A short instructional monologue by Blair Singer advising new public speakers to open presentations with audience-directed questions and interactive prompts (raise hands or type in chat) to shift control to the speaker, reward participation, and acknowledge attendees to set a positive tone.
Remember, we already said that if you're trying to put something out to the world, one to many is much more effective than one to one. And we also said the person that asked the question is always in control. Okay, so if you're going to start a presentation, start with a question. Don't say, good morning, my name is Blair. No, you start by saying something like, depending on what you're talking about, how many of you would like to be able to help a lot of people? Please raise your hand. Or if they're online, say, please type in me in the chat box. Okay, when they do that, what do you say? You say, thank you. Now, immediately. The communication went that way. The heat's on them. Second question. How many of you like to make a lot of money helping a lot of people? Please raise your hand or type me in the chat box Again, you have now subliminally and directly rewarded them for participating in the discussion. If in the presentation, which is ultimately what you want, follow that with a quick acknowledgement like, thank you so much for being here. I'm going to do my best to make sure it's well worth your time.