Want an attentive and engaged audience? Be fully present.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
May 9
3 min read

The two audiences pictured above both have screens, possibly the number one audience distractor today. Screens are notorious for preventing an audience from being attentive and engaged.

However, notice that one audience is paying attention to the presenter and fully engaged and the other is not. Why? What do you think is the difference?

We can’t know entirely what is going on, but one thing is clear, the communicator in the bottom photo appears fully present. When a communicator is fully present, the audience is much more likely to be as well.

Chapter 35 in Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide describes the concept of “audience management,” which involves principles and practices for ensuring an attentive and engaged audience. This post shares an updated excerpt from this chapter.

Why is audience management important?

Chapter 35 says it well, “When an audience and communicator are in sync with each other – effectively connecting, exchanging ideas, conveying and sharing emotions – the potential to achieve the desired communication outcomes is maximized. Conversely, when an audience and communicator are not attending to one another and are failing to connect, miscommunication is likely.”

The chapter stresses three important reasons for effective audience management:

An audience that is not engaged is not learning and distracts others.
Effective communication occurs when both speaker and audience are listening to one another.
Rudeness and unprofessional behavior in person or online undermines communication effectiveness.

What are strategies for audience management?

Chapter 35 describes the overall strategy for successful audience management as follows, “Audience management is successfully achieved when a presenter clearly understands what it entails, expectations are clearly defined and communicated, positive behaviors are modeled, and expectations are consistently enforced.”

When teaching about audience management, I stress that the most important rule for successful audience management is for the communicator to be fully present. Let’s take a deeper dive into what that means and the difference it can make.

What does it mean to be fully present?

To be fully present is to be actively aware of everything in the environment and in the audience. The communicator who is fully present can sense the mood and respond to it, adapting and adjusting words and actions to create and maintain a productive atmosphere.

To be fully present is to be completely focused, giving full attention to what is being communicated and to whom it is being communicated. The communicator is not distracted or multitasking.

The audience can perceive the communicator’s full attention. The communicator who is fully present conveys a sense of authority by demonstrating that they are aware of what is going on, confident, and engaged.

Accomplishing this goal requires careful planning and preparation so everything is organized to function smoothly. From a positive first impression to an impactful call to action, the fully present communicator solicits the full attention of their audience, leading to positive outcomes.

Be fully present.

For more tips on audience management and engagement, check out these posts and tip sheets: