hi everybody welcome back to not the

1:04

same as last year now if you have been

1:07

listening to my other episodes you will

1:10

know how determined I am to get more

1:14

people creating what I've been calling

1:16

attendee first B2B

1:19

events sessions events conferences that

1:22

really make people who are attending

1:25

feel that they are part of something

1:27

special I've talked a lot about how

1:29

important important it is to meet the

1:31

basic human need to feel safe welcome

1:33

and heard and how when we do that when

1:36

we give people the time and the space in

1:39

events to share and learn when we make

1:41

things all about the attendee experience

1:44

our events will be a

1:46

success but doesn't always work right so

1:50

I think it's time to face a challenge

1:52

that going attendee first may have

1:54

thrown up for some of you because

1:57

despite all our best efforts to create

2:00

fantastic engaging environments it does

2:03

feel sometimes that some attendees don't

2:05

want to engage I have had some super

2:08

awkward moments standing on a stage

2:10

asking for people to get involved and

2:13

getting pretty much nothing back I've

2:16

hosted a big hybrid event where we

2:18

wanted people to call in Via video to

2:21

contribute and nobody did it there are

2:25

occasions when I sat there trying to get

2:28

something out of people in a workshop

2:30

and I feel like it must be to be um you

2:32

know a school teacher a high school

2:34

teacher teaching double master 14 year

2:37

olds on a hot Friday afternoon and

2:39

thinking why have we gone to all this

2:41

trouble to create an engaging

2:43

collaborative session it's literally

2:45

where I'm in a room full of people who

2:47

were just not biting there were no

2:49

questions there are no responses there's

2:51

just blank faces it can be so

2:54

frustrating but it's not hopeless today

2:57

I want to help you tackle this issue

2:59

head

3:00

on so let's talk about the mindset why

3:03

are some people so hesitant to

3:07

engage now in my experience sometimes

3:10

it's because say it's an internal event

3:13

and the company has a history not

3:15

actually listening to feedback or staff

3:17

opinions right that has definitely

3:19

happened or sometimes it is litchy that

3:22

the makeup of the audience at this

3:24

particular event is by nature very

3:26

introverted they're just not the kind of

3:30

people who want to speak up and actually

3:33

I've also found at some business events

3:36

there is a situation where some of the

3:38

attendees or a large number of the

3:39

attendees don't either want to share

3:41

their views with potential competitors

3:43

or they don't want to appear vulnerable

3:46

to their competitors in the room they

3:47

don't want to look stupid uh they just

3:50

don't want to talk they feel it's safer

3:51

not to believe me I've hosted events

3:53

where all of these things have happened

3:56

I think with a lot of people it can

3:58

sadly go back to the way you were

4:00

treated or made to feel if you spoke up

4:03

as long ago as at school but I think

4:05

really the biggest reason that you might

4:08

experience a low audience engagement at

4:11

an event assuming it's an amazing event

4:13

you put a lot of effort into getting

4:15

their attention and engagement to is

4:17

because sometimes it's just that our

4:19

attendees are so institutionalized by

4:22

the really crappy events that they've

4:24

been attending for years you know what I

4:26

mean the jamack schedules where there's

4:28

been really really limited time for

4:30

proper questions they've been rushed

4:33

from session to session there's barely a

4:35

moment to breathe let alone Network and

4:37

ask questions so think about it if you

4:40

yourself have spent ages years attending

4:43

events where your input was ignored or

4:44

really not listen to or when speaking up

4:47

really didn't get you anywhere you'd

4:48

probably be a bit gunshy31

4:59

has not been included

5:01

before some people are also thinking oh

5:04

my God why bother no one is really

5:05

listening anyway or they might just be

5:08

uncomfortable the idea of being put on

5:10

the spot in a room full of strangers and

5:13

it is as I say the simple simple fact

5:15

that many of us are just used to being

5:17

passive at these kind of business events

5:19

we have been trained to sit quietly

5:22

listen and then leave so when we're

5:24

suddenly given the floor we might not

5:26

know what to do then it's kind of like

5:28

throwing aart party um and expecting

5:31

somebody to get up and dance when

5:34

they're all just arrived from work and

5:36

and sober and haven't had a chance to

5:39

relax but here's the good news we can

5:41

change all that there are some

5:43

strategies that will get all attendees

5:46

involved and engaged I think it's really

5:48

important to ease people in start with

5:51

really small low pressure interactions

5:54

quick fun easy Icebreaker at the

5:57

beginning of the event or during a

5:59

session so it's nothing too heavy just

6:01

something that might get some people

6:03

comfortable with the idea of speaking up

6:05

you just got to warm people up and I

6:08

think it's about setting the turnone

6:09

back in episode 8 if you are listening I

6:12

talked about how to get your

6:14

contributors to buy into this attendee

6:17

first mindset I said you need to educate

6:20

them before uh they prepare their

6:22

sessions when you say things to them

6:23

like as the event planner we are really

6:25

determined to make this event something

6:26

very different from other events

6:28

available at the moment and we really

6:30

want to do this from the beginning so we

6:31

want you to be part of this new kind of

6:33

event that we're doing that is going to

6:34

educate and entertain so that our

6:36

audiences don't leave exhausted but

6:38

excited and they've been able to get

6:39

involved that kind of thing but you can

6:41

frame this in a similar way for your

6:43

attendees you can use your MC to do it

6:45

get them actually to code in what the

6:48

new style is going to be from the start

6:49

you know if your MC is up on the stage

6:51

and having conversations with the

6:53

audience at a very beginning that is

6:55

going they're going to be seeing Oh this

6:56

is kind of event where we're going to be

6:58

asked to be involved and when we're not

7:00

being hitching them with it the second

7:01

they walk in the door because that can

7:03

be a bit much you know 9: a.m or a

7:05

Monday morning and someone's going hey

7:06

you we're just wandered in with your

7:08

coffee speak you'll get them kind of

7:10

doing a reverse and leaving the room so

7:13

I will often in my role persuade my

7:16

client we need to start with an

7:17

icebreaker I know you want to get

7:19

straight into the keynote but let's just

7:21

everybody kind of come in and realize

7:23

it's going to be a kind of ser a kind of

7:25

conference where they are going to be

7:27

able to get involved and we can do that

7:29

right right up front you know just get

7:31

them in and then I sort of start talking

7:32

to them tell them what the sessions are

7:34

going to be about and say look I really

7:35

want you guys to get involved so the

7:37

first thing I'm going to get you to do

7:38

maybe is just turn to the person on your

7:39

right ask them why they came to the

7:41

conference that kind of thing just get

7:43

get them slowly seeing I can get

7:45

included I can get involved and you can

7:47

have more sophisticated eyes Breakers

7:50

than that you could get them to move you

7:52

can get them to find out something

7:54

different you know give them different

7:56

tasks depending on how adventurous you

7:58

want to be but it's just helping them

8:01

slowly absorb or really immediately

8:04

absorb actually just some consciously

8:06

this isn't an event where I'm going to

8:08

be sitting on my ass all day I am going

8:10

to be getting

8:11

involved and they know then that their

8:13

participation is not just welcomed as

8:16

expected it's just giving them a little

8:18

nudge to know oh my voice is going to

8:20

matter here you also need to create some

8:23

areas or sessions that are really

8:25

specifically designed for open dialogue

8:28

make them really an inviting know that

8:31

there's somewhere people can go and

8:32

speak freely without judgment sometimes

8:34

just a few places that you know are

8:36

those kind of safe zones can encourage

8:38

someone who might not have wanted to

8:39

talk in front of a whole room or might

8:41

have felt uncomfortable on a big table

8:43

having to talk to each other they know

8:44

there's a couple of sopers and chairs I

8:46

can sit there and it'll just be

8:47

one-on-one

8:48

conversations this is where facilitators

8:51

are so important if you have people

8:54

skilled facilitators and moderators

8:56

involved they can make a world of

8:58

difference they can encourage

9:00

participation ask the right questions

9:02

make sure everyone feels included

9:04

sometimes all it takes is just someone

9:06

to bridge the gap between the audience

9:07

and the stage I think actually you can

9:10

get a lot of uh engagement by

9:12

incentivizing

9:14

interaction just sometimes just

9:16

recognition you know seeing your name on

9:19

whole response can help people think oh

9:21

could I was listen to but you can also

9:24

actually offer Rewards or small

9:26

incentives for the best comments or you

9:28

know other cat for the funniest for the

9:30

clest for the most helpful for the most

9:32

unexpected interactions we've had today

9:35

um it can be you know Swag that you've

9:37

got from sponsors or it can be a small

9:39

prize just a shout out or recognition as

9:42

I say can help and it adds a bit of fun

9:44

people kind of like a bit of competition

9:46

and can encourage you what us to tendy

9:48

to speak up I think peer encouragement

9:50

is super important if you've got some

9:52

more vocal or experienced attendees you

9:55

you can get them to leave by example

9:57

because when people see their peers

9:59

engaging it can Inspire them to do the

10:01

same it's about a kind of ripple effect

10:04

as an MC I spend my breaks at events

10:06

when I'm not on stage chatting to other

10:09

attendees making friends and I really

10:11

make a note of those I think might be

10:13

good to call upon in sessions where

10:15

potentially people might be initially

10:17

shy at speaking obviously I check with

10:19

them that they'd be happy to do that

10:20

just say you know in later sessions

10:22

today you've noticed probably people are

10:23

being quite quiet if I come to you to

10:25

ask if you got a question or or response

10:27

to something would would you be happy

10:28

with that and Jen most people are

10:30

absolutely thrilled they think oh yeah

10:31

i' be happy to help that in a scheme to

10:33

make the event more fun and engaging and

10:35

if they say no then of course they don't

10:37

come to them now either with all these

10:39

strategies you're going to face some

10:41

resistance it's part of the game but

10:43

don't be disheartened I think the key

10:46

here is to be patient and persistent

10:48

people need a little their time to warm

10:49

up don't push too hard don't give up

10:52

either if someone is reluctant to speak

10:54

up it's about trying to engage them in a

10:57

different way maybe oneon-one in smaller

10:59

groups the idea is to get people

11:01

comfortable enough to

11:03

share I want to remind you that it is so

11:06

important to create a space where people

11:08

feel safe and heard and it's essential

11:10

really even if it takes time for them to

11:12

adjust I've hosted events for some

11:15

organizations I might be now my fourth

11:17

or fifth year and when I first started

11:20

working with them and I was saying come

11:21

on we need to get more um engaging

11:24

moments going in your like more

11:25

collaborative moments between the

11:26

audience and the speakers they were like

11:28

yeah our audiences don't they don't talk

11:31

they just sit and watch but their

11:33

feedback says they really want to get

11:35

involved so that's why we're working

11:36

with you but just be aware and I'll see

11:38

the first year it was hard the first day

11:41

then we get more and more and now we're

11:43

into the fourth or fifth year they know

11:45

oh now this is a space where we can talk

11:47

now we can get involved and of course it

11:50

hasn't always taken five years but the

11:52

point is now we're on a stage where that

11:54

conference just gets better and better

11:56

and more and more collaboration from

11:58

attendees is happening and it's it's

12:01

really special so you know you do have

12:02

to be patient with certain groups of

12:04

people but the long-term benefits

12:06

outweigh those initial challenges the

12:08

number of people coming to those events

12:10

is growing the feedback is getting

12:11

better and better it's all those kind of

12:13

things so I hope this episode helps you

12:16

realize that even with some hesitant or

12:19

potentially disengaged attendees putting

12:22

their experience first will make a

12:24

difference if you handle their

12:26

reluctance with the right attitude and

12:28

you keep focusing on this safe inclusive

12:30

environment you will start to see

12:33

participation it's often in those

12:35

moments of quiet hesitation that the

12:37

ground work for real engagement is laid

12:39

you can turn even the most reserved

12:42

attendees into active enthusiastic

12:44

participants thanks for tuning in today

12:47

change takes time remember but a payoff

12:49

is always worth the effort until next

12:52

time