SOHAIL: Crowd work separates great public speakers from average ones
Column: Nohman's Nuances
I recently had the pleasure of watching star East Coast stand-up comedian Troy Bond perform at the Stress Factory Comedy Club close to the College Avenue campus. After watching some viral TikTok clips of Bond responding to crowd hecklers, I was excited to watch him perform as my first live stand-up comedian experience.
It turned out to be an inspiring experience.
Not a minute passed without a wave of uproarious laughter during Bond's stand-up. But, when the curtains were drawn and the event was done and over with, I did not go over any of the jokes in my head or the times when I laughed the hardest. I instead reflected on why Bond was the "main act" and why his performance was so much more engaging than any of the three openers that performed before him.
What I realized was that Bond demonstrated a unique skill. He did not walk onto the stage with a list of jokes or bits he wanted to cover. Instead, he immediately started his routine by asking questions and spontaneously applying his niche knowledge on subjects whenever they would arise.
This method made his performance feel much more personal than the opening comedians before him. It felt like we were all having a fun conversation at a dinner table rather than watching a speech with fun elements.
Bond's ability to learn from his crowd and engage his audience as he is performing is a skill that can be applied to any career path, and it is the skill that separates good and great public speakers.
Before I graduated high school, I had only ever spoken in public five or six times. There was never a need to with my relatively small class of 80 students and the stunning lack of extracurricular activities I was pursuing.
I stuttered and stumbled over my words on each of those public speaking occasions, but it was never my concern because I did not believe in the importance of being able to speak publicly. It was only until I came to Rutgers that I had to speak in public regularly.
To prepare for my application to law school, I joined the University's mock trial association and finally put my public speaking skills to the test. It was terrifying competing at my first competition in Virginia. I did not do as well as I hoped, but it was my introduction to speaking in front of a crowd.
When you are an attorney during a mock trial, you are only speaking to one person: the witness. But you need to remember all the judges and people watching you and scoring you while you are speaking and use all your abilities to appeal to them as well.
The same principle could be applied to academic lectures or board meetings. Forming one-on-one relationships with each person you are speaking to is vital, but making everyone in the crowd feel included is challenging.
It took some time, but I believe I was able to find that sweet spot of "attention division" when performing in front of a crowd. It helped me to remember that it was not just the people I practiced with watching me but a group of people who were introduced to my abilities for the first time.
I also learned that the content of what you say in front of a crowd is not as crucial as how you say it. Realistically, being personable on stage is infinitely more important than being knowledgeable.
The ability to speak in public can propel you along the path of any career you choose to pursue, but it is up to you to read the room and learn who you are talking to and what they want to hear.
Nohman Sohail is a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in economics and political science. His column, "Nohman's Nuances," runs on alternate Sundays.
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