Why is it important to have rapport with audience?
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Show Here are 10 tips, from Dorothea Stuart of Toastmasters International, to help you gain rapport and engage your audience during your speech or presentation and beyond. 1) Put your audience first The key to rapport is getting to know as much as possible about your audience before you start preparing your speech or presentation. With limited time for your talk there are always choices to be made so the more you know the better you can tailor your technical content and examples etc to meet your audience’s needs and expectations. 2) Find opportunities for humour Knowledge of your audience gives you the chance to find opportunities for humour, one of the oldest rapport building techniques. We warm to people who make us laugh. It is also a way of showing that you are ‘one of them’. 3) Allow for flexibility in your content Write a speech that will take approximately 80% of the time you’ve been allocated. Then arrive early and talk to as many people as possible. That way you may pick up stories, examples that you can refer to in your presentation. You may also discover an important concern that you can emphasise. The ability to flex your speech in this way shows a genuine responsiveness to your audience which will be appreciated. 4) First impressions count As a speaker you are on show from the moment you start meeting your audience: walking into the conference hotel, the board room at work, stepping onto the podium. Dressing appropriately is a given. Most important is being in the mental and physical state which communicates a positive attitude and energy to your audience. If you look as if you are interested and eager to speak to them you are well on your way to establishing rapport. 5) Have a strong opening If you are at a formal event write the introduction you want the MC to give. You want people to hear information that builds your credibility/authority with this particular audience. This is an essential part of rapport. If audience members feel they are in good hands they will relax and give their attention. Next, find an opening that will grab the attention and engage your audience as quickly as possible. 6) Manage the middle If you are giving a long talk you need to maintain and peak the audience’s interest at key points in your speech. A humorous twist can do this. You can also build up your key arguments to shocking, or unexpectedly positive conclusions. 7) Use stories for emotional connection Rapport depends on emotional connection and stories are a highly effective way to achieve this. “Make a point. Tell a story. Tell a story. Make a point.” is the public speaking mantra. Evidence shows that even if we grasp the facts, we’re more likely to remember the story that illustrates it when we go back to our desks. 8) Use your voice with variety Varying the pace and volume at which you speak can add to the impact of you presentation. If you are telling a story about a fast-paced environment – pick up your pace. If you’re giving a piece of complex information – slow down and let people absorb it. If your voice matches your content it will be more engaging. 9) Give the audience time If you say something funny let everyone laugh and enjoy the moment. If you’ve said something with strong emotion give time for it to be absorbed. If you rush on to make your next point you signal that your needs are most important. By pausing you show you are there for them. 10) Have a strong ending Craft a clear, concise summary of your key message to end on. You may have a call to action which should be specific so that people leave knowing exactly what they need to do. That way your ideas will stay with them. By following these ten tips you’ll build rapport with your audience and you’ll engage them – and they will remember you, and your business, for all the right reasons.
 "I worry that I seem arrogant." "Don’t feel I connect with audiences the way I’d like to." "Tend to antagonize people." These are frequent self-assessments we receive in the pre-course questionnaire we send to The Buckley School’s Executive Seminar students. In feedback during that course, we always address rapport. A skeptical student might say: “Oh, goody. They really really like me. Why do I care?” Why Rapport MattersWe all know that when we connect with a speaker, we're more receptive to what that the speaker has to say. When an audience is put off by a speaker, the speaker faces another hurdle to getting his message across. Rapport matters, because it helps you further your message. Rapport is built when you can put the message ahead of yourself. 3 Simple Ways to Improve RapportThere are dozens of ways to fine-tune your delivery to create greater audience rapport. Here are three simple ones that can help the next time you speak: 1. Try using “we” instead of “you.”This is a simple shift we advocate all the time. For example, instead of saying in a business presentation “you should get behind cost cutting,” try making it “we.” What happens when you we do that? It puts us on a level with our audience. The speaker isn't preaching to. She's speaking with. Of course, you cannot say “we” when you specifically mean “you,” as in “you no longer have a job with our company.” But often, we can say “we,” and with that simple change, align ourselves with the audience and remove the impression of being superior. 2. Make your enthusiasm obvious.Cool. In control. Professional. This is how most businesspeople we coach would like to be described, of course. These qualities, though, can make a speaker seem detached. Not excited or committed to the cause. Too casual about the audience and the effort they’re making to stay awake through his presentation. Dialing up the energy is a way to signal your eagerness to connect with them: You are willing to work to win their support. It’s a compliment to the audience. Who doesn’t like compliments? Please note: We are not saying you should speak in a style that is wildly beyond what seems natural to you. Nor are we recommending that you speak in high-octane mode the entire time. But consider throwing yourself into the message a bit more, where and when appropriate. Work for the audience, without so much concern about your cool factor. 3. Tell a story about yourself in which you’re not perfect.Stories (and humor) can be great additions to presentations—because they bring concrete details to the message and some entertainment value, too. If you have a self-deprecating personal story that makes a point, it can be a wonderful rapport-builder. Imagine your message is this: A speaker should strive to put the final consonants on words, so that she will be easily understood. You could tell a story about how you’ve learned to do this so well and how it’s earned you fame and riches. Or…. You could tell a story like the one our faculty member Jenny Maxwell tells about herself: In a speaking exercise at The Buckley School, I gave an impromptu talk on the evils of shrink wrap. You know, the plastic stuff—full of static electricity, makes it impossible to return things once you’ve removed it. Everyone was laughing, and I thought it was going so well. After I finished, I looked at Reid for some feedback. He said: “Darling, you were hilarious. I had no idea shrimp crap was such a problem. It’s so small.” Which type of story is more likely to avoid the impression of arrogance and create audience rapport? Rapport and VulnerabilityWe tell Buckley students that the key to successful public speaking is to speak in service to your message. But we also see the potential for another much-discussed idea at work here when it comes to rapport-building: being vulnerable as a way to connect. University of Houston professor Brene Brown has a lot to say about vulnerability and connection. You'll see in this TED Talk that she uses (quite a few) self-deprecating stories to make her points:
Why rapport is important how important it is?Rapport is important because it allows us to connect and build relationships with others. It promotes connection with others on a personal level, and it helps establish comfortable living and working environments. Great rapport facilitates the development of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
What is important for creating rapport with the audience while speaking?At the beginning of your presentation ask the audience what they want from you. What are their major concerns and needs? Then address them. By asking questions and then showing genuine interest in their questions you will build rapport.
What is rapport with the audience?Rapport is what happens when you have everything in harmony. Your speech is right. The audience receives it well. They enjoy listening to it as much as you enjoy delivering it.
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