Public Speaking When the audience is invisible

The big day has finally arrived. You've rehearsed your presentation for months, and now it's time to step onto the stage. The spotlight hits, and suddenly, you realize—where is the audience? Anyone who’s been on a large stage knows that when all the lights are on you, the audience fades into darkness. You can’t see them, even though you know they’re right there in front of you.

Or maybe your presentation is happening online—you're leading a webinar, and the audience is nowhere to be found. All you can see is your slide deck. How do you create a connection? Where do you focus? How can you tell if the audience is engaged?

These are common concerns I often hear from clients. The good news is, whether you're on stage or online, there are effective ways to connect with your audience, even when you can’t see them.

In-Person: The Darkened Stage Dilemma

When you’re on stage, even if you can’t see your audience, you can hear them. Listen for laughter, the rustling of seats, or even a cough—these small cues remind you they’re there. Professional actors master this technique, and so can you. The key is to act as if the audience is fully visible.

Start by using strong stage presence and eye contact. Even if you can't lock eyes with individuals, break the room into quadrants and focus on delivering your message to different sections. This approach helps maintain the illusion of connection.

Movement on stage is also crucial. If you stay rooted behind a podium, staring into the dark, you’ll quickly feel like you’re speaking into a void. Instead, move intentionally to different parts of the stage to emphasize key points. This not only keeps you energized but also keeps the audience engaged—they'll naturally follow your movements.

One of the most powerful tools you have is interaction. Ask your audience to repeat a word or mantra. Encourage them to clap if they agree with a point. Add humor, and pause for laughter. Hearing any kind of response will reassure you that they’re with you, even when you can’t see them.

Virtual Presentations: The Screen Barrier

Virtual presentations pose an even greater challenge: the total absence of any visible audience. As one LinkedIn connection said, “My biggest challenge is not being able to see the attendees’ reactions, since my slides take up the whole screen.” This is a common frustration, but with a shift in mindset, you can overcome it.

The first step is to reframe your thinking. Consider yourself a news anchor giving a satellite interview—your job is to speak directly to the camera as if you're talking to one person. Reporters appear natural on camera because they’ve learned to focus on this invisible audience.

One strategy is to place a picture of a few friendly faces near your laptop camera, or even imagine you're speaking to an avatar. If you prefer real people, invite a few friends to sit in the room with you while you present.

Elizabeth Browning, an actress, trainer, and coach, suggests “making friends with the computer.” This means you need to treat your device like a person—talk to it, direct your energy into the camera, and visualize that energy extending across the virtual space to your audience. When you set this intention, your audience will feel your presence, even through a screen.

Final Thoughts: Connection Without Sight

Whether you're in a darkened auditorium or behind a screen in a virtual meeting, you don’t need to see your audience to make an impact. By mastering stage techniques and shifting your mindset for online presentations, you can create a meaningful connection with any audience—even when they seem invisible.

To learn how to Speak Confidently and Effectively check out my LinkedIn learning course. It ranked in the Top 20 Most Popular courses for 2 years.

To learn techniques to overcome fear of speaking, read Chapter 3 of Knockout Presentations.

To work with me contact DiResta Communications, Inc.

10 Signs Your Audience is Listening

Do you know if your audience is listening? Can they be on a phone and still listen? How do you entice them to listen?

It’s a given. Attention spans are shrinking. Your audience decides in seconds whether you are interesting and if your message is worth listening to.

Here are common clues that your audience is listening.

Eye Contact: Are they making steady eye contact with the speaker? Are they looking at the slides on the screen? 

·  Body Language: Audience members who are leaning forward with open body language are signaling that they are receptive to the message. Other body language signs are

-  Head Nodding: When you see audience members are nodding their heads in agreement that’s a signal that they are engaged.

-Facial Expressions such as smiling or raised eye brows can indicate agreement or surprise.

Verbal Responses: In a small group, members may comment or ask relevant questions, Statements such as "yes," or "I see," vindicate active listening. Laughter is also a strong indicator of audience attention.

Note-Taking: Audience members who find the information valuable may often take note to aid in the listening process.

Participation: Asking or answering questions, raising their hands, and actively participating in exercises or activities show that the audience is actively listening.

Mirroring: When rapport is strong audience members may find themselves mirroring the body language of the speaker.

Feedback: After the presentation, if participants offer constructive feedback or stay around to ask follow-up questions you’ll know they were listening.

Silence: Don’t assume the audience isn’t listening if there is silence. If a topic is complex or the audience is naturally reserved it doesn’t mean they’re not listening. One professional speaker thought he was bombing because the audience was silent. He tried every technique to engage them but he just couldn’t read them. When he concluded, they gave him a standing ovation and rushed the stage to talk to him.

Remember that each audience is different. Listening can be impacted by culture, time of the presentation, the environment, and their emotional state. You may not have control over all these things but you do have the ability to be interesting Be open and give it your best. You can gauge their interest by looking for the 10 signs of listening.

What listening clues do you look for in your audience?

To learn how to Speak Confidently and Effectively check out my LinkedIn learning course. It ranked in the Top 20 Most Popular courses for 2 years.

To learn techniques to overcome fear of speaking, read Chapter 3 of Knockout Presentations.

To work with me contact DiResta Communications, Inc.

Optimize Your Speaking Business Through International Bookings.

If you’re a professional speaker and wondered what it would be like to speak internationally, take heed   from A-Speakers Bureau. The leaders of the speaker’s bureau gave a presentation in New York City to a group of professional members from National Speakers Association New York City Chapter. Soren, the presenter, warned us that there are two concerns European companies have regarding working with Americans: contracts and travel.

We were advised to keep our speaker contracts short and no longer than four pages. In some countries, professional speakers are hired through email and a verbal agreement. U.S. speakers need to explain all the legalese and special clauses because it scares off European companies from hiring them. In countries like Denmark, there are no contracts for fees under $10,000.

While speaking in Europe sounds glamorous, the reality is the fees are lower. The highest speaking fees are paid in the U.S. The U.S. also has a large association market which is not the case in Europe where the public sector (hospitals, schools, ministries) account for 70% of the bookings. In Denmark, 88% of bookings are for the public sector. France has a low demand for speakers. Germany values educational titles and credentials. Professors and PhDs should fare well.

The average speaker fee in Denmark is $2000-$2500. In Norway or Sweden, speakers would profit a little better at $3000-$3500 per keynote speech. In the UK, be aware that there’s a tradition of free speakers. They meet and speak in clubs. In Germany it’s possible to command fees of $5000-$15,000.  In the UK, decisions are made from the top down. The CEO approves everything. Denmark has a flat structure which streamlines the process. In the U.S. it may take 22 days to select a speaker. The same decision can take only four days in Denmark.

Europeans are also concerned about travel costs and are afraid they’ll be billed for first class travel. It was recommended that speakers quote one flat fee that includes the speaking fee and travel cost. Go online and estimate the travel expenses and use a currency converter.

When it comes to content, American keynote speakers planning to speak in Europe must guard against their own assumptions. Soren shared a growing trend in Northwest Europe that is the antithesis of the U.S. positive self- improvement movement. A popular psychology professor tells audiences it’s okay to say no to self-development and to want to be rooted in tradition. This trend started around 2008 during the financial crisis.

Overall, there is a demand for U.S. speakers. Europeans want inspiration but don’t worry if you’re not rocking the room. Europeans are not as responsive as U.S. audiences. And they don’t get excited by “free stuff’. In the past, the most desirable speakers were heavy on entertainment with less focus on information. Today the trend is shifting. While entertainment and inspiration are important there’s an increasing demand for stronger content. The most successful keynoters will create a change in the audience that they can go home and implement.

Speaking in Europe can be an exciting adventure to learn about other cultures and spread your message to an International audience. Do your homework and adjust your expectations and you’ll expand your speaking business beyond borders.

They're Just Not That Into You

Get your audience to like you!

How You Gonna Keep 'Em Thinking of You After They Go Back Home?

There's a line from a World War I song: "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm After they've seen Paris?"

When you finish your presentation and your audience goes back to work, do they carry your message with them? Do they still hear your voice?

Recently I received a call from a woman who heard me speak 10 years ago and wanted to hire me to coach her. Neither of us could recall where we met.  She forgot the name of the association. It could have been anywhere. What she did remember was me. She said my message was "...memorable, powerful, and convincing for female leaders."

What made her contact me now and not then? She wasn’t ready. People buy on their own timeline, not ours. What kept my message in her mind was my monthly newsletter, The Science of Speaking. The goal is continual communication. Do you stay in touch with the people who hear you speak? I keep in touch with my audience through email messages, newsletters, phone calls, video messages and greeting cards (<< click the link and send a card for free). You can do the same for your network.

Be memorable, convincing, and powerful in your presentation. And then stay in continual communication. Like the lyric from the 1984 Rockwell song, “Somebody’s watching me,” you never know who’s watching, listening, and reading you.

 

Bill of Rights for Public Speakers

July seems to signify freedom. July 1st is Canadian Independence Day, on July 4th  the U.S. celebrates its birth as a nation, and on July 14th, the French celebrate Bastille Day. I started thinking about the freedoms we enjoy-freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of speech.

We have this great gift of expression, the freedom to speak our minds. Yet some public speakers are anything but free. They approach the podium as if they're walking their last mile. Their bodies stiffen, their faces freeze,and their words trip over their tongues. These speakers are imprisoned by their own negative beliefs and shrink before an imagined enemy-the audience.  Well, it's time for all public speakers to assert their rights.

Public Speaking Bill of Rights

1.  I have the right to be my authentic self.
2. I have the right to be relaxed and in control.
3. I have the right to smile and enjoy myself.
4. I have the right to engage the audience.
5. I have the right to not know all the answers.
6. I have the right to make mistakes and recover with grace.
7. I have the right to walk in like I own the room.
8. I have the right to reference the slide without reading it.
9. I have the right to own my power and not give it all to the audience.
10. I have the right to establish eye contact and not get flustered if they don't smile.
11. I have the right to speak with conviction.
12. I have the right to enjoy my standing ovation!