I cannot stress the importance of setting the right temperature to create a perfect environment for your seminar attendees.

The other day I was in a presentation, the speaker charismatic, content interesting and the room FREEZING!

Sitting there in a large jacket trying to get warm by rubbing my hands and hugging myself simultaneously while trying to watch the presenter at the same time was an unpleasant experience. My focus was on how to get warm as opposed to giving my undivided attention to the speaker.

I am confident that had the room been warmer, I would have gotten a lot more from the presentation. I am sure lost sales from me and others occurred as during the breaks a team formed running laps around the venue to get warm as opposed to using the time to learn more about the company’s products and services. Don’t lose potential customers this way.

As a presenter a cool room may not be obvious to you. This may be because you are high on adrenaline or up on stage moving around. I recommend at least one hour before the presentation get a friend or staff member to provide feedback on the temperature and adjust accordingly.

Another option when presenting is to engage your audience by getting them to move and interact (a topic that will be covered in another post).

A comfortable room temperature is 22 Degrees Celsius. However a fact is women are colder than men. If you are aware of your audience gender distribution use it to your advantage. For a majority male dominated audience turn the thermostat one notch down to 21 Degrees Celsius and for women one notch up to 23 Degrees Celsius.

Remember the audience are your current or potential future customer so cater to their needs. Don’t let the room temperature be the reason you lose a sale.