Callbacks
Callbacks is a technique you will learn in my public speaking course,
it simply means that you refer back to a word or phrase mentioned earlier
in your presentation.
A Callback works well whether the previous piece of material got a good
laugh, or if it received a bunch of groans. If the previous material
was good, mentioning it again will get more laughter and will make you
look good for being able to tie the previous material to the present
material, thus showing off your good public speaking skills.
If the previous material was poor, the callback will show your willingness
to make fun of yourself, which is an admirable quality the audience
appreciates. A true professional having been through a public speaking
course knows when he does well and when he doesn't. He can laugh at
himself and learn from his mistakes.
Here's how to make it work for you: Let's say you used a successful
two-liner in your presentation 'Don't rely on health books too much.
You could die of a misprint'. Later in your presentation someone might
notice a misspelling in one of your handouts or visuals. You can then
'call back' and say, 'See, that's one of those misprints I was telling
you about earlier.'
Another thing that might happen, that is just as good, is one or more
of the audience members might make the connection and do the callback
for you. One of them may blurt out something about your health book
line. Laugh along with them, because you are getting them involved and
allowing them to feel superior to you, which makes them feel like the
star of the show. Participation is part of audience attention and is
an important skill to focus on while in your public speaking course.
You could then come back to the callback with, "See, I put that there
to test you." When you really get confident, you might actually make
the misprint on purpose to set up this whole scenario.
Back to Articles
|