One-way ticket to Fadeout Town

In television or motion pictures, a fade-out is a gradual decrease in visibility at the end of a sequence. Think of your typical fade-to-black, as the credits start rolling up the screen at the end of a movie, or as a transition between different scenes in a television show. In broadcasting, we’ll talk about gradual decreases in sound, dialogues, or the like, usually ending in complete inaudibility.

Fade outs typically announce the end of something. In the context of inclusive communication, fade-outs announce the end of our audience members’ interest in us and our content. Ouch.

When we address our audience from the platform, the front of the room or Zoom, we’re never fully in control of when or how someone will tune us out. But it happens a lot more than we care to admit. While we can’t do much about the “when” and the “how”, we always, always, have full control over the “why”. What we do control is whether we consciously prevent fade-outs from happening.

These dramatic situations can be prevented by being mindful of a series of considerations to actively work towards the inclusion of all of our audience members. When we pay attention to these types of details, we can help everyone stay connected with us and our message. And it’s a very powerful thing indeed.

There are many subtle and not-so-subtle reasons why someone might disengage from you as a speaker, trainer or communication professional.

You can probably guess some of the most obvious ones already, based on your own lived experiences attending events with speakers. We’ve all been there. Speakers who seem like they don’t want to be there. Those who clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. Those who make you feel awkward. Those who lecture you ad nauseam. Those who read their slides to you. Those who are soooo predictable. The list goes on and on.

What causes audience members to fade out

But then, there are all the not-so-subtle reasons that can make an audience member disengage from the experience. Some people might disengage from you because you’re referring to key visuals on the screen without verbally describing what the visuals represent, or what they’re about. Whether it’s caused by poor sight, low projector quality, poor lighting conditions or maybe even where they happen to be seated in the room, some people in the audience will struggle with seeing the information shared on the screen.

If you make the experience dependent on sight, some people will have a hard time with that. If you make assumptions about what the audience can see or perceive, you shouldn’t be surprised when they get upset at you for not considering the fact that they may not be able to clearly see these visuals… or see them at all.

The list of potential issues people in our audience might struggle with goes on and on and on… and each one of these barriers stands in the way of your audience truly connecting with you, your brand, and your message.

Whatever the reason might be, a significant part of our audience regularly disengages from us because we unknowingly fail to provide them with a context that is adapted to their needs and expectations. And this disconnect can have a dramatic impact on our businesses unless we learn how to avoid those pitfalls and go out of our way to create experiences that will be truly inclusive of everyone.

There’s a lot we can pay attention to as professional communicators, to make sure that our content and delivery are as inclusive as they can be. The road to inclusion is paved with great intentions, but the bumpier the road, the more likely it will lead our attendees to Fadeout Town.

And if there’s one place we, as speakers, don’t want to lead our audience to, it would be that dreaded place where they disconnect from us and our message. The realization I’ve made over the years is that people fade out because we’re not being mindful enough about their particular needs and expectations.

Because we’re not sufficiently aware of their expectations.

Because we’re not sufficiently tuned in to their reality.

Because we’re a little shortsighted when it comes to what they might expect, want, or need.

And so my question to you is, how short-sighted are you when it comes to what your audience members expect or need?

Do you have a tendency to assume that whatever works for you will also work for them?