Your information doesn't matter to your audience as much as this does

I love learning and ideas excite me. So when I started speaking professionally, I would overwhelm my audience with information. Not on purpose, of course. But you see I thought that the more content I shared, the more value I was bringing. That is, until I started paying attention.

I noticed that my audiences were not leaning in when they saw charts or graphs. They were leaning in when they saw pictures - personal, relatable pictures of me and my experiences or the experiences of other real people. They were leaning in when I told stories and shared failures. And they were most engaged when I shared what the information meant for me and for them.

To understand this, we must think about the new reality of the speaker-audience dynamic.

The good (?) old days

It used to be that information was everything. In the pre-information-age reality, if you had the information, you had the power. The speaker was the expert and the audience was completely (or nearly completely) ignorant of the topic.

Even if they wanted to learn more, it would be at great cost of time and effort because up-to-date information was difficult and cumbersome to access.

Therefore, being a "sage on the stage" was not only effective but desirable. It was how you got and held attention.

As a speaker, your value was in your ability to access information that the audience couldn't access or wouldn't take the time and effort to access. And when you were called to speak, you merely shared that information and it was good enough. You could talk at your audience and impress them with your facts and figures alone.

Not anymore.

Audiences want more than information

Now, people can access information at the click of a button. Online courses abound, YouTube is abuzz and Google is near omniscient!

The difficulty of access is gone. The friction is nearly non-existent. In short, information has become democratized. And with this democratization, the information-centric speaker's edge is gone.

People don't want information anymore. They want more, they want a connection and they want transformation.

Connect with your audience

People want to hear from people. You see, your audience can read a scientific article or download a SlideShare presentation on virtually anything you have to say in the blink of an eye. The only reason they are there listening to you instead is because of, well, you!

People are craving connection.

Want proof of this? Look no further than social media. This is the first time in history where the most valuable companies in the world are not selling things - they are selling connection.

As a speaker, so are you - whether you realize it or not.

People want to hear from people... The only reason they are there listening to you instead is because of you!

Make the move to creating connections through life experiences - stories, pictures, failures and lessons learned. Link it to your content and give it life and humanity and your audience will lean in too.

And while they are leaning, maybe you can nudge them in the right direction and make a positive difference and get them on the path to transformation. To be sure, you will still source interesting content and provide stimulating insights, but these are tools and means - not the end.

To be effective, build a connection that can lead to a transformation.

Until the next article, speak with skill.