Engaging Younger Audiences

It's no secret that the key to a spectacular presentation is a speaker's ability to engage an audience. Young people, however, pose different challenges than adult audiences. They are your toughest critics, and don't hide behind nodding, note taking or smiles. Their body language expresses everything you need to know to tailor every sentence you utter. Here are some myth busters about engaging young people:

Myth: You have to be young to engage youth.
Fact: You don't have to dress like a gangster or talk like you're one of them. Be genuine and speak from the heart and, instead of trying to fit in, make the audience tune to your way of thinking, your life and your story.

Myth: You need to be cool.
Fact: You're trying to deliver your message to young people, not get on their good side. In many cases, your audience will have an open mind. You can make or break your first impression, but don't stray from your message or image because you think it will make them more engaged.

Myth: Textbook content is good.
Fact: Young people like to interact with others and do an activity. When you're delivering a presentation, add a couple of extra exercises to get them to talk to each other or move around; for example, ask them to turn to the person to their left and share their thoughts about what the speaker just said.

Myth: Adults think young people need to hear funny stories about their lives.
Fact: Young people want to hear stories with morals, based on lessons that adults have learning during their lives. Young people may have a different view of what's funny, so something you think is hilarious may not be to young people. Age jokes are a no-no because young people don't always "get them."

Myth: You must be inspiring and positive.
Fact: Share the good with the bad. Many speakers at my high school painted a beautiful picture about their lives, but they never described the hard work that was necessary to achieve their goals. Young people need to be aware that life is not easy. Situations will arise that will force them to deal with barriers and conflicts.

The worst speaker who came to my high school told the student body that life was "piss easy." Apart from the inappropriateness, it was easy for him to say that because he owns properties around the world. However, he did not reveal that he worked hard to achieve his success.

So, before you walk on stage to present to a younger audience, think back to your youth and ask: What did I want to hear when I was that age? What engaged me when I was young?

Taken from Speaker magazine  Written by Eva-Maria