How to Keep Your Audience Engaged in Public Speaking

My husband Mark and I are at a venue about to give a presentation on the new software application we’ve developed. It's a big deal! We’re in our hometown with a room full of people waiting, and this is the first time we’re showing off what we’ve created.

Standing at the front of the room and getting ready to start, we’re plugging in our computers to test everything, and… 

There’s no internet?!?

Our software needs the internet to run so we start panicking.

The audience is getting restless now because we’re late in starting our presentation. 

Trying to maintain our composure, Mark and I decide to switch to our PowerPoint presentation which we’ve worked on for weeks and weeks.

We fire up the projector and… the light bulb isn’t working and we can’t see our slides! 

People are running around the room now, trying to get the internet up and the projector working. Cue mild-to-escalating freaking out mode. 

So I take Mark behind the curtain, put my hands on his shoulders, and say, “I know everything’s going wrong, and I’ve got your back. Let’s just.. tell our story.”

We come back out to face the audience and tell them the story of how we created our software application, why it matters and what our vision is for its future. 

And… it turns out to be a huge success!

In this installment of the “So You Think You Want to Become a Storyteller” series, I dive deep into how public speakers can use storytelling to capture an audience’s attention and answer so many good questions like:

How can a personal story help you build rapport in your audience right away? How does storytelling help make meaty content about dry subject matters in speeches and presentations more relatable and memorable? And how can you tell a story to an audience who shares an experience you’ve never had?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How voice changes, body language, and facial expressions enhance storytelling and audience engagement
• How storytelling helps establish and bolster your credibility
• How stories can be used to inspire action or motivate your audience to make a change

A little about me:

Hi there. I’m Kymberlee.

As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I’ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn’t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That’s why I’m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people’s lives.

Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You’ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness, or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teaching my clients to do the same.

If you think business owners can’t tell stories or don’t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There’s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value.

Now it’s your turn... If you’re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place.

Links and Resources:

Storytelling School Website

@storytellingschool on Instagram