Did you know that a professional Master of Ceremonies (MC) knows what happened at an event even before they arrived?
They know what happened at the wedding ceremony and can tell a wonderful story about how the groom tried to hide a tear when he first saw his bride. They know that one of the technicians almost … almost! – dropped the expensive and fragile new product hours before the launch began. Best of all, they delight their audience and impress their clients by telling these stories later.
Yes, it is as if they have Jedi powers to read minds. Guess what? You also have this power.
It’s called “forensic listening.” This technique is a completely independent process for gathering information and stories in the interviews before the event. Forensic listening consists of collecting invaluable information on the actual day of the event. By using your ears effectively, you can learn juicy information, inspiring stories, and great anecdotes to incorporate into your presentations, announcements, and speeches. It will captivate your audience later on.
People remember stories and anecdotes, especially when they are inspiring or funny. They forget about boring things.
Once guests and attendees have arrived, go join them as they eat canapes, sip cocktails, and network. Walk around the room and LISTEN. Optimize your forensic listening by targeting the people you’ll hear the best stories from.
At a wedding, focus first on the parents of the bride and groom. If you are lucky, they will laugh about when the bride and groom were children and talk about how delighted they are with their children’s choice of mate. Join the conversation.
If you don’t get what you need, just ask the right questions.
“So how did it go? Did he say all the right things?” and “Were there any tears on the altar today?” You will discover excellent information. Expert Tip: Best friends often have very interesting stories to share!
At a corporate event, address business owners and long-term employees. Hear and get powerful stories that encapsulate the organization’s goals and values, and reveal the valuable insights people gained by overcoming obstacles. Find out why it is important to your attendees that you are here, in this room, today.
Once you’ve collected some great data, always explain that you would love to use it later in your presentations, speeches, and announcements. That way you avoid revealing something you shouldn’t, and you can make sure the narrator agrees to share it.
Keep in mind that any guest or attendee can have a fabulously interesting story to tell, and it is not always outgoing.
Don’t turn off after you’ve extracted stories from your targets. Always be on the lookout during the event, be ready to ask the right questions, and forensically hear the golden answers.