Pitfall #1 - Know your Audience

Today's audience consists of multiple generations each with their unique expectations from the speaker. For the first time in history there are five generations in your audience. One generation likes lecture style, another likes to share expertise. The next generation likes you to ask their opinion & the youngest two generations prefer role play, videos and other media.

How can you tell who is in your audience? Your best approach is to do an on the spot survey by show of hands. A quick way is to ask:

1. How many of you found work in job ads that said help wanted men, help wanted female? (Boomers & Veterans).

2. “How many of you were latch key kids or school mates who were latch key kids?” (Gen X).

3. “How many of you prefer IM/ texting?” (Gen Y & Gen M).

Now you know who is in the room.

If you are speaking at a conference you can include these questions in your pre-program assessment. Often the meeting planner can inform you who the audience is. In the event that is not a viable option, the above on the spot survey should suffice.

Armed with these results you can instantly customize your program to ensure you speak the language of your audience. By providing information in the manner your attendees desire, you will engage and wow them.

Pitfall #2 - Verifying facts during your presentation

There was a time when speakers were looked up to as the experts who brought knowledge to the marketplace and helped people to be more successful. While this is still true the game has changed significantly.

With the ubiquitous access to the Internet speakers have a new type of heckler to contend with.

For example, at a recent conference for the medical profession in Las Vegas the speaker referenced an article on the industry and mentioned several items for the audience.

After the lunch break when the audience returned, an attendee raised his hand. Thinking there was a question, the speaker acknowledged him.

The attendee then said, “I thought the speaker’s remarks were incorrect earlier. So while at lunch I surfed the Web, found the article, and verified what was said. Sure enough the speaker is wrong. By the way, here’s the URL to get that article yourself and get the facts right.”

Gone are the days when your audience simply took notes and accepted your expertise without verification. So today it is critical to not only verify your material, but to also check for the most up to date information prior to stepping on the platform.

Today the audience not only expects information, they expect the most up-to-date information possible along with where they can learn more if they desire. So the night before a presentation, be sure to check online to ensure you have the most recent information. While you’re at it, check article links as they may have been deleted or the website removed. Google often has a cached version though and that helps.

Pitfall #3 - I want role play – not to listen you go on and on

Forget about slide decks with 30 - 50 slides. To really connect with today’s audience you must have fewer slides and more interaction.

Presentations should be lively so that the audience is energized. They want to interact and role playing helps them connect the dots and have a more transformational experience.

Many members of today’s audience are Gen X or younger. They are the highly stimulated generation from gamers to video creators. Sitting in a chair listening to you drone on through a PowerPoint presentation makes their eyes glaze over. They used PowerPoint for their school projects and need more.

Here are three ways you can engage them:

a. After explaining a point, provide them with a case study that they can solve. Then have them role play the techniques they used to solve the case study.

b. Create a reality game or play “Jeopardy” with the clues including the tips you are teaching them or speaking about.

c. Give them an exercise to create something or think outside the box. They are very inventive and sometimes create something that knocks your socks off. I once gave a group straws, staples, scotch tape and colored markers. They could build anything they wanted. The winning entry was a “Bridge over Troubled Water.”

Time will fly by and you will find yourself in the role of facilitator. When they want the speaker back they actually request it. This technique gets them really jazzed up and energized.

Your job is to research and find fun examples for your role play.

Pitfall #4 - Just Because I'm On My iPhone, Don't Assume I've Tuned Out

In a recent presentation I recommended a book that would be helpful to the participants. As I spoke, I noticed a young man who was very focused on his iPhone. This is a normal occurrence during today’s presentations. There’s even a term for it “Absent Presence.”

As I left the room for the break, he called me over to show me his iPhone. During the presentation, had downloaded a free Kindle® app for his iPhone, visited Amazon, purchased, and downloaded the book and was already reading it.

What’s the point of this pitfall? To inform you that just because they’re on their iPhone during your presentation, doesn’t mean they’re tuning you out. Maybe they’re taking action on the recommendation you just made.

This brings us back to Pitfall #2 ‘verifying during your presentation.’ Today’s audiences are used to instant gratification and have the tools to get it. So it is crucial that your recommendations and suggestions are correct.

Pitfall #5 - Tweeting & Texting During Your Presentation

A new occurrence for speakers today is tweeting during your presentation. I know how you feel when that happens. That’s why I have resorted to asking attendees to get in their one text before we start and during their breaks.

If you are speaking at a conference, be aware that the tweets and texts might be sent to the people currently in your audience or on their way to the workshop.

One conference speaker experienced this pitfall when they had low turnout for a seminar that previously had blowout attendance. Evidently attendees tweeted “don’t come to this workshop, the speaker is not very good.” On reading this many attendees decided to attend a different session and the speaker’s credibility was crushed.

Conversely, if you are a good speaker with an engaging style, the tweets would be “hurry up and get to this session. The speaker is fantastic.” This could turn a low turnout session into a blowout session and it’s all happening in real time.