Discover how changing your perspective of the audience will improve effectiveness with specific audiences. For example, if you are accustomed to working with middle-aged, government employees, but you have an audience of internet engineers in their twenties next month, you might think of your audience as a bunch of "Hammys" (hyper squirrel in the movie Over the Hedge )." Hammy zips around at forty-nine miles a minute with an attention span of zero. Getting his attention will require more energy, animation, confidence and more than the standard physical flair. Thinking of "Hammys" will help craft a new approach to engage the audience. Let's hear from a professional who has taken this concept deep and has woven her approach into everything she does.

Donna Cutting of ShowStopping Solutions is in the midst of writing a book about "The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets for Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service." Cutting interviewed companies serving Hollywood celebrities about their customer service practices and discovered literally how they deliver celebrity service. She shares with us three ideas to add star treatment to your audience:

1. Approach every audience as though they were made up of celebrities. How would you prepare for your program if you were about to present for Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, and Clint Eastwood? How would you prepare if you were about to present for Jeanne Robertson, Willie Jolley, David Glickman, Tim Gard, and Patricia Fripp? You would work to make sure that every bit of your program was perfect. Decide that every single audience is the MOST important audience you'll have - then you will always put your best foot forward.
2. Make the audience the star of your show. Cutting makes programs interactive, and bring members of the audience on stage to take part in Keynote Theater T presentations. Be confident and they'll have confidence in your actions. NSA Member Sandy Geroux showcases the audience by flashing their photos on the screen while she closes her program in song. It brings the house down. David Glickman customizes his comedy so that the humor is specific to that particular audience. His programs are full of "inside jokes," personalized for each audience. Speakers can find their own unique ways of making audience members the stars of their show!
3. Treat them like stars. If you were a celebrity taking a seminar and could get what you desired, would you want to be bored by a stagnant PowerPoint by a talking drone? No, you would arrange the best expert to entertain you while planting content you will remember because of your experiential seminar. You would want this educational experience to be easy to understand, remember and implement. Of course, ego boosting the audience along the way would be consistent with star treatment. When creating your presentation, think of what your audience needs, wants and how they want it delivered. It is all about them.

To jumpstart your brain to customize for specific audiences, try metaphors while visualizing your audience to help guide you through your next steps. In theatre games, there is "what happens next" game. This idea is logical and will help make your job easier.

Home | About Us Other Services| |Email|

Contact: Jolene at 425-489-1073 Jo@FunSpecialist.com