9 Tips for Overcoming Unexpected Noise & Distractions at Events
Check out these ideas to overcome meeting challenges that speakers encounter to have a successful event!
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It can be distracting to speak at meetings when all sorts of noises occur around you. You might not even realize that traffic or the howling wind noises are cutting off your voice!
If you're delivering an in-person or virtual presentation to a small group or a large audience, there's always the potential for distractions. What should a speaker do when the room gets too noisy to communicate their presentation effectively?
If you're planning on giving a talk at an event, it's essential to try and minimize most distractions. Any speaker who has ever attempted to give a presentation in a room full of people knows that it can be challenging to keep everyone's attention.
Whether it's the sound of traffic outside the window or virtual environments with on-camera interruptions from family, friends, or pets, there are always distractions that can interfere with the flow of your presentation.
Common distractions in meetings and events include:
Phones ringing
Doors slamming
Side conversations amongst audience members
Construction & traffic noises
Noises from adjacent rooms
Electronic devices and air conditioning units
You will want to be made aware of some interruptions, such as emergency messages or comments from the audience to let you know if they are having difficulty hearing you. However, other distractions make it difficult for the audience to concentrate on your presentation.
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Tips to eliminate common noises and other distractions at events
It can be frustrating for speakers to try and compete with all of the noise and visual distractions in the room. But there are a few things you can do to keep everyone's attention focused on your talk. Here are nine tips for dealing with distractions for in-person and virtual meetings:
Try to start by getting everyone's attention right away. If you can start by grabbing everyone's attention from the beginning of your talk, it will be easier to keep audiences engaged throughout the presentation.
Examples include telling a joke, starting with an exciting story or statistic, or showing a short video clip.Include a meeting agenda or a brief overview or outline of your talk. An agenda will help keep everyone on track and focused on the topics you'll be covering.
Also, be sure to let the audience know how much time you have for each subject and when there will be breaks. For example, if you have a presentation under 20 minutes, it's probably not necessary to have a formal agenda, but for longer talks, it can be helpful to keep everyone focused.
Make sure your voice is loud enough to be heard over any background noise. If people can't listen to you, they will have a hard time paying attention to what you're saying. Also, consider speaking a bit slower than you usually would so that people have time to process what you're saying.
Use pauses effectively. Pausing for a few seconds after making a key point can help emphasize the importance of what you've just said and give people a chance to process the information before moving on.
Use visual aids. Having something for people to look at (besides you) can help to keep them engaged and focused on the presentation. Examples include PowerPoint slides, charts and graphs, photos and videos, and physical objects.
Ask questions. Asking the audience questions is a great way to get them involved in the presentation and keep their attention focused on what you're saying. You can also use questions to gauge whether the audience understands your presenting information. Consider doing a sound check by asking the audience to raise their hands if they can't hear you.
If you're giving a virtual presentation and using video conferencing software such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts, some additional tips can help you overcome noisy environments:
Use headphones to help block out distractions and background noise.
Mute your microphone when you're not speaking to avoid picking up any ambient noise.
Ask your audience to mute their microphones if they are not actively participating in the discussion.
Conclusion
Even with the best preparation, there will likely be some background noise that you'll have to contend with in a presentation. Although it's impossible to eliminate every distraction, there are a few things you can do as a speaker to minimize them. However, by following these tips, you can mitigate many of the most common disruptions.
