How to present to teenagers
Question:
I received this question recently, "How should I present to 15-year old girls so they won't get bored and would concentrate for the maximum time possible?"
Answer
I speak to a few groups of teenagers each year. I do it for two reasons:
1. Some of them appreciate my message.
2. It is tough speaking to teenagers so the experience keeps me humble.
Speaking to teenagers seems to be the toughest audience - even tougher than engineers.
Your results on speaking to them depends on why they are there - because they want to be or because they have to be.
Guess which group is more productive?
The main thing that I do differently when speaking to teens is to give them less information and engage them with discussion and Q&A much more. They keep interrupting if I try to speak all the time.
Encourage interaction and opinion. Don't punish wrong answers - look for other answers closer to what you are looking for.
Review the concepts that were explained. Ask them to summarize parts of your message.
George Torok
Presentation Skills Coaching
Presentation Skills Training
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.
George, thanks for the tips. I actually present to teenage groups about 125 times per year and have for 15 years. My presentation skills blog, www.AuthenticityRules.com, has a number of posts about how to engage and maintain the attention of audience members, including the Millennials...
ReplyDeleteRhett Laubach
Professional Speaker, Presentations Coach, Leadership Expert and Blogger
www.YourNextSpeaker.com