Signals: HOW TO MAKE YOUR AUDIENCE YOUR TOP PRIORITY Gabrielle Reed n elementary school classrooms and high school auditoriums. In stadiums and fields. In administrative buildings and offices. Pre- I sentations are given every day across the country and around the world. 30 million to be exact. Behind every presentation is a present- er who either excels at audience preparation or fails. Yes. I said fails. A recent survey of 453 people who have sat through PowerPoint presentations revealed something we all subconsciously know, but rarely care to admit. Audience members far too often feel that pre- senters neglect to prepare for their performances. Instead, they read from the screens, eyes diverted from the factor that matters most - their listeners. Nearly three-fourths of survey participants were fa- miliar with the situation. Skimming over an audience need may seem like a minor issue - a ripple in the ocean of presentation problems. But one unmet need turns into a disengaged crowd and spirals into a host of angry letters, emails, and social media comments. Avoid the tsunami of negativity. Reframe your perception of your audience. Think of your audence as “A community of remembrance.” Audience is a metaphor for the political community whose nature is to be a communty of remembrance. - Sheldon Wolin TOTAL AUDIENCE AWARENESS 1. CONNECTION 2. PROTECTION 3. IDENTIFICATION The people in attendance for any speech or presentation are more than listeners, according to political writer, Sheldon Wolin. They are gatherers. They are processors. They are interpreters. They are tran- scribers. They are the conduit for your message. Or your “community of remembrance.” And they should be treated as such. Humans listen at only 25% of their capacity, despite spending al- 25% most 50% of their day engaged in the activity. If you aren’t providing relevant information and nurturing base needs of your presentation attendees, you’ll have a hard time mastering the most important ele- ment of what I like to call, total audience awareness. 50% Distinguishing the Disconnect As a native Hoosier, I’ve always had an affinity for the show, Parks and Recre- ation. Each character - from ambitious department head Leslie Knope to wan- na-be entrepreneur Tom Haverford - had their own quirks, and even their own presentation styles. Tom undoubetedly had the crudest presentation skills. Why? Consider this scene from one episode. Tom is frantically searching for investors to pitch in money so that he can become part-owner of a local club. Here’s an interaction between Tom and a member of his audience, Jerry, prior to the pitch. TOM: “I have two questions for you. 1. Are you ready for the investment opportunity of a lifetime? And 2. Do any of you have pacemak- ers or a history of epilepsy?.” JERRY: “Yes. Both.” TOM: “Anybody? No. Alright.” [Flips lights off] First, I should preface the conversation with this. For any readers who have not been introduced to the comedic master- piece that is Parks and Recreation, Jerry is the scapegoat of the Pawnee Parks Department office. So, naturally, his peers ignore his concerns and opinions. While this complete and utter rejection of an audience mem- ber’s needs is acceptable - and even downright hilarious - within the con- fines of a television screen, the scenario plays out regularly in real-life presentations. You’ve got presenters projecting thier focus in the wrong places. You’ve got audiences losing interest in the topic and patience in the speaker. You’ve got companies and organizations missing obvious opportunities. That all stops today. Because today, you’ll learn how to read audience signals - from their body language to their facial expressions. Sometimes, we have to take 2 steps backward to move 3 steps forward. To truly begin placing your audience at the top of your presentation prior- ities, you must zoom out on your situation. What has worked well for me is to think of your audience’s responses to your message in 3 categories - red, yellow, and green like a stoplight. In this eBook, we will spend some time unpacking the 3 groups of signals. Let’s get started! Table of Contents RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 7: ANGER ATTENTIVENESS CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 8: BOREDOM RELAXATION CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 9: DISTRACTION 02 INTERACTION YELLOW LIGHT CHAPTER 4: CYNICISM CHAPTER 5: CONFUSION CHAPTER 6: 01 FIXATION 03 PART ONE: RED LIGHT CHAPTER 1: ANGER 12 CHAPTER 2: BOREDOM 16 CHAPTER 3: DISTRACTION 19 PART TWO: YELLOW LIGHT CHAPTER 4: CYNICISM 23 CHAPTER 5: CONFUSION 29 CHAPTER 6: FIXATION 33 PART THREE: GREEN LIGHT CHAPTER 7: ATTENTIVENESS 38 CHAPTER 8: RELAXATION 42 CHAPTER 9: INTERACTION 46 E D R L T I H G Signs you need to hit the brakes and re-evaluate the destination 1 PART ONE PART Chapter 1 It was a frigid winter evening. But inside the county courthouse, people were ablaze with emotion. A large telecommunications company prepared to make ANGERan appeal to the county commissioners of my tiny, Indiana hometown. The company wanted to install a few telephone poles in a rural part of town. More cows live in the area than people. And every person in the area came to the meeting to share their opinions on the poles. As the representative of the tele- communications phone company approached the podium facing the line of county commissioners, simultaneous grumbles echoed across the room. The matter-of-fact tone of the representative only amplified the dissatisfied mur- murs. Pen and paper in hand, I surveyed the audience - jotting down any sig- nificant detail of the audience members, their reactions, and their comments. Anything that would help me recreate the scene when I went back to my laptop to write the news story for publication the next day. According to a University of Tel Aviv study, recognition of feelings and emo- tions increases by 10% when it involves comprehensive analysis of face, body, and speech. I hope I’m not going out on a limb when I state the assumption that presenters want to avoid evoking negative feelings in their presentation audiences. You know, feelings like the type that typically follow getting cut off in traffic, finding out your dog ate a sizeable chunk out of your favorite pair of shoes, or listening to a stranger’s plans to place telephone poles near your home. So, for this chapter and the rest, we will detail one signal per function. When you are standing on stage, assess audience members’ facial expressions, body language, and speech for signs of anger. HOW TO DECODE AN ANGRY AUDIENCE MEMBER For every minute you remain angry, you “ “give up 60 seconds of peace of mind. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Unfortunately, no one will ferociously rip off their neatly-pressed button-downs like the Hulk when something you say doesn’t strike their fancy. I wouldn’t put money on anyone spinning haphazard paths around the conference room like the Tasmanian Devil either. But, there are a few telltale signs that your content is infuriating listeners. FACIAL EXPRESSION As you glance out into the crowd, scan the room to determine the frown-to-smile ratio. A frowning audience member could be pon- dering issues unrelated to your presentation, however, a powerful message is capable of elevating the moods of individuals. Are there also several pairs of pursed lips in the space? Tightness in the mouth is an indication that your message is not only lacking relevance for your audience, but it also is irritating to hear it. Both outcomes are disastrous for the efficacy of your presentation. BODY LANGUAGE A presenter, as surveyor of the lectern, would be best served by noting 2 aspects of his or her attendees’ bodies. First, locate the crossed arms or clenched fists in view. Second, take a mental sam- ple of 2 or 3 individuals displaying these negative motions and further assess their breathing - looking at their chests for a brief moment. Anger is marked by quick and shallow air inhalation. SPEECH AND NOISE Think back to the last time you found yourself at odds with another person or group. For example, I am the oldest sibling of 3. And as such, I am a bit headstrong and competitive in classic - and casual - conversation. I have crystal clear memories of battling my mid- dle brother over insignificant matters like who would get to ride shotgun on the way to church and who got to eat the last package of Gushers. We had some real knock-down, drag-outs back in the day. And even now, we frustrate each other to the max. We begin our discussions with fervent arguments in support of those who adopt our perspectives. And we end with short, muffled quips and comebacks. How does this relate to your presentation? Monitor your audience’s use of words like “no,” “wrong,” “we,” and “us” during session Q&As and discussion activities. Pay attention to the inflection when they use combative words to distinguish between full-fledged anger and a simple disagreement. Is the vocal emphasis on the words described above? That may spell trouble. PRESENTATION TIP It may not be suitable for your audience to say “we” and “us,” but you - as the presenter - definitely should. It showcases that you are thinking about the crowd and not yourself. We’ll touch on the technique more later. CHANGING THE CUES If you regularly get these negative cues, a tweak in behavior and modification of approach on your part could spur a shift in the mindset of angry audiences. ASK THIS QUESTION 1 How do you interpret this issue? When asked for their input, an individual will not only become more invested in the discussion, but he or she will also feel that their needs and concerns are being heard - cultivating a secure and comfortable environment.