Boost Engagement: Use Curiosity to Keep Your Audience Interested

Voltaire said, "The secret to being boring is to say everything."

When we present, the temptation to over-explain can turn even the most interesting topics into a tedious experience—especially in a presentation setting.

So, why is curiosity so important? We often forget that sparking curiosity is key to keeping an audience engaged. Curiosity is the force that has driven humanity from ignorance to knowledge. It’s what led us to explore new environments, discover what lies beyond the next valley, and uncover the laws governing both the physical and psychological worlds.

Nearly every human advancement stems from the desire to fill a knowledge gap.

Yet, in presentations, we often overlook this powerful energy and fall into the trap of overloading our audience with information. This robs them of the pleasure of discovery and diminishes their desire to fill in the blanks themselves.

Learning is a process fueled by curiosity. Ask any good teacher—trying to force-feed information rarely leads to true understanding. But if you can ignite a student’s curiosity, they’ll actively seek out knowledge, internalize the information, and learn more effectively.

Curiosity drives us to form hypotheses and pushes us to validate them by seeking answers. In presentations, revealing everything upfront is counterproductive. Instead, it's far more effective to create curiosity, encouraging your audience to actively engage and search for meaning within your speech.

How can you do this practically?

Questions

Start with a thought-provoking question and reveal the answer during your presentation. This invites each audience member to form their own answer and then compare it with yours, creating a natural tension and desire to find out if they were right.

A Curious fact

Present a surprising or unexpected fact, then explain its context and meaning as you progress. For example: "Did you know that 2 out of 10 of you will live beyond 110 years? Let me explain how and why…" This type of statement instantly captures attention and builds anticipation.

Stories

Begin with a compelling story, but save the resolution for later.

For instance:"I once had one of the toughest conversations of my career—giving negative feedback to a colleague who wasn’t aligning with our company’s values. The discussion went downhill fast; everything I said was misinterpreted, and my colleague became defensive and angry. After 40 unproductive minutes, a quote from one of the greatest leaders I know came to mind. When I shared it, everything changed. My colleague relaxed, then started crying—an opening, cathartic cry. For the first time, they were ready to really listen to the feedback. The quote I used was... well, I’ll share it with you in just a bit."

Everyone in the room will want to hear the quote that transformed the conversation, keeping them engaged until the end.

Curiosity drives exploration. As a speaker, your job is to create a gap between what the audience knows and what they want to know—and then let them fill it. By doing so, you'll not only capture their attention but hold it, ensuring your message is remembered long after the presentation is over.