We can be totally prepared for our presentation or talk, and when we arrive, the room itself is conspiring against us.
One of the most challenging set-ups is the long, shallow room. Typically you see this in a corporate setting, when several training areas open into each other to create a narrow rectangle. The space for the speaker is a narrow strip carved out from between hanging screens. The tables are very close to the speaker. And the toughest part is that the audience spans far out to the left and right, way down at the ends of the room.
What to do? How can you make the most of this unfortunate set-up?
For starters, I would consider reorienting the audience. It’s much easier to present to a narrow, deep room than to a wide, shallow one. If you aren’t using the screens, just move your speaking area to optimize the space.
Ask the audience to move closer to you. There’s no rule that says they have to stay at their tables. Bunch them up so you have less area to cover with your focus and voice.
If you must stay on one of the long sides of the room, two suggestions:
Don’t “lawn sprinkler” your eye contact. A room like this is hard because no matter where you’re looking, you feel like you’ve got your back to a large portion of the audience. And you do. But it’s more engaging to watch someone who is landing a whole thought or sentence on one area of the audience, even if it isn’t you, than to watch their head on a swivel, trying to cover everyone all the time.
Don’t pace. Again, the room is working against you, and you may feel like you need to try to move closer to the ends of the audience. But pacing undermines your message and makes you look jittery. Establish where you’ll be speaking from, where everyone can see you. Every so often, you can take a few steps to the left or right, and then plant yourself there for a little while.
Both of these suggestions work towards the same goal, which is to create a pull towards watching you, wherever you are in the room. It can feel counterintuitive, but when you use less movement, more intentionally, you become more magnetic. The eyes in the room will be drawn to you because you’re not scrambling to catch them.
Good luck, and may the curse of the long narrow room never fall upon you!
