I am so not a rock star. And you may not be either.
But as a leader I’m a communicator and that means that like you, I want to connect with the people I’m speaking to.
On that note…ever feel like you’re not connecting with your audience?
Whether you’re speaking, writing or even trying to motivate a small team, we’ve all been there.
And we can all learn something from artists like Coldplay on connecting.
Okay, I’m biased. Coldplay is one of my all time favourite bands. I like them so much that my family has pretty much banned them from the house and car. Sure, I have overplayed them. But it hasn’t deterred my enthusiasm at all.
Their last release, Live 2012 – Coldplay, (their first full length live work in a decade), showcases how well the band connects with their fans. Aside from some language that kind of took me by surprise (you’ve been warned), it was vintage Coldplay – tons of raw enthusiasm and passion around their work.
But what really grabbed me was how focused they were on their audience.
In the second song, Chris Martin asks the question “Is there anybody out there?”
Ever felt that way as a communicator?
Yep, me too. That’s kind of my fear during every talk. Is there anyone out there? Am I connecting? Is this helping anyone? Encouraging them? Challenging them? Really?
We’ve all sat through talks and concerts that have bored us to tears. And no one wants to be that communicator (or that band).
Coldplay did numerous things throughout the show to grip, engage and excite their audience.
As a sample, here are 5 techniques they used to engage the crowd. They:
- Spoke some French (the concert was in Paris).
- Shouted out to everyone in the house multiple times, including the people in the back.
- Told the crowd to get certain songs started and then kicked in with the band after.
- Checked in constantly, even asking things like a small “Are you okay?” and “we need you, we need you, now make some noise!” mid song.
- Changed the lyrics to mention the city they were in and engage both the guys and the girls attending (sure…they’re not the first to do that, but nice touch).
As I listened, I couldn’t help but realize that the more you engage your audience, the more engaging you become.
So is there anything we – as communicators – can learn from this?
I think so.
Here we go:
- Speak some French. Communicator Tip: Engage people’s real issues. You need to know where your audience lives. If you can name a life issue in the first five minutes of the talk, you’ve made a solid connection. I often do this by naming off a sequence of scenarios that catches almost everyone (If you’re married, you might wondering how to keep your love alive…if you’re single, you wonder if love will ever truly come your way…if you’re a teenager, you’re wondering what love is…and if you’re an empty nester, you’re wondering whether you can ever get those feeling back.) Or you could tell a personal story (they almost always connect). Regardless, let them know you understand their struggle.
- Shout out to everyone in the house, including the people in the back. Communicator Tip: Use the word “you.” “You” is a surprisingly simple, surprisingly powerful word. Saying “you” translates, as in you’ve probably struggled with this… or you’re thinking, there’s no way I can do that. Saying ‘you’ connects powerfully. Every time.
- Tell the crowd to get certain songs started and then kick in with the band after. Communicator Tip: Start the message before the message. Use a song, a video or something else to engage your audience before the message starts. Or start a week or more ahead. Recently, we did a Facebook poll at our church as a tie in to an upcoming message. We simply asked “Can men and women ‘just’ be friends?” We announced the poll result on Sunday and then addressed the issue with the message. It got a lot of people talking.
- Check in constantly, even asking things like a small “Are you okay?” mid song. Communicator Tip: Apply, Apply, Apply. Theory alone doesn’t help many people. Always always always apply what the text or principle is saying to real life situations. And do it continually through the message. If you’re not doing this constantly, you’re losing people.
- Changed the lyrics to mention the city they were in and engage both the guys and the girls attending. Communicator Tip: Use analogy. Analogy is such a powerful, under-utilized tool. When dealing with a big concept, introduce phrases such as “it’s like” followed by real life examples or something familiar to the listeners. Once people understand what the subject in question is like, they better understand the subject.
As a communicator, one of your main tasks is to engage your audience.
This post is a repost of an earlier piece I wrote as I’m travelling this week. It also contains an affiliate link. If you buy a product I may receive a commission. Please know I only use products I personally use and have found helpful. Thanks for supporting the blog!
