Keep the Audience Near

By Michelle Mazur > January 17, 2012
Filed Under Presentations

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was one of my favorite films growing up. Ben Stein as the economics teacher sums up my years as a high school student. Bueller? Bueller?

No wonder why Ferris Bueller needed a day off! If I was in this class, I'd want a day off too.

The economics teacher's students are irrelevant to him. They aren't learning, and he doesn't care! What can we learn from Ben Stein? How do you know if you've lost your audience?

Just remember that you need to keep you audience NEAR while you speak.

Notice emotions – What is the emotional vibe of the room? Tired? Engaged? Bored? Let yourself be open to experience of their emotions. If you know that the group you are speaking to just ate lunch or has been listening to presentations all day, their energy is likely to be low. Match their energy and gradually bring their energy level up!
Examine – Go beyond making eye contact and examine the body language of the audience. Are they leaning forward? Great they are engaged! Are they falling asleep? Bad they aren't getting your message! Are they on their smartphones? If you're speaking to a social media crowd that is great news, they are tweeting your message. If your not, then they are bored with your message. Examine the crowd and adapt accordingly.
Ask – Keep the audience engaged by asking them questions. Get them involved. If they look confused, ask them if they are with you. Check in with our audience is the best way to know if they are getting your message.
Request feedback – After you finish speaking, ask your audience for feedback. What did they take away from your talk? What could you improve on?