Distract As a Public Speaker, Including During Zoom Meetings
Earlier this week, during the Vice President’s debate, we were shown a display of Senator Kamala’s annoyed expression and a two-minute shot of a fly using Mike Pence’s head as a stopover between destinations. Twitter immediately pounced on the situation with memes and comments galore. After the debate ended, the insect has been in the spotlight for more time thanks to news coverage and post-debate analysis. In fact, the only person who didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t acknowledge it, was Pence himself.
This was what Neil Gordon, a speaking coach and communications consultant, noticed andwrote for Entrepreneur . Specifically, answering the question, “How does someone influence their audience if they are distracted by distractions that cannot be ignored?” Basically, it all comes down to owning it. Here’s what you need to know.
How to deal with distractions
Most of us don’t take the stage for the debates that are broadcast on all the major TV channels and are broadcast live around the world, but in the past six months we have been in front of the camera more often than usual in the form of Zoom meetings and presentations. Considering that these video calls usually take place in our homes, which in most cases weren’t meant to be used as offices, the potential for distractions is endless.
Whether it’s your child asking you questions in the background, a dog barking, or a jackhammer on a construction site outside your apartment, chances are good that you have something distracting while talking to coworkers or giving some kind of presentation. And according to Gordon, the best thing you can do in a situation like this is to first acknowledge the interruption and then incorporate it into what you are talking about.
So what might it look like? Here’san example from Gordon :
Let’s say one of your kids appears on camera when you talk about meeting your year-end goals. Instead of pushing them out of frame, wrap your arm around them and take a moment to tell a very quick story about what your child said or did that reminded you of how important it is for you to see this year through.
Why it works
Gordon believes that we should use humor not only to demonstrate that we are aware of the chaotic background scene playing out during our Zoom meeting, but also as a way to amplify our presentation. “The discrepancy grabs attention and even laughs,”he writes . “However, a smart speaker can use that power, turn it around, and make it work for him.”