Have you ever had to give a presentation in front of a really small audience? What thoughts went through your head? Were you disappointed? Did you give the performance like there was 1,000 people there?
Craig Valentine and I did our first 2-day Champ Camp in Dallas for three people. We lost money, but those three people walked away completely transformed. We were inspired because we knew we had something amazing to offer. We knew we just had to learn to market better.
Not long ago, I did an event just before a District Conference to help promote Toastmasters at their local college. They had told me about all the newspaper ads and promotion they had done, so I was expecting a packed house. The photo above was taken during this event.
This photo was not staged. If you would’ve asked any of those people how I performed, they’d say they were totally blown away. It was not my job to promote that event. It was my job to serve the souls in front of me.
If you dream about having a big audience… great! But if you’re bummed-out about the small audience in front of you, I have two things to say:
A. You are not alone.
B. STOP THAT!
We are privileged to have people sit and listen to us. We get to be speakers. I can’t say I’m perfect and haven’t “mailed in a performance” (or just went through the motions) on occasion. How dare I? That’s why I now ask myself four questions that help keep me present right before I begin speaking.
Sometimes, the audience may be small, and the setting may stink, but the people who are in front of you had nothing to do with that. They may never see you again, but they may need your inspiration. That’s something they won’t get if you’re not totally in-the-moment for them. If we are truly professionals (or pros-in-the-making), every person counts… and every performance counts. The audience is counting on us.
If you don’t have a passion for speaking to a small audience,
why should you ever get the privilege of a huge audience?
In the comedy world, we had to prove ourselves in the “B” rooms before we would get the privilege of the big comedy clubs on weekends. Long before I got audiences of 1,000 people – or even 200 – I was performing comedy in the back of a bar, competing with the TV for the audience’s attention. I’m not alone. That’s the road most speakers and performers take to get to the big audiences. Not long before Terry Fator won America’s Got Talent, he gave a performance at a community fair to ONE person in a 1,000-seat theater!
Some people think that once you “make it,” you never have to do small audiences again. What, are they crazy?! I got to speak to a small association last week for 32 people in Vegas. I got no fee… and I was sick… but the audience didn’t know that. I gave them all the energy I had. It was a privilege.
I asked Vegas Headliner, Terry Fator, about his commitment to perfection in his performances and where it came from. His answer was fascinating! For a while, he was performing in a band and he got to a point where going to work was absolute drudgery. Then he saw an old movie, The Jolson Story (1946).
Terry said, “One of the things that struck me was the sheer joy he took in performing. He would get up and perform for 4 hours and then go to a party and perform more.”
It gave him a new perspective. He thought he was going to be performing for 50,000 people. He said, “Hey, maybe I’m only in a bar and there are only 45 people there, but I get to perform. I caught that joy from Al Jolson, and never dreaded again.”
If you don’t have a passion for speaking to a small audience, why should you ever get the privilege of a huge audience?
Stage time,
Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
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Thank you for that timely article. I am going to give a talk today on “The Power of Networking”. I was told there will be 300 participants there. Now with your reminder, I know that if there are (3) in the audience I’ll still do my best to hit a homerun.
This article hit the spot. I used to lament the lack of participants in a presentation until I came to similar conclusions. Now, I treasure my small audiences because of the close interaction and opportunity to really connect. Thanks, Darren!
I’m a stand-up comic. When I was starting out I did a show uptown on a snowy Thursday night between Christmas and New Years.
We had an audience of three.
They were a fantastic audience! It was a different experience, one that taught me a little more about how to be conversational, since you can’t (and shouldn’t) ‘perform’ to three people, you have to just talk to them.
I wish I could’ve cloned them and brought them to every show I do. Recently I had an audience of six and I told them I was happy they were there, told them about the time I had only three people on a snowy night and promised them that with an audience of SIX the show would be ‘half as good.’
Sometimes comics point out the small audience and make them feel uncomfortable, but remember, while you may be annoyed at the 5 billion people on Earth who didn’t show up, you should appreciate those who did.
Shaun Eli
http://www.BrainChampagne.com
Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)
Darren, as always I enjoy your articles. I particularly enjoyed the Stage Time story. I recently began speaking on the topics of improving personal finances, getting out of debt, repairing a damaged credit report, etc. Recently, I had an audience that couldn’t sit still for 10 seconds. They were getting up for coffee, going to the rest rooms, or leaving for a dentist appointment, whatever. I thought it was a reflection of my performance. However, as you concluded, those who stayed put in their seats did benefit from the presentation and took home tips for improvement and as a result so did I.
Stage time and making it always count, that is my take away. Those 3 people deserve only the best, because that is what they came for. We never know the impact, ripple effect that may happen in people lives when we always, no mater the size, do our best. Thanks for the encouragement and an important reminder.
Wow! This is so true! Plus, when you give all you can give to an audience of a few, I think they really appreciate that and you gain a measure of respect. Thanks for sharing this with us, Darren. It will help those of us who speak to be encouraged when the audience is less than we expected. And it will help us have the enthusiasm to give them more than they could imagine!
Darren,
Once again, a VERY insightful article!
Darren, GREAT article—once again, honest, wise and funny. You captured the essence of the “bigger WHY” behind the “what we do”. The blessing is in the opportunities awarded to us, not in the size of the audience. Thank you!
I could not agree more with this article! The first workshop I offered had four people. I was disappointed at first, but it passed as soon as I started speaking WITH them. Smaller groups provide a closer connection. The listener must become more engaged. It also allows me to look into their eyes and react to them better.
I get to do this! I get to live my dream. Whether it is 3 or 3,000, I am thrilled for the opportunity to help others.
Darren,
The timing of your article couldn’t be any better for me. Today, I gave a FREE Stress Power Hour as a way to introduce people to my Stress Management business. There were 3 people there, but I made a conscious choice to be grateful that those 3 people were there and give them information they could implement immediately. I could have gone down the road of “this is a failure” “Why am I going to the trouble” etc. But I didn’t, and I felt great leaving the workshop, and so did the participants!
Thanks for putting it into perspective for me.
Monica
I’m a stand-up comic. When I was starting out I did a show uptown on a snowy Thursday night between Christmas and New Years.
We had an audience of three.
They were a fantastic audience! It was a different experience, one that taught me a little more about how to be conversational, since you can’t (and shouldn’t) ‘perform’ to three people, you have to just talk to them.
I wish I could’ve cloned them and brought them to every show I do. Recently I had an audience of six and I told them I was happy they were there, told them about the time I had only three people on a snowy night and promised them that with an audience of SIX the show would be ‘half as good.’
Sometimes comics point out the small audience and make them feel uncomfortable, but remember, while you may be annoyed at the 5 billion people on Earth who didn’t show up, you should appreciate those who did.
You have inspired me to speak even when just a few can come!
Kathy
It had always been said that a professional photographer was thrilled if he got a couple of really good shots out of a whole roll of film. When connecting to an audience you can’t be everything to everyone. I focus on the power of one – making a profound difference in just one life and the ripple affect that has. When I keep this in mind, the size of the audience becomes irrelevant.
Amen
This is an excellent post- thanks for reminding us that our expectations of what an event should be are not what is most important. What is most important is to be professional and deliver the best training, speech or performance we can to people who are expecting just that.
The opportunity to deliver a great performance to even just a few attendees may very well lead to more opportunities. We never just know who might be sitting in to observe…
Your article mentioned that you ask yourself four questions before going on with a presentation, but I did not get what the four questions are. Could you elaborate?