I saw a boxing MC deliver a useful presentation lesson recently.

I was at The Coppola Show, and it was time for the main fight.

The MC wanted to get the crowd going.

He could simply have asked:

“Are you ready for our main event?”

I’m sure he would have received a decent response.

Instead, he built towards it.

“Laydeeeeeez and Gentlemennnnnnn…”

“The judges are ready.”

“The fighters are ready.”

“Are YOU ready?”

They were!

The crowd erupted, creating a terrific atmosphere for the start of the bout.

Building Anticipation in Presentations

There’s a useful presentation lesson here.

Don’t always rush straight to the audience response you want.

Sometimes it pays to build towards it.

For example:

• Statement one: Introduce the idea.
• Statement two: Increase the intensity
• Statement three: Build the anticipation further.

Then deliver the line that invites your audience to respond.

This is one way of using the rule of three to build audience engagement.

Why the Technique Works

The repetition creates a rhythm.

The escalation builds anticipation.

And by the time you reach the final line, the audience knows it’s their turn to respond.

Building anticipation in presentations isn’t about making things unnecessarily dramatic.

It’s about giving your audience time to become involved and creating a sense of expectation.

Give Your Audience a Reason to Respond

The next time you want your audience to react, think carefully about how you introduce the moment.

Could you build towards the response rather than asking for it immediately?

Could you use three short statements to create a sense of momentum?

A simple technique.

But when done well, it can create a lot of extra energy in the room.

Don’t just ask for a response. Build towards it.