Why Most Live Events Lose Their Audience in the First 5 Minutes (And How to Fix It)

Hey, it's Robbie!

I’m buzzing right now.

PUMPED.

Like, kid on Christmas morning excited.

And, no, it’s not just because it's Friday.

I’m excited because I get to share a ridiculously simple formula that makes any live event (webinars, workshops, LinkedIn Lives) way more engaging and effective.

It’s called the Compliance Rapport Agenda (CRA for short).

And you’ll be excited too once we're done.

Because learning how to start your live events with CRA is like unlocking a superpower.

How so?

For starters, CRA eliminates that awkward, unspoken “we all know there’s a pitch coming” tension that ruins so many live events.

It gets your audience engaged from the very start.

It helps you build trust faster, so people are actually invested in what you have to say.

And it even helps calm your own nerves

Like we said back in the 90’s:

CRA is “all that and a bag of chips.”

Now, I’ve been chatting with a few teachers about webinars recently, and a few frustrations keep coming up:

“I feel like I’m following all of the right advice, but my audience still zones out.”

And when it's time to finally make the pitch?

It feels like trying to sell a timeshare to a room full of people who only showed up for the free snacks.

I get it.

For years, I followed the so-called golden rules of running a great webinar…

Or so I thought.

You know the classic advice:

Start with your story.

And look, I love a good story as much as Zoom loves freezing on my face the exact moment I’m pulling an expression that could go viral for all the wrong reasons.

But here's the problem:

Your story lands WAY better when your audience is already engaged.

Jump in too soon, and it’s like going on a first date where, before you’ve even ordered a drink, they lean in and say…

“So, anyway, my trust issues started back in primary school…”

Instead of drawing people in, you leave them wondering:

"Wait… why should I care? What’s in this for me? What’s this webinar even about?"

So, I stopped doing it.

And swapped it for this simple, three-step warm-up that actually gets people engaged first.

Let’s break it all down.

Step 1: C is for Compliance

(Get them to take action immediately.)

If you want people to actually engage, don’t wait until 30 minutes in to ask them to participate.

By that point, they’re either half-distracted, scrolling their phone, or wondering what’s for dinner.

Instead, get them involved right away with something quick, easy, and fun.

A few of my go-to moves:

?? Ask them to type where they’re joining from in the chat. (Last time, we hit 17 countries! Always fun seeing who stayed until 1 AM to be there.)

?? Rate their excitement on a scale of 1–10. (On a webinar about video marketing, I asked attendees to rate how they felt about recording videos… hard to top "-1000000.")

?? Drop their favourite emoji in the chat. ??????

Now, does it really matter what you ask them to do?

Nope.

What matters is that they do something.

Because if they spend the first half of your webinar sitting passively, camera off, arms crossed, and then you suddenly ask them to engage…

It’s like shaking someone awake mid-nap and immediately handing them a microphone.

Disoriented. Annoyed. Not in the mood.

But if they interact from the start?

Now, they feel part of the experience.

And when people feel involved, they stick around longer. They absorb more. They actually take action.

(Which, let’s be honest, is kind of the whole point.)

Step 2: R is for Rapport

This step is ridiculously simple, yet so many people skip it.

Here’s all you have to do:

1?? Thank your attendees for sharing their most valuable asset with you (their time.)

2?? Call out something you all have in common (like a shared passion for the topic).

For example:

"Before we get started, I just want to say a huge thanks for being here. You could be anywhere right now, but instead, you’re here. And I don’t take that for granted.

Also, I love that we’re all in this (slightly nerdy) corner of the internet together, to chat about [webinar topic]. The fact that you showed up means this matters to you too, and that’s pretty cool."

That’s it.

No fluff. No awkward “let’s go around and introduce ourselves” moment. Just a quick, genuine connection.

And when people feel that connection?

Everything that follows (your story, your tips, even your pitch) lands so much better.

Step 3: A is for Agenda

(Tell them what’s coming.)

No mystery. No bait and switch.

No awkward “wait… is this whole thing just a sales pitch?” moment.

Just lay it all out upfront.

Here's how you can frame it:

"Here’s the plan: First, I’ll show you exactly how to [insert promise]. Then, we’ll break down real examples so you can see it in action. And at the end, if you want to go further, I’ll talk about how we can do that together."

Simple. Honest. No weird salesy tension.

When people know what to expect, including if there’s an offer coming later, they relax.

They stop waiting for “the catch.”

They stay engaged longer.

They actually listen.

And when you finally do share your personal story?

It lands.

Because now, instead of wondering, “Is this guy just building up to a sales pitch?”…

They’re already on your side.

The Main Takeaway?

If you want your story to land, make sure your audience is already tuned in.

And that’s exactly what CRA helps you do.

It’s simple. It’s fast. And it works for any live event, even that last-minute presentation you got roped into.

No more talking to a silent, distracted audience.

No more awkward transitions.

No more feeling like you're losing people before you even get to the good stuff.

With CRA, you’re setting the stage for a webinar that actually connects.

So that when you do share your story, people are ready to hear it.

Phew, this was a long one!

But I hope you found it helpful.

If you made it this far, your mission, should you choose to accept it (and you do, right?), is to try CRA out in your next live event and let me know how it goes.

And most importantly, have fun with it!

Until next time,

Robbie

P.S. If you found this article helpful, please do me the favour of liking it, leaving a comment, or sharing it with someone who needs it.

Because when you do, the algorithm blesses me by showing it to more people, especially other teachers who might benefit from this topic.

Want More Support?

Here’s a quick portal to some of my free resources you might also like:

?? Content That Drives Action How to write posts that build trust and stand out (even in a sea of AI-generated blah)

?? Hook Templates for ESL Teachers Get 100 proven hook templates to save time and get more eyes on your content.

?? Lead Magnet Guide Learn how to make and market awesome freebies so you can grow your audience and identify potential buyers.

?? Social Media Success Training for Teachers My most comprehensive training designed to help ESL teachers grow their online presence, create content, and generate income.

Take what you need, and as always, thank you for all the amazing work you do as a teacher :)