The explanation lies in Marketing Theory-believe it or not!
Who are you speaking to? The audience, for the duration of your presentation, are to be treated like customers.
Who are they? What is their motivation? What is their level of interest in the subject of your presentation/talk/speech? These are critical questions, not the great wisdom that you are about to spout.
I had once thought that Communication classes- a course in IIM Bangalore during my MBA- were useless, but now find that many speakers are in dire need of training in basics of communication.
I cannot summarise all my learnings, but in general, it helps if you can-
Speak the language that the audience understands
- Use examples, anecdotes
- Use some appropriate humour
- Be Enthusiastic, if not passionate
- Ask questions-even if rhetorical, they break the monotony
- Wrap up well, keep your key points up front or in the middle.
This includes academic presentations at conferences, but not just those..
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