Innovative Presentations For Dummies



Chapter 25

Almost Ten Reminders from the Laws of Communication Impact

In This Chapter

Getting your audience to take notice and pay attention

Engaging your audience with visual stimuli and verbal cues

In Chapters 9 through 12, we discuss the Laws of Communication Impact in depth. In this chapter, we put all the laws in one place for quick reference and review of the most salient points.

Law of Primacy

Remember two important facts about the beginning of your presentation: It sets the tone for the rest of your speech, and — along with the ending — it’s what the audience will remember.

With this in mind, start your presentation with a compelling statement, fact, or brief story told with enthusiasm and impact. You want to grab your audience’s attention because even if you lose them for a little while in the middle (it happens), they’ll be affected by your opening words.

Law of Emphasis and Intensity

You want to maintain your audience’s attention for as long as possible. Follow your presentation introduction with a statement or series of statements that elicit emotion. You want to keep up the high energy that kicks off your presentation. The statements you make reinforce and provide evidence for the story or anecdote you use to begin your presentation. ...