3 Simple Ways to Make Your Speeches Interactive for Best Results and Credibility Public speaking is a powerful way to market your business. But even if you're not a solo professional, entrepreneur, or small business owner, you can benefit from having a solid presentation when you speak to any group. The next time you have any type of presentation for your business or career, try this: Make it interactive. Audiences love to "play along" and participate with you. When your audience members get to interact, they feel included in your presentation and you'll develop a better rapport with the audience as a result. When you develop a better rapport with your audience, you get more positive results. Further, by involving your audience you show your credibility. Speakers who take comments and allow the audience to participate during a planned speech demonstrate a level of comfort with the material. You are clearly an expert when you can interact with people about your topic, rather than sticking like glue to your prepared notes. There are a number of ways you can involve your audience in your presentation. One simple suggestion to get the audience's involvement is to ask for questions. One caveat here: don't do this in your attention-getter. Asking a question for which you'd like a response at the very beginning of your presentation as the first words you say is a mistake. Wait until the audience is warmed up a bit and knows more about your topic before you draw them in. When is a good time to ask questions? Try this: 1. In between main points, which will also serve as a nice transition. Try asking, "Is there anything you were wondering while I was presenting that
information?" Or "Tell me what came up for you as I talked about my first point." 2. After you tell a story you could ask, "What would you have done in the same situation?" 3. During your conclusion before you wrap things up. Provide a review of the main points you covered in your body and then say, "With all that information, you may have some questions. What can I tell you more about?" Simply asking a few questions can lead to positive interactions with your audience members during your presentations. Remember the more willing you are to interact with your audience during your speech, the more willing individual audience members will be to interact with you when your speech is over.