Ten Tips to Send Your Audience to Sleep
Have you ever fallen asleep when listening to a speech or
presentation? Sometimes a little nap during a presentation can
boost your energy for the rest of the day. Speakers- if you want
to be the one to send your audience to sleep, so they will be
fully alert for other people's presentations follow these ten
tips.
1. Make sure that your material is dry and boring. Make sure
that your material is either highly technical or complex. If at
all possible fill your speech with specialized academic content
that is not easily understood without prior study and research.
2. Do not include any explanations or illustrations to make the
content understandable to the average person in your audience.
3. Schedule your speech to be at the end of a long day or after
a big meal. This will give added incentive for drowsiness and
lethargy.
4. Speak softly and avoid any expression or vocal variety that
might distract or interest your audience.
5. Stand still behind the lectern for the entire speech. Any
movement or sudden gestures could wake up your audience.
6. Avoid any variation in style in your presentation. Do not
change from talking to using a flip chart, PowerPoint or any
other kind of visual aid or prop that will attract attention.
7. Do NOT include any humor or stories in your speech that
might illustrate the important points you wish to communicate.
8. Do not keep to the topic of the speech. Spend a large amount
of time rambling about subjects or personal experiences that are
boring and totally off topic.
9. Speak about a topic that is very familiar to your audience.
Keep your content to things that they already know.
10. Provide highly detailed handouts, so that your audience
will not miss out on any important information during their
snooze. Make sure that you do not say anything that is not
included in the hand out. For best results, just read the
handout word for word.
Hopefully, by following carefully the ten tips outlined here,
you will have the satisfaction of seeing an entire audience
snoring quietly and happily throughout your entire presentation.
If you do not follow these tips you may be alarmed to discover
that your audience is alert and interested in what you have to
say.