The audience was losing interest quickly. They were shifting in their seats. They were talking. Some were even crying.
Of course, more than half the crowd was under the age of five.
Yesterday was Member Monday at the Minnesota Zoo and I had brought my twin two-year old granddaughters to the bird show. One, Zoe, sat attentively. The other, Ava, sprawled out, tummy down, kicking her feet rhythmically on the wooden bench seat. She, like many of the other children had lost interest in the blah-blah-blah talk of the presenter.
Has that ever happened to you when you were presenting? Have you ever started to lose your audience?
There are many reasons that an audience may drift: attention fatigue (if it has been a long day full of presentations), after- lunch stupor, distractions, content too basic or too complicated and more.
When this happens, you need to shift gears, or have, what I will now call “a snowy owl moment.”
That’s what the presenter at the zoo did. She even said, “Let’s do something more active” and directed our attention to the back of the auditorium. An expectant hush fell over the audience. A door slid open to reveal a large, snowy owl crouched in take-off position. The owl glided soundlessly down to the stage, inches above the heads of the people in the center section, the section my granddaughters and I were seated in. The previously bored Ava exclaimed, “Wow!” Zoe pointed at the owl and made hooting sounds. Their attention was focused.
Now, you probably can’t summon an owl, but you can have a “snowy owl moment” by changing the pace drastically. Here are just a few ways you can switch gears:
- Ask questions/do a Q&A session
- Have a small group or partner discussion
- Tell a dramatic or humorous story
- Use an unusual prop
- Do an activity
For adult audiences, you will want to switch things up about every 10 minutes.
Keep in mind that there likely will be a few distracted people in every audience, no matter what you do. Don’t obsess over those people. Focus on the ones who connect with you and that will encourage you to do your best and to give them your best “snowy owl moment.”
Here’s a pic of my granddaughters (Zoe is on the left and Ava is on the right):
