Facing an Audience

For most of us, facing an audience is a rather harrowing experience. The person who is the focus of many eyes must work hard to stay composed and at the same time keep his mind on what he is saying. Simultaneously, the public speaker must be aware of his audience. He must know when they are amused, when convinced, when confused. Only then can he re-trace his steps if necessary, improvise if the situation calls for it, change tactics if has to.

The written word stands on its own; the spoken word is only part of a larger impression created by a speaker. For that reason, the relationship between speaker and audience is a complicated one. If the speaker hopes to gauge reactions and mold them, he must constantly be aware of the impression he is making on his audience.