Hello all,
Greetings from a chilly Greenwich, winter is definitely in the air. I hope you are all excited for The Masters 2020, we know we are here at HQ.
To help you get started and prepare for the competition, we thought we would give you some tips on how to command stage presence and engage your audience.
- Have passion: This is one of the first things that an audience will notice. If you are passionate about your presentation topic your audience will be instantly drawn in and engaged in what you are saying.
- Make a connection: The most important way to connect with an audience is to acknowledge them. Eye contact is key for this and regardless of the size of your audience, engage with as many people as you can. If your audience is large, it is important to maintain eye contact longer than what might seem natural, this way a real connection is made and that energy permeates around the room.
- Rehearse: Practice makes perfect and nothing commands stage presence like a presenter who knows their stuff. Rehearsing a presentation avoids you referring to notes and forgetting your lines, enabling you to be fully present on stage to engage with your audience and appear more confident and credible.
- Train: Although some people are natural communicators and some are not, public speaking is a craft that can be learned and mastered. Research ways to improve your stage presence, watch public speakers on YouTube, record yourself and practice in the mirror – this continuous development will give you an edge over other presenters.
- Smile: A presenter who is smiling and using open body language during their presentation will always engage and hold the attention of an audience. A smile shows that you are sincere and enjoy what to you are doing, which is a wonderful way to build rapport and connect with your audience.
We are also bringing you a bulletin with information about your Masters centres for 2020. You can access it by clicking here.