We’ve all been in an audience whether virtual or a conference room or an auditorium where the speaker kept talking and talking and talking. Our attention slowly wanders. We check our phone, we send a text, we answer an email. At best we’re distracted. At worst we disconnect.
Meanwhile, another presenter stops after a few minutes. She asks for questions. She asks us a question. She stops and stops and stops. We must pay attention. We don’t know when she will ask a specific attendee a question. It might be me. I better be prepared.
This second presenter is utilizing a very important practice that gives her the best opportunity to keep her audience highly engaged throughout her presentation. I call it the “Five-minute Rule.” It used to be the “10-minute Rule.” Research showed that we humans have an attention span of roughly ten minutes in a lecture/presentation setting. Well, more recent research shows that our attention spans have shortened, now five to seven minutes. Past that point, our minds begin to wander.
What To Do
It’s not difficult to address this lack of attention: change things up every five to seven minutes. We typically plan to present for 15, 20 or 30 minutes then open up for Q&A. Change the structure. Change the flow througout. Stop more frequently for questions. Ask your audience a question. Ask a specific person a question. Do a quiz. Bring in a guest presenter for a brief segment. Play a video. Use a prop. Do a quick demonstration.
Not only do these changes keep your audience engaged, they add more value to the experience. Hearing other peoples’ thoughts enriches the conversation and reveals valuable ideas. Now, you have to manage this tightly. Think about when you will change things up and put time parameters in place. Perhaps you say, “I want to stop now for five minutes of Q&A” or “I want to stop and hear some ideas for the next ten minutes before moving on.”
Try it and see if you experience a livelier more engaging interaction. Let me know how it goes. And let me know if I can help you improve your communications so you engage every audience.