Creating interactive and inclusive presentations is crucial for engaging with audiences effectively. In the Aspiring Women Speakers community, members share their strategies for captivating audiences and fostering participation. This blog post explores the experiences and techniques shared by community members, providing valuable guidance on how to create engaging and inclusive presentations.
Lauren Schaefer, Staff Developer Advocate at Grammarly, highlights the effectiveness of Mentimeter, stating, "I love Mentimeter for building word clouds and getting feedback on what resonated with people." She shares her experience using quizzes during her talk, leveraging Mentimeter to gauge audience response. According to Schaefer, Mentimeter is a powerful tool that enables real-time voting and feedback, enhancing audience engagement.
Jen Bower, Country Lead at Persistent Systems, plans to incorporate a live barometer in her upcoming workshop to encourage active participation. Jen says, "I will use a live barometer to get participants up and moving ahead of an interactive small group exercise." By incorporating physical activities and interactive exercises, Jen aims to create an engaging and participatory experience for her audience.
Carly Richmond, Developer Advocate at Elastic, shares her positive experience with Slido, stating, "I've used Slido a lot, and that's great for eliciting audience feedback as you go." Richmond emphasises the importance of considering the limitations of the free version, which has a three-question limit. She also suggests using traditional methods, such as hand-raising or short-answer sessions, when appropriate, especially in smaller audience settings.
Alicja Ogonowska, Flutter Developer at Equiqo, creatively used tally.so by incorporating a QR code on her final slide. Ogonowska explains, "people could rate my talk and ask questions that I later answered via Twitter." This approach allowed for audience engagement and questions, even when time constraints limited live Q&A sessions.
Amy Stefanski, global leader in education, innovation and business, shares her journey of interactive presentations and the use of visual collaboration tools like Mural and Miro. Stefanski explains, "I use Mural to present - I have not used Powerpoint or Google Slides in about two years." She incorporates Q&A sessions, voting, and even retrospectives to actively engage her audience. Stefanski emphasises the versatility of these tools in fostering collaboration and meaningful interactions.
Engaging and interacting with the audience is pivotal in delivering impactful presentations. The insights shared from the members of the Aspiring Women Speakers highlight the effectiveness of utilising tools to create interactive and inclusive experiences. These tools, such as Slido and Miro, enable real-time voting, feedback, and collaborative engagement, allowing presenters to involve their audience and increase the effectiveness of their speaking engagements.
By adopting these strategies, public speakers can create memorable presentations, connect with their audiences, and inspire meaningful conversations. Embracing interactive tools and fostering a participatory environment elevates the impact of their presentations, leaving a lasting impression.