Aug
02
Speaking Tip: Beware of audience remorse
Several years ago I heard a speaker at a conference. He was dynamic. He told heart-wrenching stories. He took us on an exciting ride that had us laughing, crying and clapping. We gave him a standing ovation. I don’t know about the others, but I gave him highest marks on the evaluation and wrote that they should have him back the next year.
The next day, I reflected on his presentation and realized that he had skillfully manipulated our emotions. A speaker can do that. But he had not given us anything except an experience. We heard his story. We felt outraged for him as a child. We rejoiced for him as he made his way in the world. Although he told a riveting story, there was no learning in his stories for us. As I thought about it, I wanted to take my evaluation back and burn it. He didn’t care about me. He didn’t help me learn from his life. He just wanted to brag about his accomplishments.
As a speaker, your job is to give your audience a message that will help them change their minds or their behavior. Unless you are the after dinner entertainment, you had better deliver a well crafted message. Audience remorse can come back to haunt you. Make sure your audience hears something from you that they will still value long after your presentation ends.