You're leading a meeting.
OR You're in an interview.
OR You're giving a talk.
Suddenly, you can feel the attention of your audience dropping away - they're losing interest - and you don't know what to do.
Connect! The content of what you're sharing is far less important to the people in that room than what of yourself you share.
If you put sharing yourself first - your energy, your emotional truth, your humor - the rest of the information is going to drop into them like honey.
But if you're dull and lifeless, information retention drops, and you're not going to "feel the love" at the end of your talk.
CONNECT! But how do I do that, Lori? 1) Look 'em in the eye! a.
I know - you don't really want to - but do it anyway, and let yourself see the person who is there.
Let yourself communicate honestly and directly with that person, and they will see that you are being honest and direct, and more times than not will respect you for it.
2) Be authentic! a.
If you are speaking on a dry subject, but you are actually a very funny person, throw in a story that illustrates your point and shows an appropriate amount of your humor! This serves 3 purposes: (1) it keeps your audience awake and interested, (2) it keeps their minds active and working, as they switch gears, and (3) it allows you to be your amusing best.
Since that is your authentic self, they will respond to you favorably, and we want that! 3) Tell it like it is! a.
If you have lost your audience, stop what you're doing or saying.
Right now! Stop it! I don't care if you're in the middle of a sentence! Stop and tell it like it is, like this: "I get the feeling that we've all gone off the rails here.
" Using "we" instead of "you" removes that sense of blame from the statement, and you have their attention without resistance! Then ask what *you* can do to get them back: "Where did I lose you?" or "Will someone tell me what's making this presentation falter?" They will (1) love you for asking, (2) love you for making it your fault instead of theirs, and (3) sit up, pay attention, and help you give them exactly what it is they want.
Hey, Presto! Your talk is back on track!
OR You're in an interview.
OR You're giving a talk.
Suddenly, you can feel the attention of your audience dropping away - they're losing interest - and you don't know what to do.
Connect! The content of what you're sharing is far less important to the people in that room than what of yourself you share.
If you put sharing yourself first - your energy, your emotional truth, your humor - the rest of the information is going to drop into them like honey.
But if you're dull and lifeless, information retention drops, and you're not going to "feel the love" at the end of your talk.
CONNECT! But how do I do that, Lori? 1) Look 'em in the eye! a.
I know - you don't really want to - but do it anyway, and let yourself see the person who is there.
Let yourself communicate honestly and directly with that person, and they will see that you are being honest and direct, and more times than not will respect you for it.
2) Be authentic! a.
If you are speaking on a dry subject, but you are actually a very funny person, throw in a story that illustrates your point and shows an appropriate amount of your humor! This serves 3 purposes: (1) it keeps your audience awake and interested, (2) it keeps their minds active and working, as they switch gears, and (3) it allows you to be your amusing best.
Since that is your authentic self, they will respond to you favorably, and we want that! 3) Tell it like it is! a.
If you have lost your audience, stop what you're doing or saying.
Right now! Stop it! I don't care if you're in the middle of a sentence! Stop and tell it like it is, like this: "I get the feeling that we've all gone off the rails here.
" Using "we" instead of "you" removes that sense of blame from the statement, and you have their attention without resistance! Then ask what *you* can do to get them back: "Where did I lose you?" or "Will someone tell me what's making this presentation falter?" They will (1) love you for asking, (2) love you for making it your fault instead of theirs, and (3) sit up, pay attention, and help you give them exactly what it is they want.
Hey, Presto! Your talk is back on track!