Don’t treat your audience like they’re just little children

They probably will resent being ordered to Write This Down! If an item is very important, please put it on a handout and give it to your audience before you begin. Then suggest that they might want to circle it.

In April 2010 Lisa Braithwaite blogged about how telling folks to Write This Down! was treating the audience like they were children rather than responsible adults. It made her defiantly refuse to obey. She also brought up this topic in a comment on a post by Nick Morgan about his Top 10 List of Audience Abuse. I feel the same way.

Watch this video of an interview with Fred E. Miller. He says to Write This Down! after 17 seconds, but doesn’t pause then so they could. I don’t think saying that phrase to your audience is effective. It takes me back to elementary school, and reminds me of other variations from teachers like:

“This is very important!” or “This will be on the test!”

The 1937 schoolroom image is from the U. S. Farm Security Administration.