How to be more inclusive as a speaker.

Everything that you do as a speaker either connects or disconnects with your audience.

Yes, yes, I have said that before.

One of the places where speakers can most commonly disconnect is audience interaction.

And often they don’t know they’re doing it.

As a speaker, it is your role to keep your audience safe, and how you use your skills to make the audience feel included is so important.

When you do your interaction and you get it right, it’s fucking fantastic.

It creates energy.

It builds connection.

It helps people to feel part of something rather than just passively watching.

But if it doesn’t work, then you get the opposite.

I was at a conference some time last year where there was a speaker who was presenting on how to host events.

It’s a bit meta.

The first thing they did was say that they wanted everyone up in the room dancing to “warm up”.

Nah.

Ain’t gonna do it.

I switched off straight away.

Not because I have anything against dancing.

But because he didn’t ask if that was okay with me.

In fact, he didn’t ask anyone in the room.

What should have been an invitation to maintain the safety of a space turned into an instruction which excluded people.

A speaker asked the room to stand up to celebrate part of the speech.

The person in the wheelchair at the back shouts “I can’t!” with absolutely comedic timing.

To be fair, they shouldn’t have had to say anything at all.

Most people in that situation probably wouldn’t have said something, and the speaker would never know.

Probably because that person has been so used to not being included over time, they just take it for granted that they’re going to be ignored.

She’s really sad.

So what does more inclusive interaction look like?

Well, it starts by offering choice and invitation rather than dogmatic instruction.

“Everyone on your feet” becomes “If you are able to, I’d love for you to stand or you can do this seated if you prefer”.

“Put your hand up if” becomes “give me a show of hands if you’re able, or nod if you prefer”.

“Right, everyone, find a partner” becomes “feel free to turn to the person next to you, or take a moment to think about it alone”.

This isn’t rocket science.

(Although I haven’t actually asked a rocket scientist)

One of the places which you can really give a flavour of inclusion is in how you initially address the room.

“Ladies and gentlemen” that excludes people who don’t identify with either.

Or when people say “guys” which is okay if it’s a room full of men, but I see it said so many times by a woman to a room full of women.

In these circumstances, why don’t you just use the word “everyone”?

It covers many bases.

Being inclusive as a speaker is hugely important, and there are probably some lessons that we can take here from comedy.

One of my favourite comedians for crowd work is a guy called Matt Rife.

He actively engages with people in the audience that other comedians might avoid.

Someone in a wheelchair or someone with a visible disability.

He doesn’t tiptoe around them (which in itself could be quite cruel if they’re in a wheelchair) or ignore them.

There is a conversation where he includes them.

Properly, fully and completely.

People come to his gigs because they want to be included, and when they are, it makes all the world of difference.

And yes, the comedy world is different to the public speaking world, when you approach it with an intention to be inclusive, it makes a huge difference.

I do want to caveat a couple of things, though.

You might find yourself tied up in knots, trying to avoid getting it wrong.

And this isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.

Just think about any interaction you want to have before you do it and ask yourself: can everyone in this room participate in the way I’m asking? If not, what’s the alternative?

That 1% change to how you approach it might be a much bigger change for people in your audience

By including people, you will make them feel seen, heard, and validated, and you will be remembered.

Because that person who is excluded because you didn’t think about it, they’ll remember you as well.

Not in a great way either.

Have a think about your next speech.

What is the one thing in the way you engage and interact with your audience that could be more inclusive?

And of course, if you want to chat to me about how that might look in your speaking, drop me a DM.