How to connect with the audience

There are many factors that influence the degree of connection that we generate with our audience; among them are the intellectual and emotional level of the audience. Each speech must be adapted to a language and content that is understandable to the audience; only in this way can we guarantee that the message we seek to convey can be received effectively.

Likewise, emotions are a decisive element when empathizing with the audience. Expressing ourselves with an appropriate emotional state, coherent with that of our audience, will make them more receptive and the information received will be to their liking.

During this session, we will be addressing the issue of connecting with the audience. To do so, we will analyze two of the most important elements that influence it: the intellectual and the emotional level. This will be useful for you to perfect your presentations and develop more effective speeches.

Intellectual level of the audience: It is very important that we know the audience we are addressing before preparing and presenting a speech. When we refer to intellectual level, we are not referring specifically to whether they are intelligent people or to their level of studies, but to what previous preparation they have on the subject we will be addressing.

It is not the same to give a talk on finance to the economics faculty of a university as it is to give it to the workers of a factory. The technicalities we use in our language and the elements we address in the presentation of the speech must be understandable to everyone present.

Identify the audience you are addressing so that you can adapt your message to their level of knowledge. Being clear about this aspect will also help you to foresee the degree of preparation with which you will have to present yourself, in case any doubts arise from the audience. When we face a specialized audience, the demands are higher. We must be able to meet expectations, showing a good command of the topics we address.

This does not imply that we should neglect ourselves in front of less prepared audiences, since we can always find subjects with a higher level of preparation in all the audiences we face. Use the intellectual level of the audience as a thermometer when increasing or decreasing the load of technical elements in your speech.

Emotional level: The second aspect that we will be addressing when it comes to generating a greater degree of connection with our audience is the emotional level of the audience. The speaker is also an interpreter who must adapt to the environment where he will develop his presentation. It is not the same emotional charge that is perceived in a festive speech than in a funeral ceremony. Emotions must be in accordance with each situation and be coherent with what we express in the speech.

Body language is also another element of great weight in the communication and transmission of emotions. From the way we move around the stage, to the facial expressions we make, send messages to the audience about how we feel.

Try to blend in with the environment so you can express yourself with natural language. It is recommended that you use your empathic skills to know what the emotional state of those present is. You should always make sure that your emotions are at the same level as those of your audience. You do not want to be a strange or annoying entity for the audience, but a support that harmonizes the event and gets involved in it.