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PUBLIC SPEAKING ETIQUETTE
Within the “public arena”, the experiences of a speaker and those of an audience are governed by invisible yet powerful dynamics. A dynamic is a force field, which promotes action, change and continually evolves. Dynamic comes from the Greek dynamikos, which means power and relates to ability. I don't see the air I breathe but my body is in constant “relationship” with its properties and their impact on my survival. It acts as a constant dynamic, which promotes life, change and growth. There are speaker dynamics, audience dynamics, relationship dynamics and content dynamics at play throughout any public presentation. They all act as behavior modifiers and are strong sources for our motivation, impact and ultimate success. AUDIENCE DYNAMIC There are always two camps in live or taped public presentations: the audience and the speaker or presenter. The medium such as television, radio or live staged presenting, is the third element. The audience has a passive role while the speaker has to display an active one. This is an essential dynamic and never to be overlooked. Audience and speaker communicate surprisingly well with each other, to the degree that they both understand and respect the dynamics at play. They are not to be confused or interchanged. Only the speaker is active, he or she is the “doer.” Audiences appreciate remaining passive, and they become active only by permission like in a workshop situation or when given permission to ask questions. This implies a thorough and clear understanding of what is at play. A good speaker understands that an audience likes being passive. It is that “active” passivity that allows any audience to relax and enjoy the presentation at hand. They are actively listening and participating, but remain passive in relationship to the speaker. They appreciate that. An active audience becomes confused perhaps lost. In the worst case scenario, it makes any kind of presentation disorganized and virtually impossible. Think of a movie audience talking and actively commenting on what happens in the film. It disrupts and corrupts the experience. We may call the passivity of an audience a convention. It is indeed borrowed form the theatre. They are there to be “done to.” People have expectations when organized as an audience: to be taught, entertained, lectured, informed, educated, trained, and so on. They also like to be treated within the theatrical convention mentioned above. It is the speaker’s responsibility to fulfill theses expectations. Credibility and clear communication, which includes a strong desire to be seen and heard, are the speaker's first responsibilities and basic skills. It inevitably extends into the audience-speaker relationship. An audience loves to be managed and conquered by a speaker’s command of the stage and of the public. By making friends with these elements, the speaker can relax and concentrate on the delivery of his or her presentation. This applies to all public speaking mediums. I hope you’ll find this helpful.
Eric Stone |