3 Ways to Make Your Next Presentation More Engaging

What makes some presentations pull you in while others struggle to hold your attention?

I was thinking about this recently after attending (and speaking at) a conference where I had the chance to watch a number of different presenters. Some immediately pulled me in and kept me engaged.

And it got me thinking about what they were doing differently.

The good news? Making a presentation more engaging doesn’t require being an amazing public speaker. A few small, intentional choices can make a big difference in how people experience and remember your message.

In this Two-Minute Tip, I share a few simple ways to make your next presentation more engaging, memorable, and impactful.

Whether you’re leading a meeting, presenting to your Board, facilitating a workshop, or speaking at a conference, try one of these tactics to better engage your audience and make your message stick.

• Read the video transcript

  Think about the last great presentation you watched. What do you remember from it? I'm guessing you don't remember a point from slide 17. Instead, you remember a story,

  a surprising idea, or something that made you laugh. I was reminded of this recently when attending and speaking at the Boise State Women and Leadership Conference.

  I listened to a number of presentations and speakers over those two days, and some just really pulled me in and engaged me. Here are three things that I think make a presentation extra engaging.

  And I want to challenge you to try one of these in your next presentation, even if it's in a setting where people don't typically weave in one of these more creative tactics.

  First, tell a story. It doesn't have to be long. It doesn't have to be overly personal.

  But a quick story engages your audience's brain in a different way.

  For example, in my Two-Minute Tips, you typically hear me telling a story, often a personal one, and then connecting it with my point.

  The second tactic is to create curiosity.

  When we start to feel curious, we're more engaged. This could include sharing a surprising fact, asking a question, maybe even giving a riddle for them to solve. I like to start things that way.

  Say something that makes people wonder, "Where is she going with this?"

  And then the third tactic is to get people involved. And I really recommend get them involved early on because it will calm your nerves as well. This could be as simple as asking them for a show of hands,

  having them answer a question, or inviting them to talk about something with the person next to them.

  Just a small amount of participation, even when people don't really think they want to do it, actively engages the audience in a different way. They go from listening to participating.

  So as you prepare for that next presentation, don't just think about, " What do I want to tell these people?"

  Instead, ask yourself, "What do I want them to experience?"

  At the end of the day, they're probably not going to remember everything you said, even if you brilliantly deliver it.

  But they will remember a story you shared, how you got them to be curious and think about something, how you made them feel, and maybe how you got them to participate and engage in the conversation.