How to keep your audience engaged: lessons in keeping attention from the NFL

Have you ever been presenting to your team, and got the sense they have tuned out? Maybe you’ve had a frustrating week because of this - the needle is just not moving on your strategies, the team just isn't "getting it". You feel like you are talking but no one is listening. The question is - is it because of what you are saying, or that you are missing the opportunity to truly engage them?

Engagement is hard, and there are many tools you can use to keep an audience with you.

Last year, I was in Atlanta working with a client, helping them with meetings, media training, and presentation skills. But, my week also included an exciting first - attending an NFL game!

Now, I’ve always been a fan of sports, and (thanks to being the mum of a devoted Swiftie) I am a big Taylor Swift fan, so when I found out Atlanta’s own Falcons were playing the Kansas City Chiefs - home of Travis Kelce, who’s dating Taylor Swift - I was absolutely thrilled.

What blew my mind was the lengths the sport went to to keep me, as an audience member, hooked for a full 3 hours!

I always knew that American sports were great at getting the crowd hyped, but the level of involvement and energy was beyond anything I expected. Let me explain. One of the things I hadn’t appreciated about American football is the way the game is structured. You have a quick 15-60 second play, and then everything resets. It means that 60 minutes of play takes 3 hours to complete. So, to keep the audience engaged during the downtime, there’s always something happening on the screens. Whether it’s performances, cheerleaders, shots of the audience, or competitions like eating $20 worth of food in 2 minutes, they make sure there’s constant action and involvement.

And here’s the thing—many of the most engaging moments weren’t just about the game, but about the audience. There were clips of people eating hot dogs, interacting with their friends, and competing in challenges. It was about involving the crowd, making them part of the action. And that’s a huge lesson for anyone looking to engage an audience—whether in public speaking, meetings, or presentations.

In every presentation class I run, the same question comes up: How do I engage the audience and avoid boring them? There are countless ways to do this, but the NFL game showed me two things that can make all the difference:

Mix It Up
When you do the same thing repeatedly, people tune out. Your vocal tone and body language play a huge role in how your message is received. If you’re always speaking the same way, the body language can become a distraction. Keep your audience engaged by changing things up. Vary your pitch, tone, speed, and volume. Whether it's slowing down for emphasis or speeding up to build excitement, these changes ensure that your audience stays alert and interested.

Make It About The Audience
This is the most crucial point. The NFL game didn’t rely solely on the action on the field to keep the crowd engaged. The organisers made sure to focus on the fans - showing them, involving them, and making them feel like they were a part of the experience. Whether it’s telling stories, asking questions, or simply checking in with your audience (“How are you all doing?”), the key to engagement is making it about them, not you.

When I watched the crowd energy after the game, one thing was clear: it didn’t happen by accident. The organisers worked hard to ensure the audience felt involved, and that is the secret to keeping people engaged.

So, when you’re preparing for your next presentation, team meeting, or training session, think about how you can mix things up to keep people interested and how you can make it about your audience. Encourage them to buy into your ideas, your services, or your products. If you get this right, your message will resonate far beyond the delivery.

Have you got any good engagement techniques? Let me know in the comments below.