Are you neglecting YOUR audience?

It sounds like the simplest thing in the world, but you’d be surprised how many group coaches forget about their audience. There are too many speakers who fail to consider their audience’s interests, who do not maintain an engaging presence, or who do not even check to make sure the audience can hear them.

Group coaches need to remember to engage, reward and excite their audiences. Every time you’re in front of an audience, of any size, try to keep the following tips in mind:

• Make the room your own. Whether you’re in a small classroom or a large auditorium, you as the group coach need to convey feelings of comfort with the room you’re in – for yourself and for the audience. If a microphone doesn’t work, turn it off and speak louder. If a lectern is too far from the audience, move it. If tables are too far from the projector screen, re-arrange them. Before you even begin your presentation, go to the venue and test the sound system.  By making yourself more comfortable in the room, you will also help your audience to feel more comfortable in your presence. Making the room your own will also help boost your credibility as a group coach; when people see you take charge of the room and overcome limitations of the equipment or the space, they will feel reassured that you are a “take charge” person who is worth listening to.
• Maintain eye contact. Whether you’re speaking to 10 people or 1,000 people, every good speaker and coach needs to maintain good eye contact with the audience. Sure, if it’s a big crowd, you’re not going to be able to make one-on-one eye contact with every person in the room – but just the act of making eye contact with a few people in the crowd will have the effect of drawing and deepening the attention of the rest of the people listening.
• Focus on the audience’s needs. Before you even start planning your talk, ask yourself, “What does this audience need from me?” Focus on what the audience is most urgently interested in hearing about – not so you can “just tell them what they want to hear,” but so you can adapt your message and communication style to be most effective.
• Challenge your audience. Of course, you need to adapt your message so that your audience welcomes and accepts you, but every good group coach also needs to bring a certain energy and sense of challenge to her audiences. You need to challenge their thinking and prompt them to take action – not in an aggressive or overbearing style, but in the spirit of encouragement and engagement.
• Give them something to remember. If you’re giving a 45 minute presentation, it’s hard for most people to remember all of that material. Even if people take notes, it can be hard to retain much of what we hear on any given occasion. So every good group coach needs to find ways to deliver a few memorable takeaways from any speech or training session. Use verbal cues like: “If you only remember one thing from today’s speech, I hope it will be this…”

What are some other ways to engage audiences that have worked for you in your group coaching business? Who are some of the most memorable speakers you’ve ever seen, and what was so memorable about them?

DeLores Pressley, Professional Speaking Expert

DeLores Pressley is an international keynote speaker, author, life coach and the Founder of the Born Successful Institute and DeLores Pressley Worldwide. DeLores has spoken to more than 107,000 people in over 65 major cities and countries. She has been interviewed on America’s top rated shows including, OPRAH and Entertainment Tonight. She produces Speak for Hire, an educational program teaching entrepreneurs, speakers and coaches how to speak and grow their business. More about DeLores