Connect With Any Audience

Disk 2, Track 1

Introduction
Welcome to Disk Two of Connect With Any Audience. In case you are listening to Disk
Two before Disk One, I am David Brooks, the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking.
Joining me in this three-hour program are my fellow World Champions Mark Brown,
Craig Valentine, Ed Tate, Darren LaCroix, Jim Key and Randy Harvey.
To remind you of where we are in this program, on Disk One, we addressed what the
audience wants, needs, and expects, followed by a discussion of how to tailor your
message for your specific audience. Then we discussed the importance of the first 30
seconds of your presentation, and concluded by examining the first five minutes.
Dont forget that this learning program includes three audio disks plus one DATA DISK.
On the DATA DISK you can find a complete transcription of everything we say on the
three audio disks.
Now, on Disk Two, we will discuss how to address the three different learning styles:
auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Then well look at audience participation: how and why.
Next, well discuss how the time of day or your speaking order in the program can affect
your presentation, and in the last track, well examine how to change the pace when
things arent going as you planned.

Disk 2, Track 2

Different Learning Styles

As a former classroom teacher, I learned about the different ways in which people learn.
Typically, there are three types of learners: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Auditory
learners learn best by what they hear. Visual learners learn best by what they see.
Kinesthetic learners learn best by what they do.
Every audience is likely to contain a mix of all three. Thats why the best speakers are
those who incorporate all three techniques in their presentations. One way I do this in a
workshop, for example, is to use a simple handout. But theres a key difference in the
kind that I use. My handout always employs short-answer fill-in-the-blank questions.
Why? Because if I supplied a handout in which every bit of information is already there,
Im ignoring the kinesthetic learners. They need something to do, and by simply requiring
them to fill in a short blank on every point, I address their needs.
Oh, and you want to know how to identify the visual learners? Theyre the ones who
wont take a single notenot matter how important the point isno matter how many
times your plead with themuntil they see it on a projection screen or chalkboard. Then,
theyre the ones who will copy down anything they see on a screen whether its important
or not. Thats just the way they learn, so give em something to copy down.
All seven of us have an observation on this point, so lets hear next from Craig Valentine.
Weve all heard that we need to cater our speeches to the auditory learners, visual
learners, and the kinesthetic learners. But the question is, are we doing that? Weve all
heard that most people remember 10 percent of what they hear, 60 percent of what they
see, and 90 percent of what they do.
Imagine if we could do all three? Are we catering to the audible learners? Are we catering
to the visual learners? Are we catering to the kinesthetic learners? I believe the answer is
yes for most of us on number one and number two. We know that for the audible learners
we need to speak clearly. We know we need to speak at a rate that is effective for that
particular group.
For visuals, we can actually use gestures to paint a picture for our audience. We can use
characters and we can set the stage to paint a picture of the story that were telling. We
can use image-provoking words. We can use all of these techniques, these ideas, these
principles, these strategies to cater to the visual learner.
But what about the kinesthetic learners? What about the people who want to feel a part of
the presentation? What about those people who want to feel they are part of the creative
process and theyre involved in making this presentation happen? Are we catering to
them? And how do we? They dont want just a speech; they want an experience.
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Do you want people to buy into your message? Well then think about this. People buy
into what they help create. Ill repeat. People buy into what they help create.
Think about this. Have you ever, ever in your life heard anybody say, Hey, take a look at
my ugly baby. No, of course not. Why? Because people buy into what they help create.
Now they might say, That baby over there is ugly. But they wont say that about their
own child because people buy into what they help create. So if you can take your
audience from being a passive spectator to being an active participant they will buy into
your message that you bring. Remember: No involvement, no commitment.
So how do we do this? How do we get a kinesthetic connection with our audience? Let
me give you a couple of examples. Many speakers, including myself, who speak on the
topic of change, understand that change is uncomfortable. And some of the ways we get
that message across are these.
We may say to our audience, Folks, I want everybody to cross their arms like this. Now
switch it. And we ask them to cross their arms in a different way.
Clasp you hands like this. Now switch it. And I ask them to clasp their hands in a
different way. And by this time, the audience members start to giggle because they realize
that its uncomfortable to cross your arms in a different way. And thats when Ill pick on
one person in the audience and say, You cant even do this, can you? Have your arms
been with you all day? And we get a little giggle out of it. But more importantly, they
now feel a part of the process. Theyre a part of your presentation. They feel involved.
And people buy into what they help create.
Ask questions to your audience. That immediately gets them involved in your
presentation and youre making a kinesthetic connection with your audience. After you
make a point, make sure your audience understands your point. Some of the points I
make in my speeches are these. Use your unique gifts. Set your goals. After I make my
point, Ill go to the audience and Ill say, Use your unique And the whole audience
says at once, Gifts!
Set your And the whole audience yells, Goals! They are finishing the presentation.
Theyre a part of it. Theres a kinesthetic connection because they are part of the
presentation.
In addition to that, all good salespeople know the following rule: If we say it, they can
doubt us. But if they say it, it becomes true to them. So by having them be part of the
process and actually saying the different points and messages that I bring, they will buy
into those messages and they will take action on them.
Pull one person out of the audience and do a short activity with them. When you pull one
person up, emotionally the entire audience comes with him or with her. When you
connect to that person you remain connected to that entire audience.

So I will ask you to make a kinesthetic connection to your audience. Find creative ways
to get that audience involved, even physically, if possible, so that your connection will be
nearly unbreakable. And the audience will have more fun. Theyll feel empowered and
they will act on your message.
Next is Darren LaCroix.
I dont really take those into consideration, to be honest. I just know what works. I know
the stories that work. So I dont attack it with the different learners in mind. I keep in
mind the stories that I use and what works from the past. Hopefully, I will gather all the
different types of learners. But I dont look at a presentation in that way. I look at my past
experiences and Ill go back and listen to my recordings and get valuable feedback from
the audience after. Its in asking the questions that you find out how truly effective you
are. Especially when you find out what people are talking about when you leave.
Now, heres Ed Tate.
Ive done a great deal of work in this area. And there are different types of learners. There
is what we call amiables. People who are relationship focused. There are expressives.
People who are relationship focused but they are quick, verbal, and have a faster pace.
Then we have analyticals: People who process information logically, a-b-c, 1-2-3. They
have a task orientation. And the other type of audience member, with a task orientation,
are drivers. Drivers, as the names implies, drive forward and want to get to things very
quickly. So, what I try to do is accommodate all these different types of learning styles.
Amiables want to build rapport. They are very responsive to stories. So I make sure that
my presentations are story rich.
Expressives like humor. I try to incorporate as much humor as I can and I include those
laugh lines that I know will work.
Analyticals want information that is logically oriented, a-b-c, 1-2-3 or has order.
And with drivers I make sure I get to my messages and points quickly. I try not to drag
things on. Another thing with the drivers and the analyticals is I cite my sources. So if
they want to look this information up on the Internet, in books, other reference materials,
I provide them with an opportunity.
Additionally, Ill actually storyboard a story. That is a technique used in the television
and movie industry. Ill take some Post-It notes and I will ask myself, Okay, for this
part of the presentation--whom does it appeal to? Is it appealing to the amiables? Is it
appealing to the expressives? Is it appealing to the analyticals, the drivers etcetera. And
sometimes, some of my presentations may favor one-style too heavy. I may have too
many stories that appeal to amiables and not enough information that appeals to the
drivers and the analyticals. So this is a way for me to actually see my presentations in a

different light and make sure that I am actually covering all the different types of learning
styles.
There are other types of learners. There are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Kinesthetic
learners--they like to be involved; they like to be part of the process. So, if Im doing a
45-minute keynote I like to get the audience involved at least twice.
Visual learners want not just PowerPoint. I try to include video clips and photographs to
appeal to the visual type of learners.
And since we are craftspeople in the area of the spoken word, hopefully we are covering
the auditory learners.
Next, Jim Key.
My use of auditory, visual, or kinesthetic mechanisms to enhance the learning of my
audience depends on the particular type of event or medium in which Im speaking. And
heres what I mean by that.
When I teach seminars or hold training classes I frequently will use PowerPoint
presentation, flipcharts, or other visual aids to assist my audiences learning and retention.
Those mechanisms are particularly suited for visual learners in those types of
environments.
When I deliver keynote addresses, I typically don't use those things, but I will where
appropriate. Try to use a prop or other visual aid to help bring the audience into my
stories so that they remember them more vividly. And these props can be anything from a
table to a chair to a lectern, a drinking glass, and so on.
Regardless of what mechanism Im using to accommodate the different type of learners
and enhance their experience and retention of my message, I never want the mechanism
to outshine the purpose of the message.
Now, heres Mark Brown.
If I know I have an audience thats highly auditory I try to paint as many word pictures as
possible to give the audience mental images. Now props are very helpful to a visual
learner, but sometimes strong gestures and facial expressions can be very effective.
Its also useful to give the audience something to do. And that way you can accommodate
your kinesthetic learners.
Now if your presentation has all these elements, youll have made provisions for your
entire audience. Thats a bonus.
And finally, Randy Harvey.

I try to speak to the six senses. Now youre sitting there wondering, does this guy know
what hes talking about? There are only five senses. In reality, there are six. Taste, touch,
smell, hear, see are the five that you are very familiar with. But the sixth is a synergistic
combination of the five that results in human emotion, to the extent that you as a speaker
can connect to the audience in such a way that they can experience the feel of the flannel
and the smell of cherry tobacco. Create word pictures that evoke mental pictures,
describing what you see in such a way that the audience can connect with it. The taste
sweet, sour, bitter You can combine the human senses in your presentation in such a
fashion that the audience draws upon those sensations to evoke a specific emotion.
Whether its happiness or sadness or humor, you have that ability to draw the audience in
and communicate a message through those five senses and through the synergy of those
five senses to draw emotion from the audience.
Often Im asked, How do you get the audience to experience the range of emotion?
People dont go to their emotions lightly. You dont walk up to someone and say, How
are your kidneys today? It takes a relationship to get people to express their emotions in
front of you. Its critically important to take an audience slowly into deep emotion if you
want them to experience intense sadness.
You have to take the opportunity to develop a relationship with them through a series of
perambulations: tension and release. Let them experience a little tension-setting emotion,
and then release them through humor. The next time taking them a little bit farther into
their emotion. Pulling them out again with humor. And after a series of those kinds of
sequences, which I call descending into the dark, scary cellar, like children running back
up at the slightest noise, and then getting the courage to go deeper into those emotions.
You can take an audience to a place where they can fully experience the depth of human
emotion, whether its sadness or heartfelt feeling. But its critically important to get the
audience to go to that place, to move them there slowly, gradually, a little bit at a time,
moving them closer and closer to the full experience of emotion.
Lets recap:
I explained that to be most effective, you should incorporate something for each of the
three learning styles: auditory, kinesthetic, and visual. One suggestion I gave for
appealing to the kinesthetic learners is to provide simple short-answer, fill-in-the-blank
handouts. The reason is that it gives the kinesthetic learners something to do, but the
added benefit is that it reinforces in the listeners mind what is important. That is, we
place greater value on what we see or hear and then put onto paper in our own
handwriting. What you are subconsciously doing is telling your brain Im writing this
down because it is important.
Craig reminded us of the axiom: we remember 10% of what we hear, 60% of what we
see, and 90% of what we do. And, he suggested that to move the audience from a group
of passive listeners to active participants, you can ask questions or let them give an oral
response on cue.

In addition to the three categories of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners, Ed

described another way to look at audiences, through four personality traits. He said you
can divide an audience as amiables, expressives, analyticals, and drivers.
Jim Key said he recommend using props to keep the visual learners engaged, but
reminded us not to let the mechanism outshine the message.
Mark suggested gestures and facial expressions can also be considered props.
And Randy spoke of the sixth sense: a synergistic combination of the other five. And, he
recommended taking an audience into deep emotional states gradually, slowly, as if
descending into a dark cellar one cautious step at a time.

Disk 2, Track 3

Audience Participation
The next topic is Audience Participation: why and how. I do a lot of training programs
and worked for several years with an international seminar company, as did my
colleagues Ed Tate and Craig Valentine. And in case you are wondering, the public
seminar business is a great place to start, but the pace can be grueling: one city after
another, day in day out for up to two weeks at a time. Ed, Craig, and I are grateful for
what we learned in that environment, but were all glad to now be on our ownwhere
we control our schedules.
Through that experience, I learned the value of audience involvement. I was doing fullday programs, and I learned the first week on the job that no oneabsolutely no one
will tolerate a six-hour lecture. I mistakenly assumed that the clients paid for six hours of
instruction, so I was going to give them six hours on information, and that was a big
mistakeI failed to acknowledge the fatigue factor. After about four hours of non-stop
knowledge, most people say Stop! My brain is full!
Thats when I stumbled on this startling incongruity: the audience will learn and
remember more if you mix 80% information with 20% entertainment, than if you merely
saturate them with 100% information. Let me emphasize this point: By mixing 20%
entertainment with 80% information, the audience will learn and remember more than if
you overwhelm them with 100% information.
Thats when I learned the value of audience participationthats the 20% Fun Factor.
When you involve the audience in an activity, as long as it is not completely frivolous, it
keeps them engaged. Notice I said as long as its not completely frivolous. Weve all
seen speakers and trainers that ask the audience to stand up and do something silly, and I
cant stand that. As you will hear in a few minutes, Darren LaCroix agrees. Frankly, if I
dont feel like interacting with a stranger, I wont be coaxed or coerced into it.
But I never mind an activity that 1) is relevant to the topic at hand, and 2) provides
mental or physical relief from long stretches of uninterrupted lecture. The fact is,
everyone needs a break now and then, and a practical, fun activity can be a blessing for
the audience and the speaker.
Now lets hear from Darren, Ed, Jim and Randy. First, Darren LaCroix.
Everyone does this differently. Me? I love improv. Because I love improv Ive studied it.
Ive taken courses in it and Ive read books about it. So, in my presentations I do,
generally, two improv routines where I bring audience members up to work with me. The
attention is always heightened because now it is one of them up there on the platform. Its
like they got the spotlight. And this adds to curiosity.

I typically bring up five people from my audience and do a routine called the Five-headed
Expert. One of the books that I highly recommend is Playing Along, by Izzy Gesell. This
book shows you improv techniques, and how and when to use them.
I use improv because I enjoy improv and bringing it up to the next level by involving the
audience. My ending routine is something that Ive done and turned into a classic. Its
been done before, but its my story and I love doing it. And its a great way to end my
program. Always gets a laugh. Always works.
Part of the key to this is getting the right people involved. I always ask, while Im
interviewing people in my research portion, who is really outgoing from this audience?
Who in the organization likes to ham it up, or likes the spotlight, likes to fool around?
Generally, people know instantly who the two or three people are. I always gather a
collection of names and I look for the names that I get that are in common. Those are
probably the best people. Now I always ask them ahead of time for permission to bring
them up onstage. I dont just wing it. I want the right people up there. And I dont need to
take any unnecessary risks.
I believe audience participation is a wonderful thing, if used properly. You will make
mistakes when you start using it, if youre not already. But make mistakes. But make
calculated mistakes for the free speeches that you give, not for the big ones. And then
youll start to see what works for you and how its received by the audience.
Im a big fan of audience participation as a speaker using improv. As an audience
member, I hate when they ask you to turn next to each other and give a massage, or start
playing games. Im just not a fan of that. So thats why when I do my improv Im only
picking a few people from the audience, Im bringing them up onstage so everyone else
just enjoys rather than has to participate.
Now, heres Ed Tate.
I am a big proponent of audience participation. As a matter of fact, my keynotes in my
literature are described as Interactive Keynotes . That is, the audience is going to
participate, be it a 45-minute keynote, an hour program, or especially if it is a 90-minute
program or longer. If its just 45-minutes the audience, theyre going to participate with
me at least twice in a 45-minute segment. If its an hour, I want them to participate
somehow at least three times. If its a 90-minute program, 4 possibly 5 times. And beyond
that, it could be up to around ten times, if its an all-day program.
Ive got it paced. Theres some type of activity, and it could be as simple as a question, it
could be a buzz session, where the audience members are talking among themselves.
Theres a wide variety of ways to get the audience participating. I am a proponent, a bigtime user of audience participation, be it in a keynote, facilitation, or a full-day training
program.
Next is Jim Key.

I liken audience participation to a racecar. It can be very powerful, but only under the
guidance of an experienced hand at the wheel. The inexperienced hand will cause that
presentation to run into a wall.
When I invite audience participation I always keep it simple. I always try to clearly
define, or at least imply what the expected and acceptable responses are. Furthermore, I
want to have a plan so that when, not if, but when I get that unexpected response I will
remain in control of the dialogue and can effectively return to the direction in which I
want to take my presentation.
I think audience participation is good. But it has to be directed and controlled.
And now, Randy Harvey:
My speaking style is very much that of a storyteller, along the lines of a Garrison Keillor.
As one listens to the speeches that I give it soon becomes apparent that I expect audience
participation. Not in terms of vocal response, but in terms of structured incompletion.
Let me tell you what I mean by that. When I describe an automobile, for example, I might
say a 1960 Ford Fairlane. I wont say what color it is. Why, you ask? Because everyone
in the audience, at some point, has seen a 1960 Ford Fairlane. And in their thinking, its
green, or its blue, or its red. If I say a red 1960 Ford Fairlane, then that person in the
audience says, Yeah, mine was red. Or they say, Gee, mine was green. And in that one,
split second, theyve now gone on a tangent from the point I was trying to make
originally.
So to the extent its possible, by using structured incompletion, I will say a 1960 Ford
Fairlane, and then the audiencethere will be green ones and blue ones and red ones.
Because every person will connect with their own memory the color of that car.
By structuring you speech in such a way that the audience can draw their recollections
and their memories about the things that youre discussing in your presentation, you
allow them to participate in your presentation.
That power of structured incompetion allows a mind that can comprehend speech at 600
words a minute to fill in the blanks of your speech thats given at 125 words a minute.
Audience participation also comes in the form of describing sensual experience. Now,
Im not talking about sex. Im talking about the five sensesthe seeing, tasting,
touching, smelling, hearing--giving brief descriptions that allow the mind to complete the
sentence. Structured incompletion allows the audience to actively participate in your
vocal presentation, such that when youre done they will say, Wow! That was great! I
had some of those very same experiences! I had a 1960 Ford Fairlane, just like that! And
while yours was red and theirs was green, no one knows the difference.

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To recap,
I reminded you that information overload is a very real possibility in any presentation if it
is not balanced with a moderate amount of audience involvement. And, I explained thats
the reason that 20% entertainment mixed with 80% information will produce a greater
rate of learning and retention.
Darren discussed the value of improv in getting the audience involved. But, like me, he
doesnt like it when speakers require everyone in the audience to stand up and do
something they otherwise would not do. So Darrens improv participants are always
volunteers.
Ed said the audience is going to participate in my presentations, keynotes included.at
least twice in a 45-minute presentation, or up to 10 times in a full-day program.
Jim Key said audience participation can be very powerful but only under the guidance of
an experienced hand. It can be good he said, but it has to be directed and controlled.
And Randy Harvey introduced the concept of structured incompletion. This technique,
he said, allows the listener to fill in the missing details based on their memories.
Structured incompletion also allows the mind, which can comprehend words at a rate of
600 words per minute to fill in the blanks in a presentation thats spoken at 125 words per
minute.

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Disk 2, Track 4

Time of day or placement in the program

As the other six guys will tell you in this track, the time of day can have a huge impact on
how you connect with your audience. Some will discuss how the schedule of events
immediately preceding your speech can also be a major consideration. I have an example
on this point.
A few years ago I was scheduled to be the closing keynote speaker at the end of a fourday conference. I was scheduled to speak from 11:00 a.m. until Noon and the conference
was to adjourn immediately after my presentation.
Now if the schedule of events leading up to my presentation were typical, there would
have been no problem. But this schedule was not typical. The program began at 8:30 and
the opening speaker promptly proceeded to put the audience into a stupor for over a full
hour. This was followed by an equally inept speaker who thought his bad PowerPoint
slides would save him. They didnt. He rambled aimlessly for an hour, so by this time it
was past 10:30. And, then, for some inexplicable reason, they had scheduled a 30-minute
break immediately preceding my presentation.
The audience, already exhausted from four days of training, and thoroughly exasperated
by the opening two speakers realized the only thing standing between them and the
freeway was me. And guess who won?
Before the break there were more than 200 people packing the room. When the break
ended, there were only 75 people who returned, and of course, they remained scattered
throughout the room in their original seats. Enormous gaps separated the people and as
you will hear in a later track, that will drain the energy from a room faster than anything.
My presentation never really connected as a result. What did I learn from this? Always
ask to see the schedule of events before you accept a speaking assignment.
Now, lets hear from the other six guys. Heres Craig Valentine.
I have found, by failing, that its extremely important to understand where you fall in the
course of an event. Probably the most difficult speech I have ever given in my life was in
Jamaica because they had a hometown hero, a wonderful comedian who entertained the
audience for about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. But it was very hot.
And it was hot in the room. People were sweating and people were squirming, but they
were really enjoying him because he was excellent.
But as soon as he finished, without hesitation, they introduced me to do my hour-and-ahalf long seminar on public speaking. And I was in the back thinking, No! No! We need
a break! We need to be on a break. Oh, no!
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But it was too late. The video was rolling, my introduction was given, and I had to come
up and do another hour and a half. I saw people squirming in their seats. They were hot.
They were sweating. They needed a break. They were too polite. And they did not want
to be rude so they didnt get up and leave.
But about halfway through my presentation I wanted to get up and leave because it was
going downhill fast. Since then, Ive been very diligent in finding out where I fall in the
program and making sure that people have not been sitting for long periods of time
before I come up to the microphone. The environment can take over if you are not
careful.
Now, heres Darren LaCroix.
From the comedy world Im fully aware that every audience is different. I can give the
same material, word for word, on a Friday night show, a Saturday evening show early,
and a Saturday evening show late. I can do the same exact set, word for word, and I will
get completely different responses.
Usually, for most comedy clubs, they have one show on Friday night, two on Saturday
night. But what happens is, usually the Friday night audience is a little on the tired side.
Theyve been working all day, theyve been working all week, and now its Friday night,
they want to go out, theyre full of energy. But, by the time nine oclock comes around,
show time, theyre starting to feel the effects of the week.
Saturday night early show is usually the best one of the weekend. People slept in a little
in the morning, theyve been doing yard work and things during the day, and now they
are ready to go out and have some fun. So theyre more up.
Saturday night late show, theyve been drinking. These are the partyers. Some of them
probably started at four in the afternoon, and are still going strong. These people tend to
be much more rowdy.
But again, I can do the same jokes, word for word, and I will get a different response. The
difference is, I have different expectations at all of these shows, and its never the same.
Sometimes the magic show, the best show of the weekend, will be the Saturday night late
show. Sometimes it will be Friday. Or for the most part it is just how I described.
But in terms of professional presentations we have to adjust our expectations. I know
when Im doing humor or comedy first thing in the morning at eight oclock its not the
optimal time. Comedy or humor usually goes better late morning, right after lunch, or
after dinner. Thats where it works best.
Now its my job to educate the meeting planner or the person hiring me that this is not the
optimal place to put me, right after breakfast. But once I explain it to them and educate
them, then its their decision. Theyre the ones paying me, so I have to let it go. But, me

13

as a presenter, if Im doing humor first thing in the morning I know I need to adjust my
expectations. So I dont beat myself up if its not rip-roaring, from the gut laughter. Its
okay. I lower my expectations. I still give it my all, but I dont beat myself up because its
eight oclock in the morning. They still havent had their coffee kick in just yet.
Now, lets hear from Ed Tate.
Time of day is really important whether youre doing a program in the morning, or at
lunchtime, in the afternoon, and the evening, Im going to talk about the evening first.
My preference is not to do evening programs. And I specifically will not do an evening
program where alcohol is involved.
My programs are high content. So theres high content, theres high learning, theres high
brain stimulation, if you will. And in an after-five or after-dinner presentation, typically,
people are in a different mindset. Theyre expecting humor. Theyre expecting lightheartedness. And they dont want any heavy-duty content at that time. So I have found
that my message doesnt necessarily lend itself to after-five events, specifically after-five,
after alcohol.
Now if its an after-five presentation where there is no alcohol present, then I will do the
program and the presentation. But I wont do it if there is alcohol involved.
Morning, typically, is higher energy. So, again, if youre doing a brief keynote, its high
energy...
If its an all day program, the one thing I try to do is, again, I want to include activities.
Specifically, I want to include more activities, more audience interaction, especially after
lunch. I want to get them involved. I want to get them up and talking to each other. Its
not just being a talking head behind the podium or microphone.
After lunch, especially after food, I definitely want to get the audience up, involved, and I
have various activities and different ways of doing that.
Heres Jim Key.
The time of day, or the speaking order in which I speak in the program affects my
presentation because it affects the audience. If Im speaking to an audience after they've
had a meal theyre likely to be drowsy. And I will need to give them something for which
they want to stay awake.
If Im speaking late in the day, or maybe in evening, the audience may be worn out if
theyve gone through a lot of presentations already. Itll be vitally important that my
presentation not be drab or boring, and that the significant points are tied to entertaining
stories so the audience will remember them through their fatigue.
Next, Mark Brown.

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Sometimes the time and the place have a huge impact on the audience. My worst
experience with a huge audience came on a sunny November afternoon in the southern
USA.
It was a Wednesday, the day before the Thanksgiving holiday which happens to be the
last Thursday in November, and a major event in the USA. My speech was at 1:30 in the
afternoon, and the principal, the main disciplinarian, was away.
I spoke in a gymnasiuma very hot gymnasium. Now these students, they knew that
their four-day weekend would begin in less than two hours. And they, quite frankly, had
no desire to hear from anyone certainly not from me. Ill tell you, it was the closest I
ever came to walking out of a speaking engagement. Nothing that I tried worked. And for
the first time in my career I had to ask students to leave my assembly.
Now, Im not proud of that. But I learned a valuable lesson. The audience response can
depend largely on the setting.
I have made presentations on a Friday afternoon immediately after lunch. Try that
sometime. Its a real challenge.
And now, Randy Harvey.
Im a morning person. I would just as soon speak at 6:00 a.m., if possible, because I will
have already been up for two hours. My least favorite time of day to speak is late at night.
If Im asked to speak after nine oclock at night I may be yawning in the performance.
Given the chance Ill speak early in the morning, shortly after sunrise.
Knowing that thats not always possible, if I know that Im going to be speaking at a
dinner in a keynote that occurs later in the evening, Ill take a nap midday, so I make sure
I have plenty of energy.
In terms of speaking order, if given a chance of speaking first versus speaking last,
depending upon the purpose of the meeting, I like to speak first to set the stage, to
prepare a foundation for speakers that will follow.
If thats not possible, Id rather speak last so that I can summarize hat the audience has
heard throughout the other presentations. Speaking in the last position, its important to
listen to the other presentations and allow your presentation to be a summary, not just of
what you have to say, but tie-in the points that other speakers have made throughout their
presentations.
Lets recap:

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I reminded you that a long break immediately before your presentation can be
counterproductiveespecially if youre the last person on the program. And I mentioned
the energy killing effect that empty chairs have on an audience.
Craig said to make sure the audience has not been sitting for a prolonged period of time
immediately before you speak, or the environment can take over your presentation.
Darren LaCroix said the same program can produce different responses just depending on
the time of day. For example, in the comedy world, he says the same set when done on a
Friday night, the Saturday early show, or the Saturday late show will produce three
distinctly different responses. As a result, speakers need to be aware what the optimal
time is for their type of message.
Ed says he avoids speaking after dinner, and never after alcohol due to the high-content
nature of his programs. He said after lunch, or after any food, he tries to get the audience
up and involved in as many activities as possible
Jim Key reminded us that after a meal, the audience may be drowsy, so you must give
them something special for which they want to stay awake.
Mark Brown said audience response is tied to the environment. If the room is too hot, for
example, attention wanes.
Randy Harvey said he prefers to speak first on a program, so that he can set the stage for
what will follow. If not first, he then prefers to speak last so you can tie in the points that
other speakers have made throughout the day.
Obviously, as speakers we rarely get the chance to set the schedule. But on those
occasions in which we can express a preference, we should know precisely when we
prefer to speak, and when we do not.

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Disk 2, Track 5

Changing the pace

It is said that variety is the spice of life. Variety is also the spice of a good presentation.
There is no one correct rate, rhythm, or volume. What people respond to is variations in
rate, rhythm, and volume. It is the contrast between the louds and the softs, the highs and
the lows, the fasts and the slows that people notice and appreciate.
In this track Craig, Ed, Jim and Mark will tell you how and when to change the pace in
your presentation. First is Craig Valentine.
It is extremely important to be flexible when speaking, whether youre giving a 45minute keynote address or a two-day training event. Im a veteran of both. If everything
that you are doing and saying at that pace does not get an appropriate response, then
change the pace.
But the interesting thing is changing the pace does not just mean speaking faster.
Changing the pace means to put an activity in, do some call-back, do something thats
different than you just standing up and speaking.
I manage my events by the energy. For a two-day training event, for example, I tell my
audience, my seminar attendees, we will be moving around the objectives based on your
energy. If I see the energy is falling, I will switch to an activity next, instead of going to a
list of 45 recruiting ideas. Or a list of 15 low-cost, no-cost motivational incentives for
your staff. And when the energy gets up we can go back to that list. But Ill manage the
events based on the energy. And by doing that, Im tailoring the presentation to them. To
me, tailoring the delivery and the organization to that audience is as important as tailoring
your content.
Now, Ed Tate.
I really dont have any scientific data here. This is based on previous experience, having
worked with an average of 100 audiences per year over the past five years. And, its
intuitive.
There have been a couple of times where Ive just stopped the presentation and asked,
Why cant, whats going on here? Other times Ill just stop and, Ill just make a selfdeprecating joke about myself. And the audience will laugh or chuckle. And, or,
sometimes theyll just tell me whats on their mind or something that just recently
happened. I think Darren alluded to that sometimes theres something that goes on
outside of the convention, the conference that you may be unaware of. And youre still
giving your presentation and its still on the minds of the audience.
So sometimes Ill just flat out say, Hey, whats going on? You guys seem to be
someplace else. Is there something that Im missing? And I have found that the fact that
I have actually taken the time out and taken off my presentation hat and really sought out
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to connect with the audience, that they typically tell you whats going on. And then were
able to deal with the dead horse on the living room, whatever that issue may be, and once
weve dealt with that then were able to move on.
By being honest with the audience, describing my observation of what I see and what Im
feeling, Ive found that to be very effective.
Next is Jim Key.
Most of the times when I change the pace of my presentations based on the audience
reactions it relates to the humor Im using in the presentation. For instance, if an audience
is reacting particularly well to my humor, I dont rush it. My motto is, if the audience
wants to laugh, let them.
I take my time and allow them the time to enjoy that moment. It will make them more
comfortable in that setting. And when people are enjoying themselves theyre more likely
to be receptive to my message and to learn.
An additional side benefit is that by allowing that audience the time to laugh I may have a
few other comments come to mind which have to do with something or someone that Ive
learned about in that organization or company, or something that happened in that event
prior to me speaking.
Often, that additional bit of time to enjoy the humor, plus the small, spontaneous
customized references give me the additional authenticity that makes my significant
points even that much better received by the audience.
And now, Mark Brown.
Sometimes Ill pick up my pace if I sense that the audience is getting bored or restless. At
times, it can simply be an injection of energy, enthusiasm, and intensity. Now, please
understand that energy, enthusiasm, and intensity are not to be confused with increased
volume.
Lets recap:
I explained that there is no one correct rate, rhythm, or volume. What people respond to is
variations in rate, rhythm, and volume. It is the contrast between the louds and the softs,
the highs and the lows, the fasts and the slows that people notice and appreciate.
Craig said tailoring the delivery to the specific audience is as important as tailoring your
content.
Ed Tate said sometimes when things are not going as expected, occasionally hell stop the
presentation and just ask, Whats going on? and frequently the audience provides the
answer. Sometimes the lack of connection is related to external factors that are weighing

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on the audience members minds, but you as a speaker may be oblivious to it. And in
cases like that, you wont know whats wrong if you dont ask.
Jim Key said most of the time he feels the need to change the pace of a presentation, it is
a result of their response to the humor he is using. That is, if they are having a good time,
he lets them enjoy it without rushing. But if the humor is not working as well as it
usually does, hell pick up the pace.
Mark Brown said he will pick up the pace if he feels the audience is restless. In these
cases, hell add a burst of energy, enthusiasm and intensity. But he cautioned not to
confuse energy, enthusiasm, or intensity with increased volume.
(end of Disk 2)

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