In my last post, I talked about my favourite presenting tool pacing and leading.
Here’s the next step:
STEP 3: Match their energy. Now that you’ve got your antenna tuned acutely to the vibe of the room, it’s time to match it. This is the pacing part of the equation. It may seem counter intuitive, especially if the room is hectic and unfocussed. This is why it’s important to key into the energy of the room rather than the specifics of it. The energy may be high; quick, buzzing, high pitched, spread out… these identifiers can transcend a specific behavior. Your job is to match the energy of the room, not the literal behavior. To ‘rhyme ‘with it, not necessarily mirror it. Another reason I love this tool is it encapsulates an important belief about effective teaching:
You can’t take people where you want them to go without first meeting them where they are.
Let’s do step 4 tomorrow.
