7 Ways to Keep Your Audience Engaged Tony Robbins-Style

Everyone knows motivational speaker Tony Robbins. He’s famous for his infomercials, self-help books, and having one of the most popular TED talks ever. While his message resonates with many, I believe much of his success comes from the way he has learned to engage an audience.

As the executive vice president for a speakers bureau, I’ve seen a lot of keynotes, seminars, moderated sessions, and TED talks over the years and Robbins stands out as one of the most confident speakers. But everything he does in his talk, any speaker can learn to do. If you want to engage your audience like Robbins, you should start incorporating these seven practices into your talks.

1. Make it interactive

Nothing disengages an audience more than being talked at. If you want to get people engaged and leaning in their seats, get them involved.

Robbins is good at asking questions. Usually, Robbins asks for a show of hands–for example, about how many people have failed at something–which gets people moving their bodies and makes the content relevant to them. Sometimes he asks for examples, having the audience shout out answers, which he then uses to illustrate his points, making the talk more personal to the audience as well.

2. Tell anecdotes

Stop reading from your slides. If you want to engage your audience and have them wait on your every word, tell stories and anecdotes.

We are wired from birth to learn from stories. Our parents tell us how they had to walk uphill both ways through snow to go to school to illustrate a point about how hard life was when it still snowed. We remember the lesson they impart to us because it was told in a story, even if we didn’t like it.

So when Robbins tells the story of the event that changed his life–when he had food delivered to his poor family on Thanksgiving–we remember it and the lesson of charity he learned from it.

3. Keep on point

If your presentation is unfocused or you ramble in your stories, you will see your audience’s eyes wander, searching for an escape.

Robbins makes sure the audience knows what topic they are listening to. He has a set list of points he enumerates on human needs. Then he reminds people of the point he is talking about, say about generosity, and summarizes all the points later as a final reminder of why these needs are important to our motivation. The audience is never left wondering what idea he is talking about or how all these human needs tie together to drive us.

4. Use humor

While stories engage our emotions, humor engages our minds. Robbins uses humor in several ways to engage: to make a point, to make people feel comfortable, and as part of his stories.

Robbins is careful not to mock anyone with his humor, which would alienate that person or the audience. Instead, he often focuses his humor on his own life actions and common human foibles we can all relate too.

5. Controlled movements

Our eyes like movement. If you move too little, people grow restless; too much, and they are distracted.

Robbins uses several movements to keep people watching what will happen next. As he speaks, he makes sure to stroll back and forth–but not too far from center.

When he makes points, Robbins uses decisive hand gestures but doesn’t gesticulate too wildly, which would be distracting. Finally, his movements aren’t always predictable. For an especially dramatic point, he might come off stage and high-five an audience member.

6. Be vulnerable

If you’re vulnerable and honest, people will listen to every word you say.

Robbins makes a connection by showcasing his vulnerability. While he is wildly successful motivational speaker now, he grew up poor. He opens up about his father leaving his family at the age of eleven, as well as the mistakes he has made in his life. This vulnerability engages the audience at the same time it makes his message more universal.

7. Dress comfortably

If you’re not comfortable on stage, your audience won’t be comfortable listening to you.

By dressing comfortably in a button down shirt and sports jacket, Robbins comes across as friendly, relaxed guy, just hanging out with you. His comfort level makes it easier for the audience to engage with everything he says.

While some speaking events may require different levels of formality for clothing, make sure you choose something in a style that makes you feel the most comfortable.