Surprise Your Audience

A SECRET TO BEING HEARD

Many years ago when I was a kid, I remember sitting in the kitchen at my grandparents’ house. It was a beautiful, sunny day in southern Wisconsin and I could hear the birds singing outside the window. I looked through the glass and saw a robin perched on the bird feeder. Just beyond that, I could see a peacock strutting across the neighbor’s yard.

I looked up to my grandparents. They always communicated with love and respect. This day was no different.

My grandpa said something to my grandma, but she didn’t hear him.

We all want to feel heard. And when we don’t feel heard, frustration kicks in and it’s easy to raise our voice or say something hurtful to get the other person’s attention.

But not my grandpa.

What he did surprised me… And made us laugh.

My grandpa repeated himself but in a way that captured my grandma’s attention. He dropped his voice an octave. By lowering the sound of his voice and doing something out of the ordinary, he immediately gained her full attention.

As we laughed, my brain engraved this golden nugget into my memory.

Today, I implement this principle in my communication. Whether I’m talking with my son, teaching a small group of students, or speaking from stage, I will use my grandpa’s technique to capture my audience’s attention.

A TEACHER’S TRICK

A few days ago, I was once again at the kitchen table in the same house, sitting across the table from my grandma. Instead of my grandpa to my right, my 9 year old son was sitting and shuffling a deck of cards.

I was reminiscing with my grandma, telling her of this fond memory of my grandpa.

“Oh yes, I remember,” she chuckled. “That’s an old teacher’s trick!”

Grandma explained that when she and my grandpa were teachers, they used to drop the sound of their voices to get the students’ attention. Then she leaned in and told me that whispering was another trick they would use from time to time.

Whether it’s changing the sound or decibel of your voice, there are many ways we can use this attention grabbing strategy.

Doing something unexpected can capture your audience’s attention and create a lasting memory.

I might lower my voice like my grandpa did or talk quietly so my audience will lean in and listen. Or when appropriate, I might use dramatic vocal inflections or sing the words. Any vocal changes that are significantly different from our normal way of speaking can capture someone’s attention.

We can take this a step further, stretching this principle beyond vocal inflections to include our body language or props.

For example, I was at a conference where the speaker had a stool he was using to sit on from time to time. In an impromptu moment, while making an important point in his presentation, he decided to stand on the stool. It was congruent with his message, visually accentuating his point, while at the same time unexpected.

It wasn’t random, but it was surprising.

At that moment, every eye was on the speaker and it was memorable.

How can you use your voice, body language, or props to generate an intentionally integrated surprise that will capture your audience’s attention?

By Caitlyn Neel - CoFounder, Speak with People

Caitlyn is an author, videographer, and certified life coach. She enjoys empowering leaders to use their innate passions and abilities to make an impact in the world. In her free time, she enjoys puzzles, running, and playing her guitar.