Good comedians know how to engage their audiences. You’ve probably laughed with more than a few, from famous performers like Chris Rock to Johnny Beehner, one of the last comedians to appear on Late Show with David Letterman, because of this very reason. If they don’t engage, the audience quickly becomes bored, and it probably won’t be long before the heckling begins.
It’s not just comedians who need to have this skill – anyone who has to stand up in front of an audience needs to master this, which means you may want to know how the best comedic performers accomplish that to enjoy success yourself, business or otherwise.
They Know to Go Where Their Audience Is
To engage an audience, you need to know where your audience is. While that may seem obvious, many business brands attempt to push their message to an incompatible audience, meaning they’re targeting customers who are unlikely to be interested. Even if their content is engaging, those customers are less likely to interact with it and/or move forward by making a purchase. You have to know where your audience is, which is why a comedian telling a lot of crude jokes is probably not going to be found performing at a church function or professional business event. They go to where their act is most likely to be well received.
They Develop a Niche
Most successful businesses become that way by developing a niche and comedians do the same. No two good acts should ever be alike. Marc Maron doesn’t do Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer’s material is nothing like Amy Miller. While they all tell jokes, they tell different ones, appealing to different audiences.
They’re Constantly Looking for Feedback
Listening to your customers’ feedback is the best way to improve and come up with new ideas, as many experts will tell you. That’s why comedians are continuously looking for feedback so that they can successful engage with their audience, getting the most laughs out of their act. When they do that, they have a much better chance at becoming the headliner and enjoying the money that comes along with it. If they ignore what their audiences want, it won’t be long before they fade into obscurity.
They Build Relationships
Nowadays, popular comedians who’ve achieved success have managed to do so because they understand the importance of building relationships with their audience – their fans. They do this by being honest about themselves, their lives and the problems they face, which helps them to develop closer bonds through audiences that can relate. Our emotions are all the same, and we’re going through similar “stuff.” It’s just the details that are different. A business can tap into this too, first by focusing on building strong relationships with their customers rather than being focused on a one-time sale. Tapping into core emotions can allow anyone to engage better with their audience, consumer or otherwise, for more meaningful relationships that stand the test of time. This helps to increase both sales over the short term and the long term as well.
