Keeping your audience engaged is more important and more difficult than capturing their attention.
Sometimes owning your story can be a nightmare. But first, let us talk about YOUR audience.
You can tell when an audience has stopped listening to you during a presentation. Phones come out. Instead of leaning forward and nodding along with your points, they begin tapping their feet. The more brazen may even start whispering to one another. This happened when events were live and in person. These days virtually, it looks like no participation in the chat, dead silence when questions are asked and little to no feedback when requested.
Recently, a leader emailed me: “What can I do to keep the audience’s attention through the whole of my presentation? There are always people who don’t seem to be listening.” With concern, the leader asked: “Do you have any strategies that will increase the attention span of my audiences?”
Fortunately, I do have recommendations that have worked for me and many presenters. Here are three of them:
- Engage the audience in the presentation. Consider anecdotes about audience members (with prior permission), role-playing, brainstorming, questions-and-answers, games, etc. For example, when magicians call a member of the audience on stage for a trick — the audience perks up.
- Communicate with a sense of urgency or importance to the message. (If the subject is not urgent or important, why is everyone’s time being wasted with a presentation in the first place?).
- Use full vocal variety. If you speak in a monotone voice all throughout, or at a low pitch, your audience may fall asleep. Use vocal highs and lows, silence and pauses to keep your audience engaged.
Now, let’s talk about your voice. Do you even sound like a leader? Knowing how to direct your voice will help you to stand out.
In a time where face-to-face meetings seem to be rare and more business is conducted via the telephone, your voice could be hindering your success. On the telephone, we do not have visual cues or body language to strengthen our position and message; all we have is our voice.
Here are some key factors when it comes to having a voice of success:
- Your Tone. Be honest with yourself, do you need to work on your tone? Grab a close friend or co-worker and ask their honest opinion.
- Voice Inflection. When speaking and thinking about the key points you want to emphasize, make sure the inflection of your voice matches what you are trying to say.
- Delivery. Don’t be afraid to rehearse a pitch, a proposal, or even just a phone call. Preparation is the key to success.
- Sound. Use a voice recorder as you train your voice. A recorder will allow you to hear exactly what others hear. Most people don’t like to hear their own voice, and that’s because they struggle with confidence. Not you.
- Energy. Similar to tone, but different. The energy in your voice allows people to feel like they are in the room with you. Your voice gives you power and presence.
Most of the time, voice can be trained by just becoming aware, and other times it may take a voice coach or someone to help you with the things you struggle with the most.
It’s not uncommon for people to seek out the help of a voice trainer or coach. If you assess that your voice may be hindering your success, it may just be time for you to take that next step. In my group coaching sessions and workshops, we discuss storytelling, vocal presence, media and strategic self-promotion. Take advantage of all the resources available to help you.
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Monique Russell is the host of the Bridge to U: Understanding and Black Unity podcast, inspirational teacher, professional speaker, author of The Ultimate Speaker’s Guide, Intentional Motherhood: Who Said it Would Be Easy, and Founder of Clear Communication Solutions, LLC – a global communications training coaching and consulting firm in Atlanta, GA. Contact us today to learn more and get support.