During a presentation skills training session, have you ever spoken in front of a group of people and you notice their attention span slowly dip. Soon enough, their eyes glaze over and they end up whipping out their phones, minds as far away from your presentation as possible?
When you think back on effective speakers that are riveting in speech and capturing their audience’s attention effortlessly, there are actually a few nifty tips and tricks we can pick up to emulate their success!
One such tip is the use of signposting. It’s an essential part of the speech that gives the audience a clear idea on what the topic is. Much like how we use bullet points to break up big chunks of text, signposting can help break up a long speech and give clarity on the topic being addressed. In summary, it’s a verbal statement or visual cue used by the speaker to guide or engage the audience.
Here’s how you can utilize signposting throughout your speech for a more effective presentation!
What Are Signposts In Speech? These Are 5 Major Signposts To Improve In Your Business Presentation Delivery
During a presentation skills training session, have you ever spoken in front of a group of people and you notice their attention span slowly dip. Soon enough, their eyes glaze over and they end up whipping out their phones, minds as far away from your presentation as possible?
When you think back on effective speakers that are riveting in speech and capturing their audience’s attention effortlessly, there are actually a few nifty tips and tricks we can pick up to emulate their success!
One such tip is the use of signposting. It’s an essential part of the speech that gives the audience a clear idea on what the topic is. Much like how we use bullet points to break up big chunks of text, signposting can help break up a long speech and give clarity on the topic being addressed. In summary, it’s a verbal statement or visual cue used by the speaker to guide or engage the audience.
Here’s how you can utilise signposting throughout your speech for a more effective presentation!
Signposting in your introduction
This is when your audience’s attention is at its peak! Make full use of this by introducing your topic and sharing a gist of the ideas that’ll follow.
An example would be “Today, this presentation will cover the following…”
Signposting in your body of speech
Make use of contrast words to signal a change in topic or ideas. Another great way is to question the audience with the 5Ws and 1H – Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. By placing the onus on the audience, it can recapture their attention and steer them back to your speech.
- Single words: “initially”, “however”, “furthermore”
- Short phrase: “in conclusion”, “in contrast”, “an additional point”
- Long sentence: “in light of what was discussed”, “I want to leave you with the following thoughts”, “this report can help substantiate our observations”
Some of the best signposts are short, ear-catching and not oft-repeated, something that presentation skills training courses often point out. This helps it stand out from the rest of the sentences, while signalling a clear change in topic to your audience.
With a stand-out delivery and clear enunciation, even if your audience might be distracted, they’ll at least take away the gist of your pronunciation.
Signposting in your conclusion
In wrapping up your speech, it’s a great chance to add a quick summary of your earlier points, or even a subtle reminder so the audience can infer the full topic.
An example would be “Previously, we reviewed about…”
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Do you also wish to achieve the following while conducting a business presentation?
- Overcome nervousness & eliminate the overuse of filler words
- Develop confident body language and facial expressions
- Communicate clearly with accurate pronunciation
- Craft visually attractive and attention-grabbing slides
- Create consistency, start and finish your presentation properly
- Influence and interact your audience and hone your negotiation skills
Then this public speaking course is essential for your career progression! Now that we’re back to meeting professionally face-to-face, it’s time to sharpen those rusty speaking skills, especially at large-scale presentations!
Learn about signposting, and many more valuable presentation skills training that can be transferred across a myriad of industries here.
