In the world of big game hunting, the goal always seems to be to try to catch something bigger and deadlier than last time. The world of public speaking isn’t much different, except we’re after the biggest game of all: audience attention.

do the unexpected

Face it, we’re all jaded. We live in a world where we expect instant updates via iPhone or Blackberry, we receive text messages whenever something important happens, and we can get pretty much any kind of food within a mile or so of where we currently are. What the heck do you have to offer us as a speaker that will make us pay attention to you?

David Green is a speechwriter who has to deal with this wandering attention thing as part of his job every day. He has some suggestions on exactly what he should do as a public speaker to keep his audience listening to his every word.

First, David suggests that you pay attention to what your audience expects you to say. Do they know who you are? Have they heard you speak before? Are you like a group of other speakers? If any of these are true, then it’s time to shake things up a bit.

David suggests that you do the exact opposite of what your audience expects you to do. If they’re expecting you to give a speech standing behind a podium, go out in front of everyone. If they expect you to use hundreds of slides, then don’t use any. These kinds of dramatic departures from the ordinary will surprise your audience (in a good way) and make them pay attention to you because they want to know what happens next.

Accent, accent, accent

No, we’re not talking about you sounding like Crocodile Dundee or like you’re from the Deep South, but we’re talking about what else is going on onstage as you speak. Like PowerPoint.

How much time do you typically spend on the PowerPoint presentation that you are going to use with a speech? As much or more time than you spend on the speech itself? Forget all that fancy stuff, the real star of any speech is you. If you decide to use slides, make sure they accentuate (gently) what you’re saying and don’t steal the show.

It’s time to play!

So what is a speech? If you’re not careful, that’s 20-30 minutes of pure boredom for your audience. If you don’t want to inflict this kind of pain on your audience, then you have to entertain them. I’m not saying you have to make them laugh (although that might be a good idea), but I’m trying to let you know that you have to deliver your speech in a way that grabs their attention. .

There are many ways to do this. Telling great stories is one way to do it. Slowly revealing a discovery you’ve made is another. How you do it is not as important as making sure you do it.

What all this means to you

Like a big game hunter, when you give a speech you are stalking the prey. Your elusive prey doesn’t have four feet, but sits on a four-legged chair.

Your goal is to capture and hold your audience’s attention throughout your speech. To do this you are going to have to be creative. Doing the unexpected is one way to keep them guessing and paying attention to you. Make sure your PowerPoint doesn’t overpower what you’re saying and be sure to tell a story or two or three.

In the end, you will know if you have done a good job because the audience will not want your speech to be over, they were having a great time listening to you. You’ll know you’ve had a successful hunt if you’re asked to come back and file again!