Imagine you are walking on your own up a hallway and someone rushes up to you and asks, "Do any of you know what the time is?" You look around, make sure there's no one else there.
"Hey man, I'm only one person.
Why are you talking to me like I'm in a group? It sounds weird.
" And it does sound weird.
Yet many speakers do this.
They talk to the audience as if they are a group.
And of course they are.
But if you speak to them as if you're speaking to only one person, you strengthen the connection you have with all of them, because each person will feel as if you're speaking to him or her only, as an individual.
Raymond Aaron, an author and life coach, says communication takes place between two people, a speaker and a listener.
A singular "I" and a singular "you".
If your listener is a single person, don't say "Ladies and Gentlemen".
That's plural.
Don't say, "Please take your seats", because I'm probably only going to sit on one.
Don't say, "Turn off your cellphones.
" How many phones do you think I have? So what should you say? Simple.
Speaking coach Craig Valentine teaches a simple rule: Speak to one, but look to all.
Imagine you're talking to just one person, but while you're doing that, cast your eyes over the entire audience, don't just look at one person.
Here are some examples.
I was looking at copies of speeches I'd given over the last few years and I found things like, "I want to persuade all of you to avoid auctions...
" and "How many of you have heard of...
" and from an early draft of my Slave to Money speech, "Who's heard of Tony Robbins' three buckets of wealth?" Most people do automatically speak this way, but if you do, it will hold you back from establishing a deeper connection with your audience.
So change the way you speak.
How many of you have...
will become Have you ...
Have any of you ever been...
will become Have you ever been...
Those of you who have...
will become If you have...
or You might have...
All of us here today...
will become You are here today...
Thank you all for coming...
becomes Thank you for coming...
Not sure if you're doing it right? Craig Valentine says there's a quick way to check.

Use what I call the hallway test.
if you were walking past one person in the hallway, would you stop and say to him, "I want to thank each and every one of you for being here.
" No, because if you did, chances are that person would look at you and say, "Hey buddy, I'm one person.
Who else are you talking to?" That's your test.
If your statement or question passes the hallway test, you're free to take it to the stage.

So where to from here? Firstly, think of the rule when writing your own speeches and when giving presentations.
Secondly, watch other presentations you go to, and look at the level of participation and audience response to speakers who do use this rule, and those who are unaware of it.