How to Be a Great Audience Member

When I'm presenting live, I look for a friendly face in the audience. I like to focus on attentive, smiling, thoughtful faces. They give out a good energy that I respond to as a presenter.

Often, just one friendly audience member can make me a better, more confident presenter.

So when it's my turn to be an audience member, I try to pay the good audience vibe forward. I feel that a presenter will do a better job if someone in the audience gives the performer "good face". I try to radiate "positive face energy" to the performer. I make eye contact. I smile and nod at the presenter. If it's supposed to be funny, I'll laugh or giggle.

I like to believe that if I'm a positive audience member, my face and energy will encourage the presenter to give a more enthusiastic performance.

Think about this the next time you're in a deadly dull presentation. We often hear or read about improving our "presentation skills" -- but what are we doing to improve our "audience skills?" How are we helping to co-create the presentation experience with the person who's on stage?

What part can we play -- as audience members-- to improve the performance of any presenter?

Labels: Presentation

¶ 11/11/2009 03:58:00 PM