DailyPost 102
AUDIENCES ALL
Audience is at the centre of the public speaking universe, as the only purpose of a public speaking engagement is to provide a vibrant and meaningful connect between the two, the audience being the recipient of gyan. The general approach of the public speaker is of nonchalance that he can handle any audience. The disconnect is conspicuously displayed by the lack of starry eyed audience through the public speaking spectrum from the parliament sessions to a primary school Annual Day functions, all sorts of other public speaker – audience disconnect being aplenty.
A thorough knowledge of the composition, nature and size of the audience is most critical, as they are your customers . How much of research happens on customers & it’s impact on business, we are all aware of. PPTs add a new dimension as screen (content) and the spoken word has to work in tandem giving the audience a final feed and feel which the audience would love to lap. This connect, if it happens, happens in the first few minutes, generally continues through the lecture until you fritter it away because of lack of preparation or getting casual post initial success.
For the audience it’s generally once in a lifetime opportunity of listening to great academician / intellectual / renowned personality, a customised thought can make a difference to life. For the speaker also it is once in lifetime opportunity to move that audience and every single individual who is a part of it.
Inability to customise to the audience requirements is the major limitation of vast majority of speakers. It not only needs an effort, it needs a mindset . Attention span & innumerable other reasons public speakers give when they are unable to mesmerise the audience. Aligning to the audience requirements in every way, firstly in getting the connect and eventually in knowledge transfer, is an art which is certainly well beyond the ordinary.
SUCCESS IN PUBLIC SPEAKING IS THE SUM TOTAL OF UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE, PREPARING & DELIVERING ACCORDINGLY.
Sanjay Sahay