How to win your audience back when things go wrong – the Diamond of Dissent  

Checklist: What is my audience doing?

• Are they listening, or have they checked out?
• Are they calling out from their seats because they disagree with me, or because they want to learn more?
• Are people walking out because they need to go to the bathroom, or because they want to escape what is being said?

The Diamond of Dissent

To be an impactful speaker, you must know your audience. Likewise, to re-engage them when you’re not getting the response you expected, you need to be able to read the room. Are they expressing doubt, disagreement, and skepticism, or simply distraction, concern, and inattention?

The Diamond of Dissent is a 2×2 matrix reflecting types of negative audience response relating to whether they’re listening or not, and if they’re doing so actively or passively.

• LISTENING denotes attention: the audience’s behavior is in direct response to what you’re saying. They’re engaged, but not in a productive way.
• NOT LISTENING denotes avoidance: audience behavior reflects a lack of engagement with what you’re saying (which may be deliberate or unintentional).
• ACTIVE denotes agency: their behavior is an active choice.
• PASSIVE denotes complacency: your audience has fallen into a pattern of behavior. They may be struggling to stop it, or not bothering.

How to respond to dissent

Here’s how to address the four key negative behaviors to watch out for, starting with the most common (and least confrontational) and concluding with the least common (most confrontational).

Resigning

(‘Passively not listening’ dissent)

• When people seem to be zoning out, reinvigorate the room and bring energy back to your session by introducing an interactive element: ask direct questions to spark individual participation, or introduce a surprising new perspective to renew their investment.

Retreating

(‘Actively not listening’ dissent)

• If people seem to be “running away” from your presentation, focus on delivering value that will compel them to stay by explicitly linking content to their immediate challenges and demonstrating tangible benefits, or inviting them to co-create solutions relevant to their needs.

Repelling

(‘Passively listening’ dissent)

• If people seem unconvinced, address their guardedness rather than ignore it by acknowledging potential objections upfront and inviting open discussion, or presenting counterarguments and data that directly address their unspoken concerns.

Rebelling

(‘Actively listening’ dissent)

• When somebody wants to argue with you, don’t let their voice take over the room. Set clear boundaries for discussion, redirect the conversation back to the core agenda, or offer to address their specific concerns offline.