Got Feedback? Read Your Audience

By Karen Susman

Imagine a world without feedback. You meet with someone across a table at a café. You ask him a question. Not only doesn't he respond verbally, but his face is a total blank and his hands remain in his lap. You'd wonder if you were heard and understood. You'd wonder if your companion agreed or disagreed, was delighted, or angry. You wouldn't have an inkling. You'd wish he'd given you a sign of life, some feedback.

When you get up to speak in front of a group, you need feedback, too. You might argue this point as you pray that you can just get through your talk, ask for questions, get no takers, and sit down. You hope no one disagrees, is bored, or has a question that might stump you.

Trust me on this. You want to get feedback from your audience. No response is not good news.

One way to get feedback is to watch for non-verbal clues. You might question how you can give a presentation and watch the audience at the same time. This is one multi-task you must and can develop. After all, if you can talk on your cell phone and simultaneously drive in rush hour traffic and drink a soy latte, you can speak, observe, and tweak at the same time.

First, read or analyze your audience before your presentation. What do you know about them, their motivations, educational level, and gender? Ask yourself a few questions.

1. What is your audience's degree of interest in your topic?
2. What is their attitude toward you, your company, your industry, your age, your gender, and your topic?
3. What does your audience know, or think they know, about your topic?
4. Are these people volunteers or captives? Did they sign up to hear you or were they forced to attend?
5. What might the audience need to know about your topic?
6. How can your topic benefit your audience?
7. What are the expectations of those who invited you to speak?
8. What are the hot buttons or issues you need to address or avoid?
9. Why are you speaking?
10. What should you wear that will be appropriate and not detract from your credibility or content?
    

There are additional demographic questions, but these are a start. (If you'd like an extensive list of pre-presentation questions, email Karen@karensusman.com.)

To find the answers to the above and other questions, talk to the person who invited you to present. Talk to the decision makers. Do a pre-session survey of audience members via email.

Do on the fly analysis right before your presentation. If there is a session prior to yours, sit in on it to get a feel for the audience's humor and concerns. Talk with your audience and get a feel for their mood, concerns, issues, and attitude toward your topic.

During your presentation, stop, look and listen.

Stop from time to time to look at your audience members and watch their body language. Are they looking away from you? Are they carrying on a conversation with another attendee? Are they reading the newspaper? Are they using their computers? These are all bad signs.

One other clue that you've lost your connection with the audience is that they don't respond to your questions or requests. If they won't participate in group activities or exercises, you've lost them. If they are fleeing, bored, sleeping, or chatting you've lost them. If you ask, "Are there any questions?" and no hands go up, this doesn't signal you're home free. This is a sign the audience isn't engaged with you and your topic.

What to do:

1. If you feel the audience's energy and attention lagging, change your approach right now. Do something dramatic. Drop your books.
2. Gesture broadly. Walk forcefully. Talk louder, faster, and with more emphasis? Slow down, whisper, stop talking all together.
3. Move toward your audience. Lean in. If you're seated, stand up.
4. Plant questions ahead of time in the audience to get the ball rolling.
5. Ask people to stand up and stretch.
6. Lead them in an exercise.
7. If people won't participate in an activity, be sure your instructions are clear. Explain the purpose of the exercise. Promise not to embarrass anyone and then keep your promise. Be patient.
8. Repeat.
9. Rephrase a question.
10. If no one has a question, prime the pump with, “Often people ask me about..."
11. Or, ask the audience a question of your own. For instance, "What's your opinion on the best way to get teams to work together?"
    

If you remember to have a conversation with your audience, you can watch for verbal and non-verbal feedback.

Feedback: don't leave home without it.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.

Published in Networking Today, August, 2006