Importance of Audience Interaction When Giving a Motivational Speech

One of the most important things that a motivational speaker must learn is how to command audience attention and encourage participation so that the primary message of the speech can get through to each listener. A good strategy to achieve this is to look at things from the perspective of the audience. Audience interaction is one of the key aspects of a successful speech—motivational or otherwise.

When creating a speech, you should always remember that target audiences, while belonging to a certain demographic or category, are still made up of individual people. Successful speaking, therefore, is learning how to talk to an entire crowd while minding their differences. Creating impact on an audience is all about connecting with them on a personal level and getting them engaged by interfacing and interacting with them, instead of merely speaking to a sea of expectant faces.

Interaction makes people feel more a part of the activity instead of being a mere brick wall that you throw words at. Engagement keeps them entertained and connected, which makes them more responsive to what you are saying. Asking questions or initiating an activity are great ways to increase audience participation. Even something as simple as presenting provocative ideas that will make them think or having your audience write down personal reflections about the topic at hand, can be very effective ways to gain interaction and a deeper connection with audiences.

Moreover, getting people to ask questions about the issue or the topic at hand, is a clear sign that you sparked their interest and have planted provocative thoughts in their minds, which is quite simply, the goal of motivational speaking. Audience interaction enhances the listener's learning experience while encouraging participation in the assembly. This is especially beneficial when your audience has short attention spans—like young kids and teenagers.