This is the first of two blog posts about how to read your audience.

How do you know if you’ve really caught your audience’s attention? Usually, they subtly give you something back in return. They might give you very good eye contact or a smile of recognition and encouragement. One of my favourite signs is when an audience member matches your energy in their body language and eye contact—often completely unconsciously.

People show they are paying attention in different ways:· 

Posture: They may sit up, ready to pay attention

Proximity: They may lean in as if they’re trying to get closer to you and join you up the front

Questioning: They may ask questions for clarification, it means they’re wanting to understand exactly what you’re saying. The people who do this are engaged. You’ve got them

The ‘Neutral’ Face

But what about the people who are expressionless? How do you read them? Avoid the temptation to project onto them what you fear they may be feeling: you might fear they’re judging you, or perhaps expressing lack of interest.

But many people who maintain a completely neutral face are actually listening hard on the inside. They simply don’t have the spare capacity to translate that into a physical expression on their face. It doesn’t mean they’re not seriously considering what you’re saying. They’re just focused. I suspect my own ‘listening face’ could sometimes be misinterpreted as judging –  but it’s not. I like to focus on the other person and what they’re saying, and sometimes that means I’m oblivious to the expression on my own face. 

So by all means spot the positive signs of engagement I mentioned above, but try not to impose a negative interpretation on ‘neutral’ body language when people are in ‘resting’ listening mode. 

As a rule of thumb, if you want to keep your audience engaged, keep thinking about what they need to know and understand from you. That way, if you lose them for a moment, you have a chance to re-engage them.

In my next post, I’m going to consider the people who are not paying attention (or those you’ve lost) – how can you know you’ve lost them? And most importantly, how can you get them back?

 

Based in Leytonstone, London, UK, Julia Caddick is a dynamic Leadership Voice and Communication coach, working in person and online worldwide.