One thing that speakers must avoid is boring their audience. If the people you are speaking to get bored, they will zone out and not hear half of what you say.
Or they may decide on a bathroom break just when you come to an important point. When they get up and go out, it disturbs at least some other people so they will miss the point too.
Here are three tips to avoid giving a boring speech:
1. Tell a story. Everyone loves a story as they can get emotionally involved in it. When you have a lot of statistics you can break them up with a story relating to the topic that really makes the information come alive in the minds of your audience. Telling a story at the beginning of the speech will gain the attention of the audience to start with, then you have only to hold it. This is much easier than losing their attention at the start and then trying to regain it. A story can be humorous or emotive. When writing out your story, think of words that are simple yet descriptive. Keep it short and to the point. Once you start to waffle you will lose your audience.
2. Involve the audience – when you involve people they don’t have time to get bored and they won’t be bored with your speech. This can be done by getting them to participate in a game, a discussion or even to write notes. You should not have to do all the work when you are giving a speech. Keeping the audience involved will certainly add to the interest and give your voice a break at the same time.
3. Change the energy – this means that you don’t just drone on and on in a monologue. Change things every so often. Make sure you infuse your voice with enthusiasm and speak as if you are talking to a friend. Your voice can be loud, soft, urgent, staccato or laid-back by turns. Tell appropriate jokes at various times as this will create laughter and enjoyment of your speaking session. If the topic is serious, it will lighten the atmosphere to tell a joke. Walking around is another way to keep your audience with you. It gives them a chance to move their eyes and heads around a bit as they follow your movements.
Once you remember these few tips your public speaking will be more enjoyable for you and your audience.
