The presentationmagazine.com website offers some useful tips. The very first of these is also the most important one: it explains how to guide an audience towards higher levels of energy and interest.
Show the audience that you understand them
You need to establish and utilise a rapport with them. You might ask how that can be applied to presenting. Easily. You need to tune into the mood and energy level of those present. Then you must start reflecting their attitude back to them.
So if your audience looks sceptical, begin by toning down your own energy. You can start doing this as soon as you introduce yourself and your topic. Thus you are kind of mirroring your audience.
Being an energiser is not always the best approach. By mirroring, you actually show that you empathise with your audience. And precisely such behaviour is a powerful means of establishing a rapport with the audience. It may sound a little counter-intuitive, but try it.
Speakers often do the opposite, trying to raise the energy of their audience by acting in a super-enthusiastic manner. But very often that only damages what little rapport you might have had with them at the beginning.
Gradually raise your energy
Of course you are not going to maintain the low level of energy throughout the whole presentation. Once rapport has been built, you may start raising your energy. And your audience will automatically – and unconsciously for that matter – follow you.
-jk-