The Tricks Used to Gain Compliance From ANY Audience!

[Important reading for ANYONE who has to speak in front of a group of people! MD's, Sales Directors, Sales Managers, Sales Professionals, Public Speakers etc]

On Tuesday, I was asked a question from a Managing Director regarding whether I had any tips for him for an upcoming speaking engagement he had yesterday.

"Gary... I've been invited to speak at a National Conference and need the audience to participate by me asking them some questions. Any tips or techniques to ensure I get favourable responses and not pick out that one objectionable guy who's only purpose is to make things awkward?"

WHAT A GREAT QUESTION!

So, the trick I use is not only a simple one but is hugely effective at keeping audiences, groups and teams onside and fully engaged.

LOOK FOR THE NODDERS!

Without question, no matter what size of audience or training group, my first objective is to look for NODDERS. You know whom I mean, these are the people who are actively nodding to what you're saying, smiling and listening intently. Typically, I will seek out between three and seven because they will become my favourable allies.

Now, at the point of my presentation where I need to ask a question, or for gain acceptance, I will first direct my question to one of my nodding allies. This ensures that at the first time of asking anyone for a reply I can count on this response being a favourable one.

Once I have this persons acceptance, I will then go straight to my second nodder to reconfirm they agree with the first. If I feel it necessary I might even go to a third nodder or forths depending on the audience size just to cement the point.

Fortunately, this has quite a profound effect on the entire audience because, having now heard three audience members agreeing and endorsing my point, prevents others from objecting and potentially making themselves look stupid and being embarrassed! (By the way... Us humans will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid being embarrassed or feeling belittled. Very useful to know!)

Of course, this doesn't always prevent that one miserable person who happens to attend every speaking engagement and sat in every corporate training course from interjecting with their miserable comment suggesting, "I had this one customer....blah blah blah"; however, it does do something even better.

With three audience members onside, you start to employ the Persuasive Principle of Social Proof and the Psychology of the Herd Effect.

In simple terms, Social Proof can be described as; if everyone else is liking it, then it must be good.

Lemming or Head Effect is when people will typically follow the actions or opinion of the crowd rather than single themselves out and go against it. (Both amazingly effective when employed in a sales and lead generation environment!)

However, do you want to know the best thing about using audience nodders and utilising Social Proof and the Herd Effect?

So, when that miserable person pipes up and makes their miserable point, by employing the nodders who helped create the Social Proof and Herd Effect, you've now ensured that the rest of the audience will collectively sigh, and mutter to each other, "there's always one!"

This, not only prevents many of the miseries from interjecting but creates an even better bond between myself and the audience and creates even more nodder allies because we now have that one common enemy.

UPDATE:

I took a call from my client this morning who couldn't quite believe just how well this technique worked for him and before anyone asks... Yes, that miserable person showed up once again, however, after making just one miserable and negative point and hearing the entire audience groaning at them the soon shut up and didn't make so much as another sound.

Mission Complete!