Engaging Audiences - 5 Keys to Connectivity: Sheena Chohan

I was crowned “Miss Universe – I am Voice” by Sushmita Sen after a television audience of millions voted that I had the best audience connectivity. Since then, as well as playing the lead in 6 films, 3 with National Award Winning Directors and being nominated as Best Actress at the Shanghai and Dubai Film Festivals for my acting, I hosted 3 series of a TV show with 20 million viewers a day and have hosted countless events for the biggest brands in the business. I thought what I’ve learned about audience connectivity may interest you, so here are my 5 Keys to Connection:

1. Understanding

Before any event I gather as much information from the events managers as possible on who my audience is – broad information like where they have come from, their professions, etc., and also detailed information such as who the key individuals are and their history and achievements. The more I can know about the event itself, what its goals and who the group I am talking to is, the easier it is to engage them – the more I know the more I can take responsibility to ensure I don’t say things they don’t like and that I focus on what they are interested in and appreciate. By gaining maximum information about what the event manager wants to achieve from the event, the types of people in the audience and the leaders in that group, soon the room feels that I know them well, that I care about what they care about, and they soon accept me as one of them – like an old friend.

2. Communication

A golden rule I have is to always stay in close and full communication with the event managers and staff – unfortunately many hosts can be arrogant or hard to communicate with, but that is a fatal mistake. By staying in good communication with the manager I am kept up to date with exactly what is happening with the minor and major details of the event, which allows me to accurately pass that information to the audience. If I am fully aware of all the information I need to be, then the audience trusts me and wants to listen to me – that’s the most vital and often overlooked element of interactivity – I keep my communication with the organisers of the event super high, so that the information I pass to the audience is accurate and relevant, making them trust me as a communicator and want to hear more. Also, I ensure to receive feedback from the audience and pass that where needed to the event organisers – communication is a two way street and when the audience feels they are listened to and are important, they stay engaged.

3. Emotional Intelligence

When I was shooting a film in Hollywood I studied a professional course that some of the biggest stars in America have done. On this course I learned that the amount we like someone or something, is expressed in our emotions – if we love cricket we are enthusiastic about it or if we hate doing taxes, they make depressed. Our emotions range from apathy to enthusiasm and they define if an event is a success – if the crowd roars in enthusiasm at the end of an event I have succeeded but if they are bored I’ve failed. There’s various tricks one can use to raise the emotions of an audience, but the first key is to being able to spot the emotion they’re currently in, and slowly, bit by bit raise them. If you talk to a crying man in enthusiasm or cheerfulness, he’ll reject you, but if you talk to him in a more conservative manner he’ll be more likely to listen and you can then gradually lift him to where, if you’re really an expert, he’ll be in enthusiasm. This is one of the hardest arts of events but after years of perfecting it, it’s one of my greatest joys – to lift a bored and unresponsive crowd into cheerful enthusiasm and connection.

4. Agreement/Interaction

Once I know who my audience is, I have all the current information from the organisers and I know where the audience is at emotionally, that’s when the games begin. I have to use all of the information I’ve gained to find points of agreement with the people in room, because by focusing on what they agree with, our level of connection increases. As an example, if the event is one for real estate professionals in Mumbai, by using my research I will bring up broadly agreed on points to do with the previous year and projections of the

forthcoming year that make the audience nod in agreement and feel confident that I belong on the stage and that they should listen to me. I purposely search out points of the agreement because it not only makes me accepted by the crowd but it brings them together which lifts them to a higher emotion. If there is a disagreement in the room this is one of my most important tools – I quickly search for what we can agree on. People do not want to connect with those who disagree with them, so building agreement is one of the most vital steps to audience connectivity.

5. Aesthetics (Definition: Beauty)

Yes, as a former Miss Kolkatta and title winner under Miss Universe, there is definitely an aspect of having to ensure I look my best for an event – I invest in beautiful gowns and still keep my old Miss Universe exercise plan. But there’s so much more to it that that – beauty is so powerful as a tool for events that we use it non-stop, even without thinking. But NOTHING lifts the audience from boredom to interest and enthusiasm more than beauty, be that in the form of the entertainment, delicious food, decorations or even the conduct of the host. I strive to give an elegance to my connection to the audience so that the words I say and how I hold myself are delivered in the same way I deliver a performance in a film. When I host an event my goal is for my presentation to be an artform in itself – I want my audience to find my tone of voice, professionalism, presentation, and most important of all – how I make them feel, to be beautiful. Out of all of the keys, this one is the hardest, because beauty is a personal thing – we all have different tastes. However, by observing all of the above 4 points – making sure that I really stay in touch with the event managers, truly understand my audience and gradually lift them from lower to higher emotions, it’s possible to achieve a beautifully presented event, and there’s no better sign of success at connecting with an audience than when you’ve done that.

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