How to make your audience resonate with you

Written By Liam Sandford
two hands meeting with the fingers touching

How many times have you spoken to somebody or posted some content online and it fell flat on its face? Zero engagement from your audience. They may as well have not been there in the first place. It isn’t your fault, but it’s not the fault of your audience either.

Whether it’s a conversation with one person, delivering a presentation to hundreds, or posting content on social media, you can increase the chances of someone resonating with you.

Having ability to communicate clearly and concisely is your starting point. Your knowledge and expertise is the second. Beyond that, there are some secrets you should adopt to build a stronger connection with your audience. Connection is the start of where you resonate.

Make everything about them

It’s you presenting, having the conversation, producing the content, but it’s not about you. It’s about your audience. People don’t care about what you are saying, they care about what it can do for them. It’s why some people are horrible listeners — they are always trying to figure out how it relates to them.

By purposely making it about your audience you are tailoring a message to what is important to them. This increases your chances of connection and communicating in a way that lands your message with them. Usually you communicate in a way that suits you, based on your preferences but that does not necessarily work for everyone else.

How does your audience want to receive the information? Consider:

  • Level of detail

  • Mode of delivery

  • How long it takes to listen or read (shorter is usually better)

  • What they need to be able to understand/start making progress

  • How it can be consumed without friction (clarity is always important)

If it doesn’t help your audience, don’t include it — this is the one frame you should look at every communication through. It can help your audience through two lenses — education and entertainment.

Be an active listener

There is listening for your opportunity to respond and there is being present with your audience and genuinely taking in what they are saying. You need the second.

Listen to the problems your audience want solving — this is where you can really add value. Pain points, questions, frustrations, friction etc. are all gold mines where you can make someones life easier. Actively listen for these things and use it to your advantage.

Where you are using this for your business, keep track of the common things that come up in a ‘pain points database’. This will help you to prioritize products and services when you have an endless stream of ideas.

Active listening is about making the other person feel heard. Make every form of communication a two-way dialogue. One way traffic rarely builds connection. Be present, focus on them, their needs and what they want and you will increase your chances of being someone they resonate with.

Long term connection

Building long term relationships with your audience is important, but you can do that through one-off interactions with just one skill.

Storytelling.

Tell stories from every day experiences. Tell stories that show a change or journey you have been on. Showcase the before and after results. This turns concepts, lessons and ideas into something more tangible. You are showing a roadmap for someone to follow. You are telling stories that could also become their story.

The biggest mistake people make with storytelling is providing too much context. Irrelevant context is the killer of attention, and you always have to play the attention game.

Every moment in your story should be a defining moment, or leading the audience to a defining moment. This captures and maintains their attention whilst creating something for them to remember your message. People remember stories. It’s what they tell their friends and family about.

The long term connection is about being memorable, not just consistent interaction. One story told well can be the difference in whether someone remembers what you say. Stories create opportunities for connection. With connection comes impact.

Actionable takeaways

  • Make every interaction you have, both in person and online, about the other person. The more time you take to tailor your message, the closer you will connect with your audience.

  • Practice active listening. Intently give people your undivided attention, listen to pain points, frustrations, and see if you can help them.

  • Start telling stories. People love a story and it is the way to make people resonate with you beyond your conversation or presentation.

More from me

Liam Sandford
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