I made presentations to construction contractors at their association events probably close to 100 times. I believe that over time, I learned how to connect with my audience.

If you have a little time, watch some or all of these two political convention speeches.

http://youtu.be/4g6PpIW3hPg

Don’t think about the substance of their speeches. Instead, focus on how they connected with their audiences.

What did President Clinton do to connect with his audience? What did Secretary of State  Rice do to connect with her audience? Can you use any of the techniques these public figures use?