When was the last time you went on vacation?  Last year, a month ago or right now  when you decided to read this newsletter instead of tackling the next item on your to-do list.  Whether you travel thousands of miles or just put your feet up for a few minutes, it is a vacation. Both physical and mental, vacations can be improved by anticipating where you’re going, having an interesting way to get there and stopping once you’re there.

If you want your audience to take a trip with you, first get them excited.  You’ve seen all those beautiful travel brochures that are so enticing they make you feel like you always wanted to go there.  Use the title of your talk and the introduction to create anticipation.

Prepare them for the trip by telling them how to get there and what they should see along the way.  Don’t you always feel more comfortable knowing where the bathroom is and when the next  snack is coming?  Let your audience know about how long you plan on speaking and stick to it.  In the beginning of your talk, mention a few things they should look for on the trip, that way they will know when they have arrived.

When you get there, be there.  Maybe you have heard, “When you are in the room, be in the room.”  This holds true for speakers and audience members alike.  As a speaker make the destination clear and stop when you get there. If you are listening, be an active listener and pay attention.

Great speakers take their audience on a journey by building anticipation,  following a clear path and stopping once they arrive.  Wow, looks like we have already arrived.