Comments on: Attention-getting – The Evidence

By: 6 presentation tips from a professional speaker | Speaking about Presenting: Presentation Tips from Olivia Mitchell

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:33:04 +0000

[...] why you don’t have to grab the audience’s attention at the start. As Scott describes, the challenge is not to get the audience’s attention but to [...]

By: 7 ways to keep audience attention during your presentation : Speaking about Presenting

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:22:52 +0000

[...] audience attention is more important and more difficult than grabbing audience attention. A reader emailed [...]

By: Olivia Mitchell

Olivia Mitchell — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:02:31 +0000

Hi Ellen Yes, if you're nervous having your first couple of sentences very clear in your head or written down is very helpful. I still find it helpful, after years of speaking, to be clear on my beginning sentence. See this post for more information on openings. Olivia

By: Ellen Finkelstein

Ellen Finkelstein — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:15:55 +0000

I also think that we need to be careful about using research from academic environments and applying it to business presentations. The same goes for Richard E. Mayer’s research, which I cite and use, but which is all done in the classroom. Students are going to be tested on the class material! In most business presentations, you need to win the audience’s interest. And, having a sentence or two prepared in advance to get the audience’s attention gives the nervous presenter something easy to do without having to think about it. The rest is then easier.

By: speakingaboutpresenting » Claim your Space

speakingaboutpresenting » Claim your Space — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:51:55 +0000

[...] Braithwaite from Speak Schmeak has commented on my post about the attention-getting myth. I started responding to her comment, but my response got so long I decided it was worth a blogpost [...]

By: Olivia Mitchell

Olivia Mitchell — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:00:37 +0000

@Lisa. Thank you for your comment. I think it’s really interesting to discuss these issues with other presentation trainers. I started a response to your comment, but it got so long I decided to make it into a blogpost http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/2008/05/27/claim-your-space/.

By: Claim your Space «

Claim your Space « — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:58:25 +0000

[...] 27, 2008 Lisa Braithwaite from Speak Schmeak has commented on my post about the attention-getting myth. I started responding to her comment, but my response got so long I decided it was probably worth a [...]

By: Lisa Braithwaite

Lisa Braithwaite — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:57:42 +0000

I agree with Susan that an attention-getting opening is important and that, just because research shows people automatically pay attention in the first five minutes, it doesn’t mean those first five minutes shouldn’t be intriguing.

However, I think we can kill two birds with one stone here. Using an opening that immediately involves the audience, for example, through asking questions, engages them while also immediately taking pressure off the speaker to perform.

When the audience is allowed to participate and share their own knowledge and life experience, they are more engaged. The presentation becomes about them, not the nervous speaker.

By: Olivia Mitchell

Olivia Mitchell — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:57:55 +0000

Thanks Susan for your comment – I have been searching for evidence which would clarify the issue of whether you have to have an attention-getting opening for some time. So I was delighted to find the 1978 reference. Yes, it’s old – but I found it in BrainRules which was published in March 2008. BrainRules is by John Medina who is a respected scientist (for more see http://www.brainrules.net/about-the-author). Do you have any evidence which supports the idea that we do have to have an attention-getting opening?

I think we have differing approaches to helping nervous speakers. My experience is that for many people, nervousness is made worse by the pressure they put on themselves to “perform”. This approach is based on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy – for more information see http://www.effectivespeaking.co.nz/articles-overcome-your-fear-of-public-speaking.html.

I’m also not arguing that you should not have an interesting and intriguing opening. Just that you don’t have to.

By: Susan Trivers

Susan Trivers — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:39:40 +0000

Your evidence goes back three decades and doesn’t take into consideration how the people in audiences today–especially business audiences–have been trained to expect a quick, powerful hit of excitement immediately.

You do a disservce to nervous speakers by telling them they don’t have to deliver an attention-getting opening. Giving them a pass reinforces the mistaken belief that it’s hard and takes too much time and will add to their anxiety.

Tell them instead that this is easy to do and will not be the source of extreme anxiety. This is my approach to mentoring speakers at all levels.

Skip the boring and deathly “Thank you for that nice introduction.” Put the word ‘you’ into the first sentence–’you’ referring to the audience. Take the audience on a journey.

Here are two easy, effective examples: “Imagine you are…” or “You should have been there…” Now you’ve grabbed their attention immediately and have a strong likelihood of keeping it.

The whole point of an speech or presentation worth listening to is that it leads the audience to do things they would not have been able to do before they listened. Know your call-to-action and tie your opening to it. Then you’ll grab them and keep them for your entire presentation or speech.