How to Fix the Most Common Preaching/Communication Problem

Have you ever started a message and quickly come to the conclusion, they're not with me? It's a terrible feeling, isn't it?  I like to call that the, "Hey God, this one's for you!" moment.  None of us likes being there.  It's pure pain.  So, how do we get around that?

Well, if you read my previous post, The Number One Mistake that Preachers/Communicators Make, then you know that the number one mistake that preachers/communicators/teachers make is that they don't hook their audiences.  In other words, they start in with their content versus thinking about how to hook their audience into listening to their content.  Or to put it another way, they start from the wrong place.  They start by thinking that the people in their audience are as interested in listening to their content as they are—which is, as you know, a bad assumption.  Remember, we all listen to one radio station, WIIFM (what's in it for me?)

Margaret is worried about how her two year old is doing in the toddlers' room.  Frank is thinking about how he's going to find the time to refinish his deck this afternoon.  Sally is wondering if God has anything to say about how she can win her husband back.  Joe is wondering if anyone at church knows he's a fake.  Angela is struggling with a food addiction and is thinking about how fat she looks in this outfit.  And John is looking over at Marci thinking how good she looks.

Into all of that mess, the preacher stand up and says, "Let's now turn to Ezekiel 37, beginning in verse one."  So, let me ask you, how many people do you think the preacher hooked into listening with that introduction?  You got it.  None.  Okay, maybe his wife (but the hook there is marital harmony . . . maybe?).

So, how do you go about hooking an audience?  The same way you hook a fish—with "bait" that interests those whom you're trying to hook.  In other words, you start out with an introduction that connects with a felt need in their life (not yours).  One of the other big mistakes that most preachers/communicators make is that they assume that the people in their audience are interested in the same things that they are (another bad assumption). 

So, how do you find out their felt needs?  By spending time with them and studying them.  Over time this becomes almost intuitive.  But I always recommend to preachers/communicators that they start out by writing out their audience analysis for at least the next six months.  Here's how I recommend that you do this.

Take out a piece of paper.  At the top, write out, X1 (on the left side), then draw and arrow across the page to X2 (on the right side).  X1 is where your audience starts.  X2 is where you want your audience to end up.  Under X1, write down all that you know about your audience's Needs, Hurts, and Wants—as well as what they know and feel about this subject, plus their interest level.  Graphically it looks like this,

X1                                               X2
Start                                            End

Needs                                          Application
Hurts
Wants
Know
Feel
Interest Level

Write down everything you know about your audience.  Then write down where you want them to end (i.e. what your application points will be—what you want them to do as a result of your message).  Then, since you know where your audience is and where you want them to end up, all you need to do is select an introduction that connects with your audience's needs, hurts and wants.  Basically, I always recommend that you start out by assuming that no one wants to listen to you (a habit  I learned by speaking in college dormitories while serving with Campus Crusade for Christ).   If you start from this assumption, then it'll force you to spend more time encouraging and inspiring your audience to want to listen to what you have to say.  And if people want to listen to what you have to say, then the chances increase dramatically that they will want to apply what you have to say.  Which means that you will probably do a better job at changing people's lives, which is why you prepared your message in the first place.  In other words, everyone wins when you take the time to hook your audience/congregation.

So, this week, before you start working on your message, why don't you start out by doing an X1 to X2 worksheet. List out everything you know about your audience and where you want them to end up by the time you're done.  Then hook them and lead them on a journey until they have to  assent to what you say, so that their lives might change.  You'll be amazed at the difference.  Go ahead.  Give it a try.  You just might get hooked on it!