Certain presentations lend themselves to the necessity of audience participation for success. Are you the first session back from lunch at an all-day conference? You may need to reign the audience back in from a social hour or help them avoid the post-food coma. If you find your presentation is in need of audience participation, consider these proven tactics for engagement that don’t feel forced or incite dread from your participants as so many do.
Start early
Set the precedent of an interactive presentation by allowing participation early. A presentation that catches the audience by surprise, asking for them to participate after they’ve settled in, is a recipe for crickets.
It’s best to set the tone of your talk by either letting them know there will be an opportunity to interact, or getting them involved right off the bat. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate showcase. Small ways of gaining audience participation by getting them moving, thinking, and talking are easier than you might think. If telling a story, let them guess what you’re going to say next by leading them to a fill-in-the-blank. Ask a quick question, giving time and space for reactions. Make sure whatever you decide is something you feel comfortable facilitating. The more authentic, the better.
Poll or Play Games
There are a wonderful variety of options to choose from when deciding on an audience participation tool. There are apps like Vevox, PollEverywhere and SlideLizard that have different polling possibilities. Multiple-choice questions, star-rating options and before-and-after polls are available to name a few. These apps populate answers in real time right in your PowerPoint so your audience can see their answer represented and know where the rest of the room is at. You can poll early as an icebreaker, or keep polling throughout your presentation.
If your audience is not especially tech-savvy, you can use physical props like CatchBox or Qball if in-person.
No matter the tool, be sure to stay positive and encouraging with your listeners. This will ensure maximum participation in whichever avenue you choose.
Live Parking Lot
Do you ever have a burning question during a presentation, only to forget it once the topic shifts? A parking lot is a place to host questions, comments and off-topic concerns while keeping your presentation moving in a productive manner. There are a few options out there like EngageNow and EventScribe where you can have a virtual parking lot.
If online, the advantage of using a third party vs. letting participants post comments in the chat function of your virtual platform of choice, is that you have complete control.
If you are in-person, this is still a great option for many reasons. First, it helps the audience feel like they have a voice. Next, it mitigates the need for clarity in the moment, taking your talk off course. Lastly, it helps with wrap-up.
Even answering questions for topics you have already covered helps bring you back to the material and re-iterates important points. It lets you know what your audience is most interested in. It also helps sharpen your skills as a presenter by letting you know how clearly you’re presenting information.
With so many options at your fingertips, there’s no reason for a forced or awkward audience participation attempt. Every day more events are moving to the online space, and it can feel overwhelming to have to interact with an audience virtually. These tools will help you take a pulse on your audience and connect with them in real time. This also encourages live participation, because listeners will have missed the opportunity to engage if they watch the recording later. Have more questions about how to get your audience engaged? Our presentation coaches are happy to help smooth out areas of concern. Reach out today for a free quote!
