How To Connect To Your Audience

A speaker like that, have you ever seen? You attended THAT presentation, right? You know the one where the speaker drones on incessantly, appearing unaware that 74.6% of the audience has slept off.

On their phones or working emails, the remaining 25.4% are engaged. The meeting planner or the organizer is biting their nails the entire time since they know that this event's reviews would be horrible.

In addition to becoming the worst presenter ever, many of us also fear being this presenter. We are aware of how the audience is feeling. However, we don't really know much about how to improve it. We had the impression that we would perish there.

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Every speaker aspires to make a strong “connection” with the listeners. In some situations, that can be very difficult. There are various types of audiences. Additionally, you need to “persuade” some audiences. Isn't it wonderful that your audience listened attentively to everything you had to say? It is doable.

A speech requires the speaker to engage the audience in active listening and discussion. This can be challenging, especially if you're anxious and eager to finish your presentation. Here are a few pointers and techniques to help with this connection.

There are various strategies for engaging your audience. Some are simple. Additionally, your audience will feel more connected to you without being overt about it.

Although they are complex, speaking and presenting don't have to be intimidating. You can connect with your audience by doing a few easy things. And connection is the key word that so many speakers overlook.

They are so preoccupied with creating their slides, jam-packed with graphs, statistics, and other information, that they fail to realize they are giving presentations to actual people.

Although there is a concern, making a connection is actually not as challenging as it could seem. You carry out a few actions that you may carry out in a face-to-face chat.

Here are some suggestions:

If you can, move around instead than being confined to a podium or lectern. I'm not saying you should circle the stage or room aimlessly. But at certain times in the lecture, approach individuals closer. A natural bodily energy connection is made as a result. They can also see you more clearly as a result. It is real. Whenever you can, invest on a wireless microphone.

Include the audience – If you keep using the pronouns “I” and “me” in your presentation, you are only speaking for yourself. And you can find yourself speaking to yourself. Use “you” and “us” as much as you can. They should be involved in the process because they are undoubtedly aware of the issue. Avoid blaming them. But incorporating them into the force of development.

Get into their world – One of the things I picked up from my father was to try to understand your audience, even if you failed miserably. As a preacher, my father occasionally accepted invitations to address multilingual audiences. He would constantly pick up new Korean, Spanish, or French words. He frequently delivered the line ineffectively. But you could tell from their smiles that the crowd always appreciated his efforts to approach them.

Tell stories because it's in our nature to do so. We can best recall it that way. Stories aid in establishing a “hook.” Imagine I just named 4 different things in a room and asked you to remember them. Now picture me taking you on a tour of the space where you previously viewed each object. Now you would recall the item and probably the order in which you visited them. Connect with a tale or a “imagine what it would be like” opener, even in data-intensive situations.

Use common examples — You probably don't want to discuss the most recent medical techniques if you are among plumbers. The social language matters, just as you would utilize the group's actual language to establish a connection. What do they usually talk about at work? What patterns do they adhere to? Making allusions to common experiences is a powerful approach to evoking memories.

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Make use of your body; THAT presenter is frequently quite stiff. Usually, THAT presenter is a machine. Not THAT presenter, please. Make human-like movements and use your body to communicate. Your expressions should be sincere and heartfelt. Make it appear as though you genuinely believe what you're saying. Can you imagine what kind of relationship THEY would have when you appear disassociated from the words coming out of your mouth? You guessed right. Nothing, zip, or zero.

I am aware of energy and enthusiasm. I know. Data that is tedious. What makes you enthusiastic about it? It's not necessary to always be enthused by the subject matter. However, you ought to feel happy to be there with THEM. Your interactions with them should convey this to them. Even if the information is upsetting, let them know you understand their situation. Show them you can sit on their side of the table.

Speak in paragraphs; I've heard speakers give people GOBS of material before apologizing. Hey everyone, I know this is a lot of information, but I only have 10 minutes. Are you trying to get them to remember this knowledge, or are you just attempting to get out of the situation by claiming you gave it to them? What do you actually want people to know, is the key question. Decide what that is, and then present it to them in manageable portions. narrate a tale. Give the data. Use a tale to stress the statistics again. Pause. Repeat with the following item.

AGH! Don't read the slides! Don't read every bullet point from every slide unless there is a quote you HAVE to nail. (While we're on the subject of bullet points, remove them. This is a different article.) Allow your audience to communicate visually. If they absolutely must read anything, stop and allow them some time. For auditory learners, restate the information on the slide in a different way so they can hear it. What about those who learn physically? Allow them to approach the stage and interact with the screen. I'm joking.

Ask the group, “How many of you have experienced…?” Then raise your hand and motion for them to do the same. Asking kids about the items in their environment will get them nodding their heads. Your questions will primarily be rhetorical. However, when questions are asked, the mind functions substantially differently.

Questions start the active part of the mental process, whereas statements are passive. Wherever you can, keep them engaged. Make sure the questions you pose are relevant to their location. But occasionally, asking a strange or bizarre question can also help you connect with them while also helping them remember you.

React To What You Observe

On stage, a lot of speakers are self-absorbed. Usually, this is not done on purpose. However, speakers strive to perform well. As a result, people concentrate on the tasks they deem most crucial: the words and the slides.

If you keep your concentration there alone, you will lose the audience's interest due to the lack of a connection.

A competent speaker must constantly be aware of what is happening in the audience. Are people interested, paying attention, or are they bored? Who among them is laughing? Who else appears to support or oppose you?

Act accordingly, for instance, if you sense agreement or disagreement in the room. Inform them: “I notice some people don't agree; that's fine. Here's why I feel this way.”

You already demonstrate that you care by your response to their motions. Caring also entails communication.

Take A Closer Look At Folks

“Look to all parts of the room and focus on some people,” is popular speaking advice. Excellent counsel, but proceed with caution. The audience will feel ignored if you ‘look' over them too frequently. They believe you fail to “see” them.

You seek a genuine relationship. This entails making eye contact with others. In fact, linger a little longer on a few persons. Long enough to link but not too long that it gets creepy; maybe smile a little. You will become more intimate. Focus on them and establish a strong connection with them.

Laugh And Be Happy

One of the most underrated aspects of public speaking is smiling. The audience must believe that you understand them if you want to connect. How would people ever feel that you are like them if you are not grinning?

The audience will join in after you demonstrate that you are having fun while performing. And they'll feel more connected to you.

How can one make others smile? Jokes allow you to accomplish that at times. Being hilarious is beneficial. The audience will feel a stronger connection if you can make them grin.

There is a risk at this point. If your joke backfires, the connection can be completely lost. Therefore, consider jokes. Avoid offending anyone. Don't mock any particular groups. Be humorous and carefree. You are the best target for jokes.

Be Specific

And that gets me to a crucial section of your presentation. Any presentation you provide must be personalized. People form relationships with you, not the presentation. You will engage the audience more if you can personalize a portion of your presentation.

This does not obligate you always to share tales about your family or yourself. It does imply that you want to relate your personality to the presentation's subject. Make the connection between you and the point you are making. More people will like you and what you have to say.

Mention What They Are Already Aware Of

You make it difficult for individuals if you talk about topics they can't relate to. It could even appear that you are communicating with them in another language. What emotions do you have when participating in a conversation between two persons whose language you do not understand? You feel excluded.

You don't want anyone to feel excluded. Even when you are discussing challenging subjects. Sometimes you want to go back to the beginning. The best method to achieve it is to make references to common knowledge. Occasionally, that is an analogy; other times, it refers to a well-known concept.

People will feel more comfortable with you if you refer to what they already know.

As You Approach Your Audience

Some of the presenters are seated at a desk. Some people enjoy walking about (like myself). I favour the walking route for a variety of reasons. One benefit is that it helps you interact more with your audience.

You can increase the sense of proximity between you and your audience by moving closer to them physically. So make your way there. Include them in your presentation. And a friendship will be formed.

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Compliment Your Audience

And finally, complimenting your audience is a fantastic approach to engaging them. Let them know how awesome they are.

You can do this in a number of the presentation's sections. You can start off by complimenting the venue, the city you're in, or the business you're presenting to. You can comment on how intelligent the audience is while the discussion is still in progress. “I don't need to tell you this, you know this,” demonstrates your opinion of their intelligence. You might also express that you appreciate their presence when the conversation is over.

Tell A Tale

As you can see, connecting with your audience may be done in various ways. The one thing you must never forget is that it must be about them. They must be able to identify with themselves.

Telling a tale is the best method to accomplish that. People adore tales. Not only are they enjoyable, but it's also in our genetic makeup. We use stories in our daily lives. We share stories every day. We hear stories read aloud every day.

We pay closer attention when a tale is told. We can recall more. And we believe a story's source. Storytelling is a potent weapon because of this. And for this reason, whatever type of discussion you give must include some form of storytelling.

But telling a story is not simple. Because of this, we developed a course for you that repeatedly demonstrates how to write a flawless story.

Getting The Audience’s Attention

It might be challenging to capture and hold the audience's attention during a speech or presentation. You can capture the audience's interest by keeping a few things in mind.

relevance, uniqueness, or significance of the subject and the arguments made

Describe why the audience should pay attention to the content.

It's not necessary for eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to leave you with sticky fingers and soiled clothing.

What relevance does this information have to your claim?

We've all had PB&J sandwiches that leaked jelly, so today, I'll share some advice to keep your hands and clothes hygienic.

Types Of Assistance

As various people learn or absorb information differently (e.g., visually, auditorily, physically, or verbally), altering how you support your point may help you connect with a broader audience.

Although they are frequently employed, facts and numbers might be complex for an audience to understand.

Give Yourself Ample Time To Explain The Statistical Data You're Using

Four hundred answers said people didn't enjoy PB&J sandwiches. It's possible that what the audience hears is accurate, but you might need to spend more time explaining it. According to 400 responses, people didn't enjoy PB&J sandwiches because of the mess they could create. Comparable data, but vastly different interpretations.

Use A Brief Story

A young child who could not finish his peanut butter and jelly sandwich returned home hungry and angry. His meal was spoiled when he pulled the bread saturated in jelly out of his lunch bag.

Visuals

Use visual aids to highlight the points you are making as evidence for your claims. PowerPoint, Prezi, or tools of a similar nature can be helpful. Keep the aesthetics straightforward. To prepare visual aids, visit the UWSC site.

The audience can participate in the discourse by using sensory descriptions (such as hearing, seeing, tasting, or feeling).

The young boy is sobbing. His cheeks are flushed with tears. His fingers get stuck in a sticky, gooey tangle of bread and jelly as he reaches for his sandwich. He continues by licking his fingers. He enjoys the peanut butter and jelly flavour, but he wishes his sandwich wasn't so sloppy.

Vocal delivery: You can stress points or ask a question by changing the volume or tonality of your voice.

A person's tone of voice is equally as essential as what they say.

Change up your tone; this happens easily in informal discussions. You'll sound less robotic, and the conversation will sound less official.

Volume—using a louder or even a quieter voice to draw in the audience

Ask The Audience To Consider A Question

Think back. Do you recall a moment when this occurred to you or how you felt after getting a PB&J on your hands?

Provide The Audience With A Quick Activity

Depending on size, provide the necessary components to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to each table or audience member. You can give the supporting information while guiding them through the sandwich-making process.

Audience Understanding

A speech's objective is to give the audience the knowledge they need to comprehend your selected subject. You must aid them in understanding and relating to this information.

Reduce The Volume Of Fresh Information

Go gently and guide the audience through it if a subject or piece of evidence is new to them.

Give The Listener Sufficient Details To Pique Their Interest In The Subject

If necessary, the audience may request more information. During the question-and-answer session or after the speech, you can be located if audience members are curious about the brand of peanut butter or jelly you used.

Make links between the new knowledge and previously known information to make it easier for the audience to comprehend.

Make Supporting Arguments Simple To Understand For The Audience

Bread coated in jelly and sticky fingers lend support to the main idea.

A topic could become uninteresting or confuse the listener with too many details.

The audience can follow the speech as you guide them through your topic if the information is organized clearly. Visual aid like PowerPoint might be helpful to keep the audience engaged.

Use a few words to let the audience know where you are in your speech. The listener is aided in following the introduction's road map via signposts.

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Questions

What can we do to lessen the messiness of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Phrasing

The most crucial thing to remember is lunchtime staples like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
This statement aims to grab the audience's attention and provide important information.
Practice will help you present a concise road map that the audience can understand.
By being aware of your introduction and conclusion, you can stay on topic and help the audience understand (even if there is a goof or two in the middle).
It prevents you from sounding like a non-native speaker (using words like “uh” or “let me see”). This strengthens your public speaking abilities and prevents the audience from tuning out throughout your speech.
Use language that your readers will understand and find relatable.
PB&J is a better abbreviation because peanut butter and jelly can be a mouthful. If you think an explanation is required, you can always give one.

Keep Your Speech Concise And Clear

To stay on topic, use your notes.

Keep in mind that only you are aware of the speech's planning. Keep moving even if you go off course; nobody will even notice.

Conclusion

Audience retention is getting the audience to remember or keep the knowledge you just provided.

Reiteration and repetition: The more often something is heard, the more likely it is to stick with the listener.

Make sure your final message has an effect. The audience will recall what you say after you leave.

After hearing so much about them, I'm craving peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a large glass of milk. How are you doing?

I trust you enjoyed this article about How To Connect To Your Audience. Would you please stay tuned for more articles to come?

Take care!

JeannetteZ

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Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? I would love to hear from you. Please leave me your questions, experiences, remarks, and suggestions about How To Connect To Your Audience in the comments below. You can also contact me by email at Jeannette@WorkFromAnywhereInTheWorld.com.

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