Years ago, while the BBC was interviewing a woman on live television, her child interrupted by toddling into the room. Since the pandemic, that’s happened over and over again.
This video is a parody of the original, but the takeaway is the same: when there are distractions, the speaker is no longer the focus. Audience members lose their focus, and they aren’t listening to the speaker’s message.
On virtual meetings, the distractions could range from a passing emergency vehicle to a playful puppy. In face-to-face sessions, distractions may come from the movement of a stage assistant, guest(s) seated on stage, or passersby outside a window.
Your audience members will be distracted when there is movement around you. Eliminate movement as best you can, and keep the focus on you.
Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov on Pexels