the degree of formality of the event, ranging from more formal situations where you address the audience with the words "ladies and gentlemen" to informal situations where just saying "hello!" By the way, the term "ladies and gentlemen" is suitable for almost all situations.

Women have the right of primacy, that is, they should be greeted first, if they are not on the board of directors and do not sit at the table of honor, when seniority is determined by hierarchy, not gender. For example, if the president of the country and a woman minister are sitting at the table of honor during the ceremony, then the president should be the first to greet the most important person among those present, and not the minister.

Start by greeting the most important people. Pay attention to this detail, because I know cases where political conflicts and hostility arose because the speaker did not greet the guests of honor or did not greet them in the right order.

Be careful: the audience may lose interest in you while you greet a large number of guests of honor one after another. If the protocol does not require that each of the guests be welcomed separately, then you can find a great way out of this situation by turning to "honored invited guests." However, if there are government officials or celebrities present who cannot be ignored, then the decision might look like this: "I would like to welcome Mr. President Barack Obama and extend this greeting to all distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen." In this way, you express your respect for an authority figure and do not waste time on endless greetings to other guests of honor.

Be politically sensitive

Some meetings are held solely for political purposes to promote some figure. People go to such events not for the sake of the topic of the report, but simply to be seen and to hear the audience pronounce their name. In such a situation, one should not worry too much about the message itself, but it is necessary to mention all those sitting at the table for guests of honor, and in some cases in the hall. You may not say anything meaningful, but everyone will be happy with the performance you put on.

Does this border on hypocrisy? I think so too, but such is life. If you know the meeting is purely political, either don't come and stick to your principles, or play by the rules. The desire to bring a message of deep meaning to the listeners in such a situation is akin to the desire to preach in the desert, where there are no listeners but camels.

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Sooner or later, everyone has to perform in front of an audience. And since the latter is very selfish, this activity can cause a lot of trouble. But as Mark Twain said: “The public initially does not expect anything from you,” so do not be nervous, but it will be nice to use a few useful tips and review examples of public speaking.

Where to begin?

Any example of public speaking begins with the correct preparation of the speech. No matter how wonderful the speaker's text may seem, you need to understand that behind it is remarkable work and long hours of practice.

Every successful example of public speaking begins with the preparation of a speech. Mark Twain at one time knowingly said that it takes about three weeks to prepare an impromptu. Any performance, regardless of its type and the goal pursued, must be prepared in advance. First you need to make the so-called "skeleton" of the performance. To do this, you need to decide on the following positions:

  • Understand the motivation of people who came to listen to the speech.
  • Determine the main idea of ​​the speech.
  • Divide this idea into several component parts (subheadings).
  • Designate keywords. They will need to be repeated several times in the speech so that the listeners better remember what, in fact, it is about.
  • Each speech should have a clear plan and structure. The speech should consist of an introduction, main body and conclusions.

muscles

When the speaker has decided on the basic structure of his speech, it is necessary to build up “muscles” on this “skeleton”. What can they be made of?

  • You can use vivid examples from life or literature, the main thing is that they correspond to the main topic.
  • To help the listener visually consolidate the information received, it is worth preparing graphs, slides, pictures, videos, etc.
  • The audience can be approached with a question during the speech, this will help keep the audience's attention on the main topic.

Introductory part

Particular attention should be paid to the beginning and end of the speech. It is they who play the main role in the communication between the speaker and the listener. The introduction helps to form a first impression of the speaker, and the debriefing allows the audience to consolidate the information received.

During the preparation of the presentation, many questions may arise. For example, how to start a public speaking? The main thing here is to interest the audience from the very beginning. The first impression of the speaker will accompany him throughout the speech, and if you make a mistake, it will be difficult to correct it later.

For example, a public speaking introduction might be a witty joke or some interesting fact. You can puzzle the audience with a question or intrigue with a pause. The main thing is to draw attention to yourself. Just do not start apologizing for the fact that the voice is hoarse, this is the first speech, etc. The speaker should always be self-confident, and turn every trouble to his aid. For example, if the speaker is really ill, you should not apologize, but say that due to such and such circumstances I ask everyone to sit closer so that I can be heard.

End of speech

As for the end, it is important to summarize the entire speech, highlight the main thoughts and recall the issues raised. The last phrases should have a certain emotional message and be expressive, only in this way the listener can not only reward the speaker with applause, but also become an adherent of his ideas. Although, no matter how much you talk about the correct construction of a speech, it will be easier to consider examples of public speaking.

Types of public speaking

Examples of public speaking are divided into several types:

  • Informational. For the most part, these are reports, lectures, oral answers.
  • Protocol and etiquette. Such speeches are used when meeting important guests, making toasts, mourning speeches, or opening a new institution.
  • Entertaining. Usually they are used for a pleasant pastime, they have an entertaining context, but at the same time convey information. As an example, we can cite the performances of Russian pop comedians E. Petrosyan, E. Stepanenko, M. Zadornov and others.
  • Persuasive speech. Such a report should have indisputable facts and evidence that will incline the audience to your side. Examples include speeches by well-known politicians. For example, Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address in 1863, where he assured citizens that not a single soldier died in vain, and this is a necessary sacrifice on the path to freedom.

Get it done in three minutes

In general, the attention of the audience lasts only 15-20 minutes, this is due to psycho-physiological reasons. Depending on the variety, oral presentations can last from a few minutes to 1-2 hours. However, there are some speeches that need to be delivered in 3 minutes. In most cases, these performances are wedding toasts or press conferences. In total, the length of the speech should be between 200 and 405 words. Here is an example of a public speaking for 3 minutes:

“Today, for the first time, the Dalai Lama gave a unique interview to a Russian blogger. For his YouTube channel, business blogger Dmitry Portnyagin was the first in the CIS to interview the Dalai Lama. Communication with a famous Buddhist took place in a Delhi hotel, where the monk often stays with his followers. The premises were double-checked before the conversation began, first by Indian guards led by a Sikh, and then by His Holiness's personal guards.

The interview only lasted an hour. During this time, the participants of the conversation managed to discuss political problems, including questions of competence of Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin. Predict the future of Russia, talk about material and spiritual values, mutual understanding between people and the secrets of success. Each question received a detailed answer. The Dalai Lama spoke openly and with humor. At the end, he gave some tips for entrepreneurs and talked about personal safety.

Dmitry Portnyagin did not remain indifferent during the conversation. He showed the Dalai Lama a photograph of his grandfather, said that in his office there was always a photograph of the supreme head of Tibet, so he also became interested in this topic. Saying goodbye to His Holiness, Dmitry presented the Dalai Lama with a hat with earflaps as a keepsake. The monk immediately put on a new thing and appeared in this form in front of the camera lenses. The full version of the interview can be viewed on the Transformer channel.

Suitable or not?

This example of public speaking text complies with all the rules. Such a short speech fully reveals the theme of the presentation of the video on the YouTube channel. It tells about the participants, the location of the interview, the questions that were raised and the general mood that was present during the conversation.

At the end of the press release, the speaker invites listeners to watch the full version of the video. Although the ending can be supplemented with one more two sentences, saying that the interview turned out to be successful and informative for everyone.

Alexander I

To be effective, speech must be precise and expressive. And it may not always be large volumes of text. You can convey your idea with a few strong sentences and vivid comparisons. For example, the public speech of Alexander I to the French ambassadors even before the start of the war was as follows:

“This is small Europe, and this is big Russia (he shows all this on the map). In case of failure, you can only retreat as far as Paris, and I can run to the edge of Kamchatka! But at the same time, every meter of this land will be hostile to you, even the women will not stop fighting. Russia may lose some battles, but she will never be defeated.”

To say that the ambassadors left impressed would be an understatement. An example of the text of the public speech of Tsar Alexander I amazes readers today. There is not a drop of arrogance here, solid facts, filed under the right "sauce".

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs' speeches can serve as a striking example of modern oratory. Oratory was definitely not his forte - it's just a hobby, but he began every presentation of a new product with his own speech. Examples in its execution are as follows:

These are just small fragments of one of his speeches. But how a person motivates!

The right decision

You can speak on any topic. Examples of public speaking are easy to find in print and other media. Speakers usually touch on important social, political and economic issues. Recently, it has become fashionable to give trainings on how to make money on the Web, present a variety of training programs or draw attention to promotions. Sometimes speakers conduct psychological trainings, discuss religion or philosophy. But whatever the speaker is talking about, his main goal is to captivate the audience.

The speaker is not the person who professionally manipulates pathos speeches, but the one who is able to conduct a simultaneous dialogue with thousands of listeners. He must speak the language of the people who listen to him, understand their problems, find common ground and skillfully lead them to make the right decision.

business communication

It may seem that it is diverse and has no clear boundaries, this public speech. The examples of speeches presented above give a false impression that the texts of the speakers have nothing in common. In fact, they all have the same goal: the listener must agree with the speaker's point of view. And this can be done by completely different methods, up to provocation. Although this method is used mainly in litigation.

The founder of the Russian advocacy, A.F. Koni, once defended a disabled hunchback. For many years a neighbor mocked him, and then one day, unable to stand it, the hunchback grabbed a stone and threw it at him, thereby causing serious bodily injury. In his public speech, A. F. Koni was original like no other. He, as expected, turned to the jury: "Gentlemen of the jury!" Then he paused and repeated this phrase four more times, making minute stops after each appeal. After the fourth appeal, one of the jurors could not stand it and furiously blurted out: “Are you kidding me?!” A.F. Koni did not lose his head, he expected such a reaction: “I addressed you politely and only 4 times, and you have already begun to get nervous. My client has listened to insults in his direction for many years. What must he have felt?

This performance achieved its goal - the defendant was acquitted.

Who feeds you, comrade judges?

History knows many cases with such original performances. Even in literature one can find good examples of oratory, which can be used to teach this art. So, in the novel by A. M. Gorky “Mother”, the convict Pavel Vlasov spoke at the court session. He was convicted under a political article and refused to carry out the escape, prepared by his comrades only in order to make a speech before the large people who had gathered at the trial.

His speech was full of refrains, where he spoke on behalf of the people, but the main "highlight" of the speech was the climax: "How can you destroy the workers, those who feed you, comrade judges?" It costs a lot to create such a speech.

Prosperity of the country

Finishing the article, I would like to give one more version of a public speech. An example of a text on the topic "Theft in Japan."

“Many human and economic factors influence the prosperity of a country. Among them there is one, almost insignificant fact, which will seem to us a fantastic absurdity.

In Japan, they don't steal. They don't steal at all. They don't steal at all. Never steal. People do not lock apartments and cars. Shops safely put trays of goods on the streets and safely forget about them. They know: no one will take someone else's.

In this country, you can forget anything, anywhere, and then come back for the loss a few days later. She will remain untouched. Every Japanese knows: if something is lost, it probably lies where it was lost, which means it will be found. Whether it's a mobile phone or a wallet, anyway, there is any thing.

Tips are not accepted in Japan. The seller or waiter will run after you for several blocks to give you change. Most residents of the capital move around on bicycles, and no one ties them up. Steal a bike?! It's funny!

Here they know: to take someone else's is a shame. After him, a person will no longer be trusted, he will never wash himself off from him.

And by the way, about the economy. Officials sacredly follow this rule: taking someone else's is taboo. Not so long ago, the Japanese minister hanged himself, who was suspected of free handling of finances. Not even stealing. Because of this story, the previous prime minister also resigned.

So, on what does the prosperity of the country depend? That's right, from theft, or, more precisely, from its absence.

The speaker is a kind of shooter. He either hits the target and makes everyone bow their heads before him, or misses, and then the discouraged crowd goes about their business, ignoring the words of the speaker. Therefore, before speaking to the public, you need to aim at a specific target. Examples of public speaking leaders will help.

Was it bright, powerful and memorable in front of a group of people? If you are interested in the answer to this question, then here are some tips on how to capture the attention of the audience, which can serve as a great help in your work. If you follow our recommendations, you will be able to demonstrate to your listeners the best oratorical qualities, win their trust and friendship, and make the best impression, and here it is not far from leading the masses of people and winning a huge number of admirers.

Joke

If the situation is conducive to this, then the speech can be started with a joke (a good joke is also suitable, but only if it is really funny). However, you need to be completely sure that the listeners will perceive what you are saying as something comical. For this reason, before "shooting" an anecdote at a large group of people, check its "quality" on individual people. In addition, you can use humor only when you yourself think what is being told is funny, and when you are sure that you have everything necessary to tell it properly.

Conversation with a friend

You can retell a conversation that not so long ago you had with someone you know or even from those who are present in the hall. For example, you can start like this: “Just before the start of the seminar, I talked with Kirill Petrovich. He told me that in his life now is just the moment when he urgently needs to change something in his life. This is what I mean…”

current event

To start a speech, you can use something from the latest news, so that later you can move on to the main topic of your speech or characterize your position on any issue. You can take the latest issue of the news paper with you and show everyone the headline when you refer to the material, saying introductory words. When you stand on stage and hold a newspaper in your hands when you start your performance, the audience will automatically try to see what you have in your hands and hear what you are saying.

Shocking statement

An effective way to start a speech is a statement that can cause shock. You can, for example, say something along the lines of: “Recent research conducted by our experts showed that this year we are in for big changes. As a result, it turned out that approximately 60% of those sitting in this audience today will receive a salary three times higher than what they receive now in a year and a half.”

Pun

You can start a performance excellently by amusing the audience. An example is the American speaker Bill Gove. Often, already after his official introduction to the audience, he went on stage, as if some kind of behind-the-scenes conversation had been interrupted a second ago so that he could start a new conversation - already with the public. Those sitting in the hall got the feeling that he was not going to make a speech at all, but only wanted to talk to them.

So, Bill came closer to the audience and urged them to move closer to him with gestures, and then barely audibly said something in the spirit of: “Listen, I have to tell you something.” It seemed that he intended to tell everyone present together a secret.

The result of all this was that the people in the audience actually leaned forward to hear the "secret". But after that, at some point, they understood what they were really doing, and began to laugh. Having done this, Gove could do whatever he wanted with the audience. Think, perhaps, and you can arrange something unusual and funny on the stage.

Story about yourself

Often the most effective speeches begin with the presenter talking about himself. You can start a speech something like this: “To what I have now, I went for a very long time and hard. I didn't have a mentor or even an assistant. Everything in my life I had to achieve myself. But that was the best school for me.”

Most likely, after your presentation, people will begin to approach you, who will claim that their situation is exactly similar to yours, and pay their respects to you. And here there is one psychological factor that says that when one person talks about his life, others automatically identify themselves with him.

That is why the speaker's story about his life can attract the attention of the public as much as possible: they will begin to listen to him carefully, because he is most accurately able to convey the details of the situation, give some food for thought, make him listen, think and then act. In essence, the story of life is a bridge between the presenter and the listeners, and it is very useful to use it.

Question or Poll

Among other things, you can start a speech with a small statement and a follow-up question, which involves an answer with raised hands. You could try this by saying, “At this time, each of us has a great opportunity to live and earn money without going to work every day. By the way, how many of you are already working remotely?

Experienced presenters quite often begin their performances in this way, and after someone from the audience raises their hand, they ask the one who is closest to the stage: “How many people among you actually work remotely?”.

Someone with a high degree of probability will say: “We are all!” or “Yes, everyone is here!”. After that, you can confirm this answer: “Yes, I agree, each of those who came here is working remotely, because otherwise you simply would not be here,” etc.

positive affirmation

You can also give the audience a positive statement, such as saying that they will enjoy today's performance. Say something like this: “You're really going to like what you're about to hear. In today's conversation, I will reveal to you some unique secrets about ... ".

Story

A story is a great place to start a speech. Indeed, perhaps there are no more magical words to capture the attention of the audience than “Once a very strange story happened to me,” etc.

The fact is that since childhood, people really like all sorts of stories. With the beginning of the story, the audience suddenly falls silent and begins to listen to every word of the speaker, like a group of children. This technique is very convenient to use also after a break for lunch or coffee.

Statement or question

You can start your speech with a stunning statement, after which you need to ask the audience a question. Then you need to answer this question and ask a new one. Such a trick will instantly draw people into the discussion, and they will listen to you very carefully.

This is explained by another human. From childhood, people are tuned in to give answers to the questions they are asked. Every time a question is posed and there is a pause for people to think about it, the presenter is able to completely control the audience. And even if people do not answer out loud, they always answer mentally.

So, we looked at ten ways to start a speech that can make the above performance effective and memorable. But, no matter which method you choose, it is always important to remember one condition that unites all methods in general.

Bridge between presenter and audience

One of the most important parts of starting a speech is building a leading bridge between him and the audience. it is on how strong it is and whether it is built at all, the result of all further performance depends.

You can start with something that unites you and your listeners. For example, from the fact that once you were in their place or in their situation. You may have lived in their city or area; perhaps you, like them, have a son and a daughter; maybe you play the same sport; perhaps your problems and worries at the moment are similar to the same problems and worries as theirs, etc.

Remember, if you take a couple of minutes to create that invisible bridge between you and your audience, the audience will automatically take your side. People will understand that you belong to their “circle”, which means they will become much more receptive to your ideas and words, and will also become more forgiving and generous to your mistakes that you may make.

It is important to be not only for your listeners, but also accessible to them. You have to let them know that there is a lot in common between them and you. And even if the beginning of your speech turns out to be “blurred”, the bridge that you build will nullify any shortcomings and errors.

We hope our tips will help you make your performances even better. But still, we want to recommend ours, after passing which you will learn how to make literate not only the beginning of speech, but also its other components.

We wish you success!

Speaking in front of the audience causes unpleasant emotions in people. Not everyone is given this initially. But learning to speak in public is possible. 29 recommendations will help make you a speaker.

1. Understand the topic you will be covering. Poor preparation robs a person of confidence and instills fear.

2. Learn to own the body:

  • do not fiddle with the buttons;
  • do not shift from foot to foot;
  • don't touch your hair.

But standing at attention is also not worth it, use gestures, but be careful not to overdo it. Rehearse the moves ahead of time.

3. Speak with your diaphragm. This will allow you to pronounce words loudly and clearly. To learn this, stand up straight and put your right hand on your stomach, exhale, hold your breath as long as you can. Increase the interval over time. In this position, the abdominal muscles relax. Talk in this relaxed state.

5. Practice. In life, speak clearly and not so quickly, highlight important places with pauses.

6. Work on articulation.

7. Make sure that you correctly pronounce difficult words that are present in your report.

8. If you have problems with pronunciation, start slowly repeating the word until you remember how to pronounce it correctly.

10. To have a great speech, make a detailed speech plan. Correctly define the purpose of the speech in order to correctly convey information to the audience.

11. To better remember your speech, write it on paper several times.

12. It can be difficult to remember a speech in its entirety. Therefore, break it into small pieces and learn each piece separately.

13. Know the audience you will be speaking to. The same speech can have different effects on different people.

14. Use humor to grab your audience's attention and lighten the mood.

15. Video the performance. Take note of the errors and make the necessary changes. Do not focus on the shortcomings, even with speech defects, a person can become an excellent speaker.

1. Decide on the type of presentation. Speech happens:

  • informative (transfer of factual information);
  • persuasive (convincing the audience by using emotions, logic, personal experience and feelings, facts);
  • entertaining (meeting the needs of the audience).

Some performances combine several types.

2. The beginning of the speech should be interesting. You can start with the message of the main idea and a few points that you will cover later. The introductory part and the conclusion are best remembered, so pay due attention to them.

3. Avoid long sentences, complex words, confusing wording.

4. To make the audience understand you better, use comparisons.

5. Repetition is a good way to remind listeners of an important thought.

Performance

1. There are a dozen secrets that will help you calm down.

  • Before entering the audience, squeeze and unclench your palms several times;
  • Breathe slowly and deeply;
  • Stand in front of the mirror and repeat to yourself that you will succeed, you are calm and confident.

2. When going out to the audience, smile. So you make the atmosphere warmer and win over the audience.

3. Try to speak as if you are sharing a story. Everyone likes stories, so they will listen to you with interest.

4. Try to be casual. Don't read paper. Don't be afraid to improvise.

5. Don't speak in monotone. Change intonations, this will help to keep the attention of the audience.

6. Engage those present in the discussion. Ask questions to the audience.

7. Take water with you. If you get nervous, take a sip of water. The pause will allow you to catch your breath and calm down so that you can resume your performance with renewed vigor.

8. End with a call. If your words prompted listeners to something, then the goal has been achieved.

9. Before the performance, do not eat dairy products. They provoke the formation of mucus in the throat. This makes it difficult to speak. It is also better to give up garlic, fish and other foods that have a strong odor.

"Well said! Well Said! Presentations and conversations that get results.

At the beginning of your speech, you have only 60 seconds to capture the attention of the audience, gain confidence in people, orient them in the topic and set them up for further listening. If you waste a precious introductory minute on jokes, agendas, apologies, useless details, thank yous, or incoherent stammers, your audience's attention will be irretrievably lost. You must be creative with the introduction, the most important part of the work. This is a difficult task for any speaker, and you will have to rehearse well and work out the challenging opening.

Darlene Price

1. Tell an exciting story

Storytelling is one of the most powerful and successful techniques. From birth, people like to listen and learn from. Fairy-tale heroes, villains from campfire tales or theatrical characters captivate us with their dialogues, conflicts and destinies. With their help, we gain worldly experience and draw parallels with our own life, which easily holds the attention of any person.

At best, it should be a personal first-hand story, telling the audience why you were puzzled by the topic of the report. Although a story about another person whom the public can recognize will do. Alternatively, reveal a fable, fairy tale, wisdom, or historical event. The idea is that your 60-90 second introduction will captivate the audience and contain the key idea of ​​the entire subsequent report.

What problems have you (or someone else) encountered on the topic of the talk? How did you (or someone else) overcome them? Who or what helped or hindered you? What conclusions were made? What should your audience get and feel after reading the story?

2. Ask a rhetorical question

And what Russian does not like to drive fast?

And who are the judges?

Dreams, dreams, where is your sweetness?

Rhetorical questions help to convince. If they are thoughtful and presented in the right form, the audience will follow the path that the speaker intended. With their help, it is easy to persuade listeners to their point of view.


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At the same time, the question does not always have to give an unambiguous answer “yes” or “no”. You can arouse people's curiosity and make them think about the answer by asking something more "heavy".

3. Voice a shocking statistic or headline

A bold statement or catchy headline is the perfect way to convince your audience to take your advice and follow through. The main thing is that they accurately reflect the purpose of your speech.

For example, the VP of Sales for a leading US healthcare company successfully sells hospital software in a very flashy manner. He begins with dry but painfully poignant numbers: “Medical errors leading to the death of a patient have become the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. We are talking about 400 thousand cases per year. This is much more than previously thought. We are creating a world without medical errors, and we need your help.”

4. Use a strong quote

Give the wise words of a famous person whose name will add attractiveness and social weight to your speech. But it is important to understand that the quote must be relevant: make sense and relevance specifically for your audience.

Imagine that you are the conflict manager and you are trying to convince the group to reach an agreement. When opening a negotiation, you could quote Mark Twain, who once said, “If two people agree on everything, there is no need for one of them.” The next sentence should add a touch of unity: "Even though not all of us see the way out of the problem in the same way, the efforts of each of us are essential in reaching an agreement."

5. Show an effective photo

A picture is worth a thousand words. And maybe more.

Use pictures instead of text whenever possible. A good photo adds aesthetic appeal, enhances comprehension, fills the audience's imagination, and makes the presentation more memorable.


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For example, the president of an electrical equipment company skillfully inspired his managers to cut costs. Instead of showing them the usual diagrams, graphs and tables, he opened the meeting with a rather strange question: "Why did the Titanic sink?" In unison, there was a mention of a collision with an iceberg. Then the head of the company displayed an image of an iceberg on a common screen: its tip was visible above the water, but a much larger part was hidden under the surface. “The same is true for our company. Hidden costs are the same underwater danger that will pull us to the bottom.” This visual metaphor inspired executives, and their proposals ended up saving millions of dollars.

6. Get creative

Themed props are a sure way to keep your listeners' attention. Visual support will emphasize your idea.

So, being an avid tennis fan, the head of a large insurance company began his speech with a spectacular hit with a racket. Thus, he expressed his determination, "won a point against competitors", rallied the team and ultimately "won the Grand Slam".

Think about how you could use a wall clock, a colorful bag, a bunch of carrots, ball juggling, or card manipulation to captivate your audience, add humor, and get your message across.

7. Start a short video

Imagine you start your production presentation with a video in which satisfied customers give a positive review of your product. Or you open a fundraising event for endangered species with a mini-film about the Amur leopard and its offspring.

The video evokes an emotional reaction. Unlike words and slides, a short film adds drama and conveys the essence of what is happening faster.

As Walt Disney said:

I'd rather entertain people and hope they learn something than educate people and hope they have fun.

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