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"By starting a new career as a stand-up comic when most women of her age are long retired, 77-year-old Julie Kertesz has completely transformed her outlook on life."

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Seven ways, published in Management Today

Published in Management Today,
Friday, 18 January 2013

Seven ways to build rapport with your audience

By Julie Kertesz 

Do you want to inspire and motivate your audience when giving a presentation? Then you need to build rapport with the crowd. If you don't, they will leave feeling detached and as though their time has been wasted. Here are seven tips for getting them on side.

Tagged by: 
Strategy, Audience, Public Speaking, Rapport, Speech, Leadership

1. Use a personal story or anecdote

This shows you are ready to be open, vulnerable and personable, and it will make them more receptive. A story that goes straight to their hearts is one they will remember long after the words have gone.

2. Use humour to lower the tension

For example, dare to mock what happened to you – self-deprecating humour is a great way to make you appear more human and one of them.

3. Create images and movies in their heads

Everyone will see something slightly different in their mind's eye, adding their own experiences to it, thus making it theirs. Tell them enough, but leave room for them to add their own touches.

4. Pause

Pause at the beginning of your talk, and before an important passage. A pause allows you to hold them in your hand, uniting them in the tension of waiting.

5. Focus on the moment

Easy to say, but how to do it? Plan your talk, practice and then try and focus all your energies on the task at hand, no matter how distracting the lights, or coughs from the audience may be. And remember to smile – and breathe!

6. Use variety in your voice to enhance your message

For instance quickening the pace to add tension, emphasising key words to bring out important points (but don’t overdo it!) and lowering your volume to add suspense. The most important things are to connect with your own emotions and what you care about. It will show.

7. Believe!

Give yourself confidence by believing that the audience is your friend, and will give you energy. Believe profoundly in what you are talking about and this will take care of most of your vocal variety and gestures – and ensure that you project authenticity.

And, I add to it (they took it out) : practice, practice! Stage presence will give you each time more confidence and experience and joy with the audience.

Each audience, each room, each time is different. So always remember to adapt the speech for each occasion, and will be received differently.

Julie Kertesz is a photographer and member of public speaking charity Toastmasters International.

The other end

Try and try again.

One time, you'll get it right.

I have tried to photograph this lion a long time ago, more then four probably. Never could reproduce so well the texture.

This time it works.

Same with comedy. An idea, a text, from my notebooks, can be used, reused till I got it right and it works.

I begun to learn about comedy in February 2011, it seems yesterday, but almost two years have passed. And yes, I did expand my comfort zone, indeed. And learned. And made the audience laugh at different clubs 55 times already!

Well, first year was mostly learning and did really begin giggin' end October 2011. And did not gig a lot from August this year, so the 55 are concentrated.

Now, I will begin again to try out the wealth of material I find by recopying this first notebook. then of course the two others, too.

Earth day in Greenwich parc

Well, earthday the tree was green, but Christmas Day bare, otherwise the Greenwich Royal Obervatory the same.

On earth, puddles of water, but we did avoid the rain, or let us say instead, the rain avoided us during our walk.

Always something the park gives when visited. This time, in two different places, the landscape suddenly illuminated by a stronger sun. The sun did not last long, just enough to make us its gift. But it was wonderful.

No camera to memorise it, only our mind's eyes. Our soul? It was enchanting.

Journal 25 Dec 1944

I got my first diary at Christmas 1944: I was ten. I accumulated many memories since then in many diaries.

Only this morning, reading a romance novel and finding a sentence in it, did i realise: it was throughout the years a wonderful outlet for my fears and anger and grief. It let me not live with it all looked inside me. It let me write them out on paper, "in secret" to speak it out even if to some other myself.

Through the years, many diaries, small or big, fancy as this one or very plain, with pen or pencil, all writing openly what I felt about what happened around me, with me.

Thanks mother for that wonderful gift. Even if you are no more here, for so many years now, I also speak with you every end of the year.

My mother was born a 26th December, like my biggest great son. He will be with me this year. My mother would be happy to hear, i have now 5 grand children and one with me in London this year. Already 19 year old!

Give a diary as gift to someone, it is a wonderful outlet, once one uses it.

From Time to Time

Rose leaves in Argenteuil garden after rain

From time to time, old images I have taken come out of the huge wall of now almost 53000 photographies on Flickr.

Someone, living far away, favourites it, or suddenly it becomes popular, probably published and linked somewhere.

Or, as this time with this image, I decide to put together a new set and find it through key word.

I am always stunned how much I remember, how the image lives again, how much conserving memories, through images or stories is worth!

Winter, 2012

December arrived, frost, first snowflakes, and a more quiet pace, as all prepare for end of year festivities.

A few last minute things to,do.

For me, a tv emission (prepared), it was unexpected. Interesting, even if I came tired out of it.

Lots of light in my eyes and staring at the camera's middle while I speak is unusual to me.

A great meeting, in my Toastmasters club, with two new members joined! And meeting old pals.

Today, the last this year's visit to the hospital. I do not even remember why, I feel better.

Soon, ten in my house (in a week): huge problem! I'll have to tidy it up!