My friend Dave Birss (of RIGHT Thinking) and I had similarly positive experiences yesterday - presenting two different topics to two different audiences on two different continents. He in the UK and I'm in Singapore at the PR Newswire Asia MediaCoffee session.
Dave and I e-chatted last night, to compare notes on why we felt that we connected with our respective audiences. Here is my take on how you can connect with and captivate your audience, big or small.
Have passion for your topic. If not, choose another one
Consider what the audience wants/needs to hear from you; give them useful and interesting information. Don't merely "push" information
Present in an unusual way (interesting visuals, video)
Get the audience involved. Incorporate simple, physical exercises; polls and questions that are relevant and interesting to them. I once used a simple, short "introduction" exercise that got everyone standing and talking after they had been sitting through previous speakers.
Engaging your audience is not rocket science. But it will take some forethought on your part to make sure that they have an amazing and captivating experience.
What do you do to grab and hold your audience?