Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

How to Be a Good Audience Member

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When you go to a seminar or speech, you want the speaker to give a good performance. But do you do your part to make the event a success?

Having an audience that is involved and responsive not only makes the speaker feel better, it creates positive energy that makes the experience better for everyone.

Although good speakers will direct their attention to each section of the audience at various times during their talks, most will also choose a few people in the audience who will get more attention from them. That is because those audience members are giving them good feedback.

On more than one occasion, I have had speakers tell me that I was their “touchstone” or their “rock” during their presentations. They knew that when they looked at me, I would be paying attention and responding. That gave them (and their presentations) more energy and excitement.

Being a good audience member is good for you, too, because you will get more out of it when you are alert and involved with what the speaker is saying.

Here is how you can be a better audience:

Pay attention—and let the speaker know you are paying attention. Watch the speaker and really listen to what she is saying.

Be responsive. Make eye contact. Nod. Smile. Laugh at his jokes. Look serious when he tells a somber story. Let the speaker know he is getting through to you.

When the speaker tosses a question out to the audience, or does something that calls for a response, respond enthusiastically. Even if it just means giving a cheery, “Good morning!” in response to the speaker saying, “Good morning, everyone!”

Don’t look at your watch, check your email or text during the talk. The exception would be if it is appropriate to tweet updates from the presentation.

When tweets are displayed behind the speaker (as they are at many conferences) do not tweet something that will cause the audience to react and disrupt the presentation.

Don’t interrupt the presentation. Unless the speaker has indicated that you may ask questions at any time, hold your questions or comments until the end.

Ask good questions during the question and answer session. Don’t try to put the speaker on the spot, but ask a question that will help her to better develop a point she made during her presentation.

These all assume that the speaker is good. So what if the speaker is a dud? Even if you think the speaker isn’t interesting, give others the chance to listen. It should go without saying that you should not talk or be disruptive, but some audience members seem to believe that if they are not sufficiently entertained they should make their feelings known.

Make the most of the situation, and give the speaker a chance to win you over. You will both benefit from your effort.

Answering Questions After a Speech

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Some speakers absolutely dread taking questions after they have presented a talk. Although you can carefully script your presentation, you never know what questions will come up when you open it up to questions from the audience.

Will someone ask something you don’t know? Will there be questions you don’t even understand? Or, perhaps worst of all, will no one ask a question at all?

Here are some of the things that can go wrong—and how to handle them and come off looking good.

There is a deathly silence after you ask, “Are there any questions?”
Instead of asking if there are any questions ask, “Who wants to ask the first question?” If no one pipes up after a few seconds, ask, “So who wants to ask the second question?” That will probably get a chuckle (or at least a smile) and will loosen up the crowd a bit.

You can also plan for this beforehand. Ask a friend in the audience to ask a question if no one else does. Once the ice is broken, others will be willing to speak up. If you are really desperate, ask a question yourself. Say something like, “One of the questions I hear a lot is…” then give the question and answer it.

Someone asks a question that is specific to them, and not of interest to the rest of the group.
These questions are usually the type that go on forever, as the person wants to give you every detail of their personal situation. A good way to handle this is to find a place to gently interrupt and say, “I’m not sure I can answer your question properly in this public forum. Can you speak with me after we are finished here, so I can answer your question appropriately?”

You can not understand the question.
Whether the problem is that the audience member’s speech is difficult to understand (perhaps they speak with a heavy accent) or the question doesn’t make sense, one way to deal with this is to ask others in the audience to repeat the question to you.

Never blame the questioner: “I can’t understand a thing you are saying.” Instead say, “I’m sorry but I am having trouble hearing the question. Could someone help me out?” If you are in a group where the people know each other, they may be better able to understand the questioner and can tell you what was asked.

You do not know the answer to a question that was asked.
First of all, no one knows everything, not even you. Be willing to admit when you do not know an answer. If appropriate, offer to find the answer and get back to them. Then do so. Never bluff and pretend you know the answer when you don’t. Someone in the audience will know the answer, and you will lose credibility. And that reminds me of another way to deal with this. Say something such as, “I am not familiar with that. Does anyone else here know that answer to Mary’s question?”

You do not have a good way to close at the end of the question and answer session.
You may have given a dynamic speech and dazzled them with your ability to answer every question they threw at you, but if you close with, “Uh, well, if those are all the questions, I guess we’re done…” well, you’ve lost them at the very end.

Have a few sentences prepared that you will deliver at the end of the Q&A to close on a high note. Summarize your top points, remind them of any action steps, and thank them for coming to hear you speak. That is their cue to applaud wildly.

Question and answer sessions do not have to be frightening. Remember that the audience wants you to do well. Give them your best and respond to their questions in a genuine way, and they will become your fans.

Speak Well

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People make judgments about you based on how you speak. Your speech affects your credibility and even how intelligent you are seen as being. 

I recently watched a presentation where the speaker used “uh,” “umm” and other verbal fillers more than 37 times in 10 minutes.  I counted. He fidgeted, put his hands in his pockets and looked completely uncomfortable. He knows his subject, but his nervous mannerisms made him appear less than credible.

Fillers, tics and nervous mannerisms are most common when speaking in front of a group, but can creep in to your daily conversations, too. I overheard two women talking about business, and I was astounded at how often they used the word “like.”

If you catch yourself using “like,” “uh,” “you know,” etc., it usually means that you are stalling for time to think of your next word. Slow down. Take a breath. Think about what you’re saying. Ask a friend to signal you when you slip into one of your bad habits.

To make the best impression, also be sure to:

Use words correctly. It’s better to use a common word correctly than to try to impress by using a long, unusual word incorrectly.

Use proper pronunciation. If you’re not sure how to pronounce a word, look it up in the dictionary. Saying “liberry” instead of “library,” for example, will make a poor impression.

Learn correct grammar. While no one speaks absolutely perfectly 100% of the time, some errors are more egregious than others.  Double negatives (“don’t have no”), “ain’t,” confusing “have” and “got,” mixing singular and plural forms, etc. will grate on the ears of listeners.

Remember that anyone listening to you speak, whether one-on-one or in a group, is usually hoping you will speak well and communicate effectively. They’re on your side. Don’t let nervousness affect your ability to communicate powerfully. 

Profit from “Free” Speeches

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Giving free speeches to professional and community organizations will generate visibility and build your reputation as an expert, helping you to grow your business. But you can also make money – directly and indirectly – from speaking for free.

First, create or obtain products you can sell after your talk. If you do not already have your own products to sell, the fastest way to do this is to buy products from someone else. For example, if you are a expert on personal security, you could offer a few security devices (such as hand-held alarms or pepper spray).

You can also develop information products. Put together booklets of personal security tips for women, security for travelers, keeping your home secure, etc. They don’t take long to write, and can be produced in small quantities for about $1 each. Additional information products would include books, posters, audio and video, t-shirts, etc. An audio program can be created simply by recording one of your talks.

Always provide a handout when you speak. One page is fine. Include some of the important points from your talk, or some tips related to your topic. Make sure you include information about how you can be contacted. On the back, put a brief bio and/or information about your products and services. Include a special offer or coupon, with an expiration date, to encourage the audience to contact you.

Customers often need to see you more than once before they make a buy decision, so keep in front of the audience. Collect names and addresses of the audience members, and mail to them after the talk. Remind them when and where they heard you talk. The organization may give you a list of attendees if you ask. Or, you can collect the information. Offer a drawing for a prize (such as one of your booklets or other products) and collect business cards for the drawing. Or offer to send additional information to those who provide a business card. (Note: Do not add people to your email list without explicit permission.)

After you have been speaking for free for a while, you will get asked about your fee to speak. This opens the door to a whole new set of opportunities. If you are asked about your fee for speaking, it means you are ready to become a professional speaker – a professional expert on your topic.

Asking For the Sale

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ask-for-the-saleAre you asking your customers to buy? This is one of those “duh” things that many of us miss. It’s so simple we often overlook it. And sales will suffer as a result.

The fact is that in order to make a sale, you’ve got to ask someone to buy. It’s not being pushy, it’s just asking.

A while back, I attended a class where I knew going in that the instructor had some optional materials to sell. I had my cash in hand when I walked in, ready to buy, but he never mentioned what was available. I saw the books sitting there and took a look during the break. But even with several of us looking them over, he never asked for the sale. Finally, at the end of the class, when many students had already left, he said something like, “Oh yeah, we’ve got these here if you want one. They’re $15.”

Well, by that time, I’d talked myself out of buying. If he had asked up front, or better yet right before the break, I would have bought one. And many other people would have, too. As it was, he sold a few.

Failing to ask probably cost him a few hundred dollars that night. Look at what he had going for him: All of us knew coming in that something would be available to buy. He did a very good job teaching the class, and showed he knows his stuff. He created the demand, but didn’t show how he would fill it.

He gave out several resources in the class (such as web site addresses) that are listed in the book, and he missed opportunities to say, “These are all in the book I have available, if you don’t want to write all of this down.” That would point out one of the benefits of buying his printed materials.

Most importantly, he failed to show his product respect. If it is really good, he should want us to have it, and encourage us to buy it—not simply mention it as an afterthought.

How can you avoid this trap?

When you do a presentation, ask for the sale. No, you won’t say, “So, do you wanna buy this, or what?” But you can ask, “Would you like to put this on your credit card?,” or “Would you like to take this with you today?,” the ever-popular, “Would you like this one or that one?,” or even “How many would you like?”

Weave benefits into your presentation. Whether you are doing a sales presentation or a speech, talking to one person or thousands, use the opportunity to talk benefits—what your product does to help people.

Tell your audience what you have available for sale. Put the thought in their minds that they could buy and own the item.

Tell them how much it costs. People like to know what their commitment will be.

Encourage questions and objections. Don’t make people sell themselves. Encourage them to ask questions to get the answers they need. It gives you a way to demonstrate the benefits most important to them.

Make it easy for them to buy. Accept checks, credit cards, oh, and cash, too. Sell on account, if that’s appropriate. Some publishers will send a book out before receiving payment. They simply enclose an invoice. Those who have tried it say they get paid every time (although it may depend on your target market).

Respect your customer. They’re not stupid and they don’t want to be pressured. They are however, willing to learn. Teach them about your product, what it can do for them, and why they need it.

Respect your product. Handle it carefully. Have you ever looked at diamond necklaces at a jewelry store? They are displayed on velvet. The salesperson gently removes them from the display case, and hands them to you with care. The atmosphere promotes the idea that these products are valuable. Don’t your products deserve as much respect? (Although you might be able to forego the vault and the guys with guns!)