Great leadership relies on great communication. Whether you’re speaking in front of a crowd or one-on-one, mastery of communication is key. We all know that terrible feeling when we’re speaking, and people are less than engaged. Blank looks, drooping heads, unenthused applause…
The thought is enough to make me cringe!
If you want to command attention in any conversation, draw crowds in, and keep your audience engaged, look no further. Here are my best tips on commanding the attention of any room, sourced from experience, psychology, and communication theory.
Ways You Can Command Attention in Any Room
Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Because of this, you must employ tactics in both categories to successfully catch and hold your audience’s attention.
Nonverbal Tactics
Acknowledge the Room
If you fail to acknowledge the people you’re speaking to, they’re unlikely to return the favor. People need to know that you see and value their presence and attention. When you enter a room to speak in front of a crowd, a conference room with colleagues, or engage one-on-one, take the time to recognize the people you’re speaking to. Make eye contact. Smile and offer a nod. For smaller engagements, shake hands. As you speak, continue to make eye contact, but let it move from person to person with each sentence or concluded thought.
Quit the Fidget
Most people have some kind of nervous tick that they may not be totally aware of. You might tap your foot, twirl a pen, tap your fingers, rock on your heels, or gesture too much with your hands. Start being mindful of how you move when you speak. It can be helpful to ask colleagues, friends, or family if they notice any annoying or distracting habits you have. Don’t take it personally – we all have them!
Mind Your Posture
Mama always told us to stand up straight. Other than saving us a world of backpain as we age, good posture exudes confidence. Keep your head up, shoulders back, back straight, and feet planted. It’s easy to slouch if we’re tired or engaged in deep focus. Don’t let your posture slip.
Move with Purpose
The call to quit fidgeting doesn’t mean you don’t move at all. Great leaders plan their steps with purpose. When you enter a room or leave it, focus on a confident stride. It’s okay to move around the stage, too, particularly to draw attention to important points. Hand gestures are useful in moderation. Just be sure that the moves you make accent what you’re saying rather than distract from it.
Verbal Tactics
Prioritize a Clear, Simple Structure
What’s worse than a boring talk? An overly complicated one. Your audience shouldn’t be left to wonder where you’re going or how you got where you are in your speech. Think of your speaking engagements like writing a thesis paper. You should clearly and concisely introduce the purpose and point of your talk, support your point with anecdotes and evidence, and come back to a conclusion that reiterates your point.
Mind your audience, too. Depending on who you’re speaking to, you may want to avoid industry jargon. Ultimately, you want your talk to be easy to follow with a crystal-clear point and purpose behind it.
Eliminate Fillers
One of the first things any public speaking course will try to do is break students of the bad habit of using filler words. Like, um, uh, alright, okay, and so are not only distracting and unnecessary, but they undermine your confidence. Embrace the occasional beat of silence. It allows your audience to chew on what you’ve said while you prepare for the next point. You don’t need to fill every square inch of silence with words – especially when those words serve no purpose.
Speak with Authority
Tone of voice makes all the difference in the world. We’re not all gifted with radio-worthy voices, but we can still convey confidence and authority. Utilize inflection and avoid a monotone delivery. Keep your pitch lower rather than letting it spike high. Let silence do some of the lifting for you. Avoid mumbling, speaking too quickly, or having to catch your breath before you continue. Don’t give the audience the sense that you’re rushing through your words. Rather, you want to convey a sense of ease and assurance when you speak.
How do you keep your audience engaged? Share your public speaking tips in