| Ask any professional stand up comedian about bad | | | | From your perspective as a public speaker, if you are |
| audiences and they will quickly give you a list of | | | | speaking at a conference or meeting most of the |
| towns, locations and dates of shows where a whip | | | | time the audience's expectations of what they are |
| and chair would have been useful for keeping the | | | | going to see will be in sync with what you are going |
| audience at bay. A good friend of mine, professional | | | | to deliver. Typically you are speaking to an audience |
| comedian Darren Frost, refers to these as "hammer | | | | that at least shares an interest in the topic you are |
| fights". Many new stand up comedians and public | | | | presenting by the virtue of the fact that you were |
| speakers have an intense fear of facing hostile | | | | asked to speak there. For example, an audience at |
| audiences. | | | | an insurance association conference will likely be |
| Let me quell those fears by assuring you that as a | | | | interested in your topic of effective claims |
| public speaker it is very unlikely that you will ever | | | | adjudication. Whether they find you interesting and |
| present at a "hammer fight". Truly terrible bad | | | | engaging... that's a topic for a different article. |
| audiences are very rare, even in stand up comedy. | | | | Do you still have some fears about hostile audiences? |
| Usually, a less than enthusiastic or even hostile | | | | Remember these key points: |
| audience is due to unrealized expectations. A simple | | | | Audiences want you to succeed. Repeat that as |
| example is let's say an audience is expecting a | | | | a mantra. No audience, whether at a comedy club or |
| performance of classical music, and a heavy metal | | | | a conference wants to see someone bomb. It is |
| band comes out on stage and starts playing their | | | | almost as uncomfortable for them as for you. What |
| music at a volume level of eleven. The audience | | | | that means is that most audiences will at least give |
| would likely be disappointed that their expectations | | | | you a chance to succeed. |
| were not met, perhaps to the point that they throw | | | | Individual audience members typically do not |
| their opera glasses at the stage. | | | | want to draw attention to them. Yelling some hostile |
| For comedians it is usually more subtle. For example, | | | | comment out as an audience member is a risk and |
| let's say a professional stand up comedian performs | | | | draws negative attention. Most people don't want |
| at an eight year old child's birthday party because the | | | | that negative attention. |
| people booking the show thought that a comedian | | | | If you have a disruptive or hostile audience |
| and clown were synonymous (example taken from | | | | member, remember to present to the majority of |
| my own life). This is not meant to in any way | | | | the audience who is listening and not being hostile. |
| discount what clowns do. They are great at | | | | New comedians often make the mistake of engaging |
| performing for specific audiences - children. However, | | | | too much with distracting audience members. If you |
| typically stand up comedians don't gear their shows | | | | are speaking at a conference or event, trust that the |
| for children audiences. An audience of eight year olds | | | | rest of the audience is annoyed with the disruptive |
| expects balloon animals and big shoes, not a grown | | | | person and possibly signal to the conference |
| man talking about going to a wine tasting with his | | | | organizers to help you address this. |
| wife. | | | | |