What to Do When You’re Losing Your Audience During a Presentation

Signs that you have lost the audience

• Mobile phones come out
• Texting underneath the table.
• Slouching or tapping their feet
• Whispering to one another

Re-engage the audience

• Move to a different part of the stage: many presenters stay with the standard prop of delivering the speech from behind the podium. This is especially true for novices to shield themselves behind the podium and also use it for storing their notes: moving around on the stage turns the audience attention onto you and the proximity to the speaker makes them pay more attention to your talks.
• Another strategy ti to vary the pace of your remarks/ talk. Speaking in a monotone is deadly and even if you have plenty of range in our voice vary the pace to keep the audience attention. 
• Use pause, lower your voice judiciously: When you want the audience to focus on a key point, lower your voice so that they focus intently, pause for a few beats so that they become restless and then continue.
• Add a story/analogy to connect with the audience: giving a real-world example would connect with the audience immediately as they can relate to it. 

Effective speakers ensure audiences are actually paying attention. When you truly want to inspire, educate your audience you must also learn to keep the audience attention and re-engage them when required. These tips would help you recover quickly and ensure your message is heard.

What to Do When You’re Losing Your Audience During a Presentation

by Dorie Clark HBR SEPTEMBER 19, 2019