How to Set the Energy in the Room (What Michael Beckwith Told Me in 2007)

Most speakers walk on stage hoping the audience will wake them up.
World-class communicators do the opposite — they set the emotional tone for the room.
This is the dinner conversation that permanently changed the way I think about presence.

Duty Free, cappuccinos, and a 90-minute masterclass

I’m sitting in the Virgin lounge at the airport waiting for Susan to finish her Duty Free shopping. That girl loves to shop! Whenever we travel, her goal is to the airport 4 hours before the flight leaves, so she has time to get round ALL the shops!

While I’ve been sitting here, drinking cappuccino after cappuccino, I’ve been thinking about all the wonderful opportunities this business has brought us and all the wonderful people we’ve met over the years.

Back in the 90's while I was travelling around South East Asia for 8 months, and meeting a wonderfully eclectic mix of travelers from many different countries, someone said to me ‘Everyone’s nice when you get to know them!’ And I have to say, I have really found that to be true.

One of the nicest and most inspiring people I’ve met was back in 2007. After a fantastic event, I had the opportunity to sit next to Michael Beckwith at a VIP Dinner. If you don’t know, Michael is the founder of Agape International Church in LA. For 90 minutes I cross examined him on everything I could think of from speaking to spirituality. He was very gracious and never seemed to tire of my relentless curiosity.

“What do you do if the audience is flat?”

One of the things we discussed has stuck with me always.

‘When you speak to an audience, and they are very negative or unresponsive, what do you do?’ I asked.

‘You lead their energy,’ he said, ‘don’t allow their energy to lead yours.’

I took copious notes throughout our discussion, and as I was writing down his answer to this question, I said ‘You mean talk to the lightbulbs?’

‘No, it’s more than that.’ He said. ‘You want to talk to the lightbulbs, those that are actively engaged, but you also want to turn all the others on! When you walk into a room, you can either pick up the vibe, or you can set it! You need to set the vibe for your audience.’

‘Oh, I see,’ I said, scribbling frantically away.

You set the vibe. They follow your state.

‘People’s emotions are far more suggestible than most people realize. Be strong, be positive, be certain that your happy, healthy, life-giving-state is a good fit for them .. because it is .. we all secretly crave that kind of energy. People respond very well to it. Some of them may be beyond help, but most of them will be happy to be led.’

I’ve always remembered that. Lead their energy, not the other way around.

People’s emotional states are subject to influence from strong external sources. Be a leading light in the world!

When I asked him to sign a book for my daughter, he wrote ‘Simply Glow Amelie!’

It’s a great philosophy for speakers, but also for everyday life. Make a decision today that you are going to radiate life out to everyone you meet, whether they deserve it or not .. you never know .. you might just turn ‘em!

What this means for you as a speaker

• Don’t wait for the room to energize you. You energize the room.
• Your state is contagious. The way you walk in is already teaching.
• Positivity here is not fake hype. It’s regulated presence. It’s basically: “Borrow my calm. Borrow my focus. Borrow my hope.”