Body language - how to read the audience
Most of the literature that deals with body language while speaking in front of an audience focuses on the speaker. In the following articles, I want to turn the spotlight in the opposite direction to the audience, and see how the audience's body language allows the speaker to improve his speech and adapt it to the audience and its changing mood.
There is a great advantage for the speaker in knowing what the audience is thinking and feeling. Unfortunately it is not easy to read the audience. In fact, body language is the only means of continuously sensing the audience. Although reading body language requires learning and skill, with a little practice it is certainly possible to turn it into a natural skill whose value is priceless.
1. The sitting position of the audience
The advantage of monitoring the sitting position is that it is a very noticeable thing that can be noticed even when you are busy explaining a complex topic or dealing with an audience anxiety attack. The extent of people's interest and their involvement is reflected very quickly in the angle at which they sit. The lower the audience leans back in their chair, the less involved they are, and on the other hand, the more they stand up and even lean forward, the more involved they are.
Two caveats
- matter of time -
When people are tired it is much more difficult for them to sit upright - if it is late, or if people have just eaten a heavy meal, or if the lecture is long, people will sit less upright regardless of the quality of the speech. By the way, this might really be a sign for you. - A matter of decision
Sometimes after people have made a decision or overcome a major obstacle they will sit back out of satisfaction rather than indifference.
2. What do they do?
The thing people do while you're talking says a lot about how attentive they are. Ideally people only listen during the speech or lecture, but in reality they may be doing other things and you should recognize the differences in
- Writing (good sign) –
If people are writing while you're talking it's usually a good sign. For the advanced: if you're speaking in front of a hall of laptop owners, it's worth following the typing noise - when it gets weaker, it's a sign that people are listening carefully or they've switched to playing solitaire. - Concerns (depends) –
If people are worried it is a sign that they are involved and trying to process, or it is a sign that they did not understand and are asking for an explanation, or it is a sign that they are bored and are looking for entertainment. - Reading (not so good sign) –
When people read while speaking it is of course a sign that they are not listening, but in a harmless way. At best they are reading related material and at worst they are bored but feel uncomfortable interrupting, and don't want (or can) leave. - Playing games on the cell phone (bad sign) -
When people are busy with their cell phones they are clearly not listening. In the best case they are responding to an urgent text they received (which may be important to them, but bothers you) and in the worst case they are looking for something more entertaining from you. - talking on the phone (a really bad sign) - When people fiddle with their cell phones, they not only don't listen, they don't hide it.
3. Noise level
The general amount of noise in the classroom is a sign of a lot of things that need to be read to understand. In other words, the noise level in itself is not necessarily a good or bad sign, but it helps to understand other signs, and also helps to notice when there is a change in the audience's state.
- An increase in the noise level -
A sign that people have more energy. It could be because they are excited about what was said and then we also see more straightening and more eye contact. It could also be because they moved on to other things unrelated to the speech - then we see less eye contact and more misgivings that stop as soon as you make eye contact. - A decrease in the noise level -
Often a sign of an increase in attention and concentration - it will come with people who start writing what you say or silence others. Sometimes a decrease in noise is a sign that people have become tired and less involved - you can notice the sitting position becoming lower. And finally, people may have had to do all kinds of other things during the speech (for example, divide into groups or formulate a position regarding the proposal on the table) and then a decrease in noise is a sign that the other action has been completed.
4. Eye contact
The direction in which the audience is looking is significant for the speaker as an indication of the audience's level of attention, and the focus to which this attention is directed. Eye contact is almost always a positive thing because it represents attention and interest, and its absence represents disinterest or a desire to hide and avoid.