Lay Down the Law

When using what you learned in your public speaking course, you should always communicate a clear set of ground rules to your audience in the beginning of your presentation. It can be crucial to the overall outcome of your performance if you lay down the law first so the audience knows what to expect and there is no confusion. For instance, if you do not want questions until the end of your program, state that up front and get agreement from the audience.

If comments from the audience are allowed, ask that they be kept to a certain amount of time (like 30 seconds or less). Getting everyone to agree to your plan in the beginning puts enormous peer pressure on an individual violating any of the rules. Remember part of  using what you learned in your public speaking course  means you control the event and the environment to maximize the message connection with your audience.

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