How do you know your audience is listening?

In my experience watching there body language can you all the signs about whether they are listing… are they engaging in your theme/subject and whether they are being inspired. If they are not then change it up to grab there attention again, but then you have to make sure you keep them engaged. Ask questions randomly at people and see what they are taking… if you allow them to join in with the communication about the subject then this will normally keep them engaged. If they are resistant, do some probing and find out what does interest them, then use there interest to explain your subject, make it relevant to them.

Body language is a powerful tool to assess if your audience is paying attention to what you are saying. Also, make sure to make some powerful pauses in the middle and ask questions to understand your audience better.

1st. If your audience is actively participating in the conversation, asking questions, providing feedback, or initiating discussions, it's a good sign that they are listening and interested in what you're saying. 2nd. In face-to-face interactions, non-verbal cues such as nodding, eye contact, and attentive body language can indicate that your audience is engaged and listening. In written or online interactions look for positive responses, comments, likes, or shares. 3rd. When the audience asks questions or seeks clarification on certain points, it shows they are bot: processing the information and interested in understanding it better.

Based on my teaching and speaking experience, the best way to find out whether the audience is listening or not, - check their facial expression and body language - how are they responding and asking And last a fearful environment can't attract an audience to listen!

In today's virtual/hybrid world, you also need to watch for non-verbal feedback like emojis, questions, or comments in chat windows,

Interactive techniques are important in order to gain engagement with the audience and to ensure they listen. The use of polls, surveys, quizzes and fun games helps create an interactive atmosphere. Especially when events are virtual it is highly likely that people will start disengaging at some point.

This can also be incorporated into your online communication style. Incorporating open ended questions and polls make your audience feel more inclined to participate.

In my experience, the more specific or visual your communication goal is. The easier you are aligned with your goal, the more likely you are going to achieve that. My goal is to put smile on one person`s face through my communication. Or my goal is to increase click-through rate for 2% through my campaign. I also use research to inform my goal. Nobody like goals that frustrates them a lot. Monitoring the results can effectively help me to feel proud of what I did good and, most importantly, to spot new opportunities and make adjustment. For one time, I spotted that Facebook Group is a source of the most traffic. That helps to validate my performance and ask more interesting question like: what are those audience looking for on the site?

In my experience, seeking feedback is the greatest way to gage if an audience member was attuned or not. If they were not, you are also able to understand about why they were not able to stay engaged.

I make sure to keep my audience engaged through an open-ended discussion. After many years of COVID-type meetings and presentations, people want to have a 'say' in the conversation whether it's in an article, online or an in-person event.

In addition to all the valuable suggestions and reflections above is a more nuanced and subtle way of knowing if your audience is listening or not. This is the feeling in the room, the vibe or atmosphere while you communicate. It's not dissimilar to the feeling you have when a date is going well, there is just something there, a 'with-ness'. Although it is more subtle it is very powerful, and when everyone is giving you their attention the room is tangibly and exquisitely alive. The simplest way to cultivate this is to be with your audience like you are with a close friend. Not necessarily in what you say but in how you feel towards them. It's a feeling. It helps you show up more openly and have more charisma.

Sometimes people have too many things on their head, while we think they are listening to our important message - might not be true. Better to follow up and re do the ideas with additional facts always helps.