by Janie Gabbett

I am a big fan of audience participation, because here’s the deal: even someone as magnificent as you are can’t hold most people’s attention for very long.

A study once showed that at any given moment while a speaker is presenting:

• 12% of the audience are actively listening
• 28% are selectively listening
• the other 60% are daydreaming, reminiscing or having an erotic fantasy!

But ask a simple question, request a show of hands and you’ve just pulled most of them right back into their chairs and into your message.

In truth, people can only listen for a few minutes at a time to something that does not directly relate to them. It’s your job as a speaker to continually tie your topic to their own experience.

There are six ways to snap even the groggiest audience members out of their, well, shall we say, sweet dreams.

#1 – Ask a general question. Ask a question like, “Can you relate?” or “Does this sound familiar?” and nod your head up and down to encourage them to do the same. This is the speaker’s version of a preacher’s, “Can I get an Amen?” You are asking them to relate (mostly on the inside) to what you just said. If you get a nod, congratulations. You have pulled them back in, ever so slightly.

#2 – Want to wake them up a bit more? Ask for a show of hands. The question is simply, “How many of you….?” Being well brainwashed in school, most of us will respond by raising our hands. If the audience is particularly comatose, specifically ask, “Can I get a show of hands…?”

This is the equivalent of a preacher asking, “Can I get a Hallelujah?” You are now asking the audience to expend the energy involved in lifting their arm. Eliciting a physical response is a powerful stupor buster.

#3 – Ask who would like to share an example. Do this right after you have made a point and shared your own example. It can be a powerful reinforcer. Plus, it gives your audience a new face, new voice and new part of the room to direct their attention to -- all of which is energizing.

This level of audience participation is a bit trickier than the first two, so you’ve got to manage it. I suggest the following:

• Don’t call on a person who looks overly agitated. If their eyes are moving in opposite directions, take a pass.
• If a person gives an example that clearly does not support or even contradicts your point, simply say, “Thank you. Who else?” Don’t humiliate them by explaining in detail why their answer is dumber than dirt. Just move on.
• If the next person’s example hits the nail on the head, be sure to lavish praise and repeat it to anchor the point with the rest of the audience. “Precisely. Great example. Did everyone hear that? She said….”
• If there are a lot of people who want to share, call on three or four of them, then move on.

You can end this session by acknowledging and praising the entire audience.

“Those were great examples and I can see many more of you have had similar experiences. I wish all my audiences were this advanced. Now let’s move on to…”

#4 Ask for a volunteer from the audience to help you illustrate a point.

Be sure you are asking them to do something you’ll get a predictable response to and make sure you have a “Plan B” if they don’t.

Let’s say you are demonstrating a memory improvement technique and you first ask the volunteer to repeat a long list of numbers, expecting them to fail. But Murphy’s Law reigns and you have picked the one number savant in this 1,000-mile radius who recites them back perfectly.

What do you do? You praise him for his unusual skill, tell the audience what a more typical response is and move on.

“I’ve been working with this technique for about five years and I can tell you that most people can repeat about five numbers at best. But after using the technique I am about to show you, they become as impressive as Mr. Jones here. Thank you Mr. Jones.” Then get him off the stage. Fast.

#5 – Arrange in advance for an audience member to help you illustrate a point.

This technique can give you as much mileage of the previous one with more control of the outcome. Be sure and tell the audience you asked this person ahead of time, so they don’t think you are trying to fool them.

With this method, you will have time to make a careful choice and even quickly rehearse. What you lose in spontaneity, you gain in credibility when the role play goes smoothly and succeeds in reinforcing your message.

#6 – Pick a partner.

This is probably the most effective, least risky tactic of all. Give the audience a simple exercise to do with a partner. The moment you say “pick a partner” you’ve basically announced it’s time for recess. Need I say more? There is nothing more energizing than giving every single member of the audience a chance to stop listening and start talking – about themselves.

I guarantee you that even if your audience was passing notes and balancing their checkbooks before the exercise, you’ll have them right back in class after they’ve shared. And, oh yeah, don’t forget to tell them to switch roles at some point, to ensure the extroverts haven’t hogged all the talking time.

I encourage you to try any or all of these techniques within your comfort level. Even novice speakers can and should use the first two and the last one with impunity.

Otherwise, it’s you and your message verses each audience member’s own rich inner life. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t go up against my own imagination without reinforcements! Would you? If you are now shaking your head “no”, my work here is done.

Good luck and let me know how it goes. Janie@gabbettgroup.com

Janie Gabbett is a communications strategist. She works with professionals to help them communicate their way to their own version of success – in meetings, behind the podium, or in critical one-on-one interactions. Find out more about how she can help you and your company at www.gabbettgroup.com.