Recently I was talking to a Public Relations firm. We discussed the need for every presenter to establish rapport with the audience. How do you do it? How come some people do it so well?
Image: Yay Images
As a student of Argentine Tango, I compare establishing rapport to starting to dance with a new partner. The couple walks to the floor. They get in the dance position, BUT they don’t immediately start dancing. They may mark the step and not move, or they may just stand there and feel each other’s internal rhythm. Then, when the leader feels connected, the dance starts.
How do you start this “dance” before the formal presentation begins? Here are several ideas:
- Establish rapport before the presentation begins. Once you have that connection, the presentation will feel better to the audience right from the start.
- Some type of conversation should take place. Depending on the audience’s formal or informal culture, the conversation may be about the topic at hand or an unrelated subject.
- There needs to be an agreement, usually unspoken, that the audience will listen and silently participate in your presentation. You must demonstrate by body posture, voice tone, and eye contact that you are excited and enthusiastic about speaking to this particular group.
In Tango, each partner signals to the other how close he or she will start the dance. That distance may change with each step, but both begin the dance respecting their partner’s distance.
Claudyne Wilder runs a boutique presentation business. Wilder Presentations offers Get to the Message presentation workshops and consulting services to organizations ranging from Fortune 500 pharmaceutical firms to community-based non-profits. Claudyne is the creator of TorchMetrics, an innovative online tool that operates on your device as a customized speaking coach.
With a Masters in organizational development, Claudyne coaches on including the right content with the right number of details as well as on message-oriented slides and persuasive, engaging delivery. Having extensively studied Argentine Tango for over ten years, she brings the idea of “connection” to her clients to help them more passionately engage with their audience.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
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