Episode #53: Big Boozy Crowds And Public Speaking

We live in a micro attention span world. We are also becoming more and more self centered around what we want and why we need to have it right now. A lot of the older courtesies and societal manners are perishing by the wayside. We might be that person standing up there on stage surveying a crowd full of self important, totally preoccupied people who would rather hear the sound of their own voice, than listen to yours. Well what do you do about that, especially when the booze has been flowing and people are creating a loud roar in the room? How can you break in, keep them interested and get your message across?

Before we get into this week’s topic, here is what caught my attention lately.

Average land prices in Japan went up for the first time in twenty six straight years of decline. These gains were mainly for urban areas. Average commercial land prices rose for the third straight year. Prices in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka rose four point two percent while Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima and Fukuoka jumped an average of nine point two percent. In other news, are you sick of fumbling for your keys to open doors. How about a little microchip implant to fix that problem? An informational technology company in Osaka Otafuku Lab has implanted a chip that signals a sensor to open the door. President Takashi Hamamichi said the current chips available lack memory capacity but improvements in the technology provide more convenience in the future. More than thirty people in Japan have inserted chips into their bodies so far.

This is episode number Fifty Three and we are talking about Big Boozy Crowds And Public Speaking. Soredewa ikimasho, so let's get going. The Master of Ceremony (MC) goes to the microphone to get the programme underway but the audience are simply oblivious, caught up in their own riveting conversations. The situation is much worse at receptions where alcohol is already flowing and the people down the back are generating a roar, a positive din, that drowns out the speakers. Apart from bona fidemembers of Imperial Families, everyone is fair game in the “let’s ignore the speaker” stakes. Cabinet Ministers, eminent speakers, famous personalities all struggle to get the attention of the crowd. When it is our turn, what can we humble beings do about this?

Here are some ideas that will shut down the noisy rabble and provide a proper platform for the speaker to be heard.

Make sure to turn off the background music well before you are ready to start. Surprisingly, this is often forgotten by the organisers. Speakers should not try to compete with irritating white noise in the background, so check this will be done before you are due to launch forth.

Preferably always have someone else introduce you. Their job is to quiet the room in preparation for your presentation. This doesn't always go to plan though, because it can be a lucky draw on who introduces you. Usually, they are not skilled speakers themselves and so they may do a lame job at best.

If you are in the MC role yourself, about to introduce the programme speaker, avoid the charisma by-pass problem of no presence in the room. I recently saw a giant of a man, fulsomely mustachioed, boasting a hulking frame, draw up to the microphone and in a tiny faint voice try and call the assembled masses to order. He had absolutely no success, so even an imposing physical presence is no guarantee to cut through the clatter.

On the other hand, if you worry about speaking behind high podiums and appearing to your audience as a stylish coiffure just peaking above the water line, always arrive early and have the event staff provide a small raised dais behind the podium for you. We always want the audience to easily see our face. Even better, dismiss the podium altogether, because now we can use our body language to maximum effect. If you are using a laptop on the podium, turn it to the side, so that you can see the screen and stand facing the audience, so there are no barriers between you. The technology should be at our command and not commanding us.

As noted, voice projection is key for cutting through crowd noise. Today’s microphone technology is very good, so you don’t need to have a stentorian voice to be heard. However, placing the microphone too close to your mouth creates dissonance, making it harder to hear you. Mysteriously, some speakers have the opposite problem and hold the microphone so low that there is almost no sound being heard. These errors are easily avoided if you just hold the microphone about a hand’s spread in front of your mouth and speak across the top of the microphone mesh.

When you face a challenging noisy crowd, make sure to hit the first few words very hard. To get things going, start with a strong “Ladies and Gentleman” with power invested into the first word and remember to draw that first word out slightly (Ladieeeeees). Elongate it for effect but don’t overdo it . Now include a small pause before a strong finish to the phrase. This will generally shut the room down and gather everyone’s focus on the speaker. If it doesn’t produce that “hear a pin drop” silence, then go again with strong voicing of the next phrase, “May I have your attention please”. Again, add a pause and let peer pressure quiet your audience. If it is still noisy, repeat this phrase once more and do not start until you have total silence.

I have seen speakers using assorted cutlery to bang on a glass, to create a chime that signals it is time to “shut up everyone and listen”. It works, however, one word of warning - don’t speak while pounding. Let the chime effect work for you and when the room pressure builds to a point where you have achieved silence, put the glass down, pause and then start. Why pause? This builds anticipation and curiosity, both of which work in our favour when trying to get attention to what we are saying. Using pauses during your talk is also powerful for focusing everyone on the message you are delivering

Similarly, you can also use powerful music to drown out the crowd’s babble and make them listen to what is coming next. Just a short piece will do, as it signals action is about to commence and people will switch their gaze to you at the front of the room. After the music ends, again use a slight pause and then start.

We can’t be effective communicators if people are not listening, so our first task is to quiet the room. Using these techniques will produce the right break in the chaos for your message to be heard. Some final advice, don’t practice on your audience. Spend time rehearsing your talk, so that you are confident and comfortable that you can command the room from the very start.

Action steps

1. Turn off the BGM well before you start
2. Have someone else quiet the room for you
3. Don’t allow the podium to dominate you
4. Practice with the microphones, so that you know the correct distance and angle of elevation to use
5. Hit the first word hard and elongate it slightly
6. Uses pauses – they add power to the speaker
7. If you strike a glass to produce a crowd-quieting chime, add a pause and then speak
8. A short burst of music can silence an audience and clear the way for you to start speaking