Your Audience
“The audience will always forgive you for being wrong and exciting, but never for being right and dull.”
A canoe without a paddle.
A boat without a sail.
A bow without an arrow.
One without the other isn’t much use.
It’s the same with storytelling. Without an audience, you have no story.
Understanding your audience and their needs is, therefore, of paramount importance.
Who are you trying to talk to?
What are their goals?
What are they struggling with in their life?
Answering these questions will enable you to craft a story that has an impact.
The very best stand-up comedians know this implicitly. It’s why they often ‘test’ out their new material at smaller venues.
They want to gauge the audience’s reaction and see if their initial hunch about what will resonate is true.
Often, the first few iterations of a joke fail to meet their expectations, so the comedian has to work a little harder to figure out what his or her fans want.
The other critical thing to remember is how you speak to your audience.
Choose your language and tone wisely. Avoid being too fancy and come across as a boorish know-it-all.
Remember that good communicators make themselves look smart.
Great communicators make their audiences feel smart.
