Chapter 79 ask the audience to raise their hands

Asking the audience to raise their hand to answer a question is also a great way to get their interest and attention.For example, when I talk about "how to avoid fatigue", I once started with this question: "Let's show our hands how many of you are tired long before you think you should?" Remember this: Before asking your audience to raise their hands, give them a little warning that you are going to do it.Don't start by saying, "How many people here believe that income taxes should be lower? Let's show our hands." Say, "I'm going to ask you to raise your hands and answer a very important question for you. The question is this. : 'How many of you believe that product coupons are good for consumers?'" to prepare the audience for their answers.

Proper use of the skill of asking the audience to raise their hands can obtain invaluable responses, which is called "audience participation".When you use it, your presentation is no longer a one-sided affair, the audience is already involved.When you ask, "How many of you get tired long before you think you should?" everyone starts thinking about his favorite subject: himself, his pain, his tiredness.He held up his hand, and probably looked around to see who else was doing the same.He had forgotten that he was listening to a speech, he smiled, he nodded to his friend sitting next to him, and the cold atmosphere was broken.And you, as the speaker, suddenly relax, and so do the audience.

Promise your audience to tell them how to get what they want—An almost invincible way to get your audience to pay close attention to your presentation is to tell them that if they follow your advice, they will get what they want. need.Here are some examples: "I'm going to tell you how to prevent fatigue—I'm going to tell you how to get an extra hour of wakefulness every day." "I'm going to tell you how to actually increase your income." "If you listen to me for 10 minutes, I promise to tell you a way to make you more popular." This promise-and-guaranteed opening is bound to grab the audience's attention because it directly touches on the audience's self-concerns.Speakers often ignore the interrelationship between their topic and the important interests of their audience. Instead of paying attention to opening the door to the audience's attention, they make boring opening remarks, trace the origin of the subject matter, and talk long-windedly. Talking about the background of the topic closes the door of attention tightly.

I remember hearing a speech a few years ago, the topic itself was quite important to the audience: the need for regular health checks.But how do speakers get started?Did he add to the spontaneity and appeal of his subject by a clever opening?No.He began by reciting a dry history of the Institute for Prolonging Life, which immediately disenchanted the audience with him and his subject.If you structure the opening statement according to the "promise" technique, the effect will be greatly enhanced.Please see the following example: "According to statistics, do you know how long you can live? According to the statistics of insurance companies, your average life expectancy is about 2/3 between your current age and 80 years old. For example, if you are 35 years old this year, your current age The gap between the age of 80 and 80 is 45 years, so you can probably live 2/3 of this amount, that is to say, you can live at least 30 years... Is this enough? No, no, we all Eager to live a few more years. However, these statistics are based on millions of records. So, can you and I break the limit? Yes, with the right precautions, we can Got it. But the first step is to do a thorough health check..."

Then, if we explain in detail the need for periodic health checks, the audience might be interested in the companies that have been formed to provide this service.But to start off talking about the company in a nonchalant way is bad and sure to fail. Another example: I heard a student give a speech on "Protecting Forests, It's Urgent".He started by saying, "As an American, we should be proud of our country's resources..." Then he pointed out to us that we were wasting a lot of our country's lumber.However, his opening speech is very bad, too common, too vague.It does not bring his lectures into any affinity with us.Come to think of it, there might just happen to be a businessman in the audience.The destruction of our forests could have a major impact on his career.There is another one who is a banker, and this matter affects him too, because it affects our general economic climate... So, why not start this way: "The subject of my speech today will be It affects your business, Mr. Bobby; and your future, Mr. Sauer. In fact, in some ways, it affects the price of the food we eat and the rent we pay. It affects the income and livelihood of all of us."

In this way, is it too exaggerated the importance of forest protection?No, I don't think so.This was done only in obedience to Mr. Hubbard's instructions: "Take things seriously, and say them in a way that attracts attention."