An Audience's emotion and needs

To leave people happy and feeling well that they got their money’s worth, we need to satisfy all of the following needs:

I do want to be hurt, and need physical comfort, I am part of the group, I am worth something, I do worthwhile things, I want to LEARN new things, I want beauty around me, order, discipline, I want to share, give away, mean something, I want you to care for me, I believe in a higher power, I want to accomplish greatness, I am angry against, yet want to forgive, I am better than others, I am bored and need excitement, I am afraid of …, need to resolve it, I love to laugh, play and have fun.

The audience is KING. We are merely their servants. Our needs, oddities, gripes are of no significance. They will remember what we offered them, the emotion, the laughter, and the tears with a smile.

They will go through the following emotional states:

Shyness: “I have no opinion, I will make a fool of myself today”. It is shown by withdrawal or loud talking. Hiding behind tables and in positions where there is little eye contact. Action: Give strong leadership, rules and regulations. Expect no little reaction contributions Let them draw, write, think on their own.

Aggression: “I have an opinion, and it is definitely different from yours”. A fighting spirit, crossed arms, disbelief, cliques , ganging up against the facilitator. Action: This is normal for groups to find themselves. If they want a fight, take them head on with aggressive body language.

Comfort: “I have an opinion, but it is of lesser importance than that of the group”. Smiling, sitting back, listening intently, yet not contributing. Action: Smile back, steer gently in a direction.

Exuberance: “Its great out here, the group is greater than me, lets get this done!”.
Sadness: “It can not be over, impossible..” Sadness, sharing business cards, reluctant to leave, when can we do it again? Action: Group photo, touching story, group hug..

We need to get to point 4 in less than 5 minutes