Making that Connection

Are you a speaker, presenter, or entertainer who wants to connect with your audience? I’m not talking about having your audience enjoy what you do, I’m talking about having the audience totally engaged in what you are saying or doing while you are onstage.


I’ve been watching performers and audiences for years in the hopes that I will learn from them and become a better entertainer, speaker and presenter by doing so. One of the things I’ve been paying particular attention to lately is that audiences respond (and I mean really respond!) when you can make your performance or presentation about them.

Now, you may be thinking, ‘Well, duh!” as this may sound very basic to you, but let’s explore this a little bit through an example or two.

I’ve been working quite frequently on a cruise ship over the last year. I’ve seen numerous singers, comedians, and variety acts perform for the audiences onboard. When the act that is onstage finds a way to engage the audience  and make it about them the laughs are louder and the applause they receive is longer.

One of the main comics onboard the ship makes sure that part of his act speaks directly to the shared experience that everyone onboard has had. He talks about the shock of having to adjust to the confined area of the ship, he talks about how small the bathrooms are in the cabins, he talks about the things that every person onboard has already thought to themselves. He finds a way to express through humor and comedy the shared experience of ship life and the crowd gives him huge laughs because he is connecting with them.

When I speak to groups with one of my keynote presentations, I always try to incorporate some of my interactive magic into the presentation. By incorporating something fun, like magic or humor, the speech stays fun and interesting. Furthermore, because the magic that I share is interactive and gets people from the audience directly involved, it grabs everyone’s attention. In a fun way, it forces them to be engaged and paying attention.  It becomes about them.

When you are up in front of a group with a common denominator, such as co-workers or people on a trip together, etc. you should look for every opportunity to use their commonality to personalize your performance or presentation.  It will yield a more focused audience as well as much stronger reactions from them.

So, my advice to anyone who gets up in front of a group of people is to find a way to involve and engage them. Make the presentation or performance relevant to them. Make it about them.  Speak directly to their hopes and dreams and you will have an attentive, appreciative audience. Until next time…