5 Applying Staging to Engage the Audience

Introduction to Audience Engagement

Engaging your audience is crucial for effective communication, particularly in the natural resources sector, where complex information must often be conveyed to a diverse group of stakeholders, rightsholders, and the public. Whether you’re delivering a presentation, writing a report, or recording a video cover letter, your success depends on your ability to captivate and maintain your audience’s attention.

This chapter will focus on how to apply the principles of staging to actively engage your audience. We will explore techniques to help you tailor your message, body language, and delivery to different audiences, making your communication clear, persuasive, and impactful.

Understanding Your Audience

The first step in engaging your audience is to understand who they are, what they need, and how they prefer to receive information. Whether you are addressing a group of scientists, community members, policymakers, or the general public, your approach should be customized to fit their expectations and level of understanding.

• Identify the Audience’s Needs: Consider the knowledge level, interests, and concerns of your audience. What do they care about? What are their motivations? What information do they need from you?
• Tailor Your Message: The content of your message should be relevant and accessible. For example, when speaking to forestry experts, you may use more technical language, while a community outreach event may require you to simplify complex concepts and avoid jargon.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Keep in mind the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of your audience. This is especially important when engaging Indigenous communities and rightsholders, where traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and cultural practices play a significant role.

Example:
Imagine you are delivering a presentation on sustainable forestry practices to a community audience. Rather than delving into the technical details of forestry management, you might focus on how these practices benefit the local environment, reduce wildfire risks, and protect wildlife, using clear and simple language that resonates with their daily lives.

Staging for Engagement

Staging is about how you organize and present your information to guide your audience through the message, keeping them interested and engaged. Proper staging ensures that your communication is clear, logical, and persuasive.

1. The Hook: Capturing Attention

Every communication needs a strong start to hook the audience’s attention. This could be a thought-provoking question, a compelling fact, or an anecdote that relates to your topic. Your goal is to grab the audience’s attention and give them a reason to keep listening.

• Storytelling: Stories are powerful tools for engagement. They make abstract ideas more relatable and memorable. Beginning with a short, relevant story can help frame your message and give your audience a personal connection to the topic.
• Statistics: Shocking or surprising statistics can quickly engage your audience, especially when discussing environmental or natural resource issues. Make sure the numbers are relevant and easy to understand.

Example:
“If I told you that every second, an area of forest the size of a football field is destroyed, how would that make you feel? Today, I’m going to discuss how sustainable forestry practices can reduce that destruction and help preserve our planet’s vital ecosystems.”

2. The Body: Keeping Engagement High

Once you’ve hooked your audience, the challenge is to maintain their interest. This is where clear organization and thoughtful pacing are essential.

• Chunk Information: Break your content into manageable chunks, presenting one idea at a time. This makes complex information easier to digest. Use clear transitions between sections, guiding your audience through your message.
• Use Visuals and Examples: People often understand concepts better when they can visualize them. In the natural resources sector, this might involve showing images of deforestation, diagrams of sustainable practices, or maps illustrating conservation efforts.
• Interactive Elements: Engage your audience directly by asking questions, polling the audience, or using iClicker tools to get immediate feedback. These techniques encourage participation and keep the audience engaged.

Example:
“Let’s look at a map of the deforested regions in British Columbia. As you can see, large areas are being affected. What solutions do you think we could propose to address this issue? Think about it as we move through today’s presentation.”

3. The Conclusion: Leaving a Lasting Impression

Your conclusion is your opportunity to drive home your main points and leave your audience with something to think about. Just as with your introduction, the conclusion should be strong and memorable.

• Summarize Key Points: Briefly restate the most important takeaways from your message. This reinforces the information and ensures the audience leaves with a clear understanding of your key points.
• Call to Action: Whether you’re asking for support, encouraging policy change, or motivating your audience to take personal action, your conclusion should include a clear call to action.
• Memorable Close: End with a final thought that will stick with your audience. This could be a powerful quote, a question for them to consider, or a vision for the future.

Example:
“In conclusion, sustainable forestry practices not only protect our forests but also ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of healthy ecosystems. I encourage all of you to consider how you can support these efforts, whether by advocating for policy changes or making sustainable choices in your own lives.”

Engagement Techniques for Public Speaking

Public speaking requires more than just great content; how you deliver that content is key to maintaining engagement. Here are some techniques to apply when delivering your message:

1. Body Language

Your body language speaks volumes, often more than the words you say. Maintaining eye contact, using open gestures, and moving purposefully can create a connection with your audience and enhance your credibility.

• Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience makes you appear more confident and engaged. It also helps to build a personal connection with individuals in the crowd.
• Gestures and Movement: Use your hands and body to emphasize key points, but be mindful not to overdo it. Moving around the stage or room can help engage different parts of the audience, but ensure your movement feels natural and deliberate.
• Posture: Stand tall with your shoulders back to project confidence and authority. Avoid slouching or shifting nervously, as this can distract your audience.

2. Vocal Delivery

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools in public speaking. Varying your pitch, pace, and volume can keep your audience engaged and prevent your delivery from sounding monotonous.

• Pitch and Tone: Use changes in pitch and tone to emphasize key points and keep your audience’s attention.
• Pacing: Speak at a pace that allows your audience to follow along but doesn’t drag. Pauses are also an effective way to let important points sink in.
• Volume: Adjust your volume based on the size of the room and the nature of your message. Speaking too softly may cause your audience to lose interest, while shouting can be overwhelming.

3. Handling Nerves

Even the most seasoned speakers experience nervousness before a presentation. The key is to channel that nervous energy into a positive, engaging performance.

• Practice: The more you practice, the more confident you will feel. Run through your presentation multiple times, focusing on both the content and the delivery.
• Breathing Techniques: Deep, steady breaths can help calm your nerves and prevent your voice from shaking.
• Focus on the Message: Rather than worrying about how you are being perceived, focus on the importance of the message you are delivering. This shift in perspective can help reduce anxiety.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding your audience is the first step to engagement. Tailor your message to fit their needs, interests, and level of understanding.
• Staging is essential to keep your audience engaged. Hook them with an engaging introduction, keep their attention with organized and clear points, and leave them with a strong conclusion.
• Body language and vocal delivery are key to public speaking success. Use these tools to enhance your credibility and maintain engagement throughout your presentation.
• Engagement is an ongoing process. From the start to the end of your communication, you should be mindful of how your audience is responding and adapt as necessary.

By applying these techniques, you will be able to deliver more effective and engaging presentations, whether you are addressing a small group of stakeholders or a large public audience.

This chapter prepares you to engage in Assignment 3: Video Cover Letter and your in-class presentations by equipping you with the tools to actively engage and maintain audience interest throughout your communication.

Anderson, P. V. (2014). Technical communication: A reader-centered approach (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2018). Essentials of business communication (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. (n.d.). Organizing. In Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies.