--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If your audience is overly complacent…" description: "\"“If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.”\" — Dave McKinsey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg" --- # If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the… ![“If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.” quote by Dave McKinsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg) > ““If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.”” [Dave McKinsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckinsey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When audiences are complacent, start with a complication to create urgency and engage them. **In simple terms:** Complication sparks urgency. Key Takeaway Introduce tension to motivate action. Themes communication audience urgency engagement strategy Mood strategic energetic Type professional educational When to use this quote - presentations - advertising - leadership training Key Concepts marketing public speaking psychology of attention Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance tension and clarity? - What complications resonate most? A Different Perspective Complication may alienate if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Overly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-overly-5936738/) [Complacent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacent/) [Complacent Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacent-begin-5936737/) [Overly Complacent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overly-complacent-4469869/) [Sense of urgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-urgency/) [Sense Urgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-urgency/) ## Related quotes > [I think people are complacent. But complacency is like any other metric. It's easy to measure where it is, but it's hard to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/i-think-people-are-complacent-but-complacency-is-like-any-other/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [Being constantly the hub of a network of potential interruptions provides the excitement and importance of crisis management. As well as the false sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foley/being-constantly-the-hub-of-a-network-of-potential-interruptions/) [Michael Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foley/) > [You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/you-must-take-action-now-that-will-move-you-towards-your-goals/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [IBM needed - an enormous sense of urgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gerstner/ibm-needed-an-enormous-sense-of-urgency/) [Lou Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gerstner/) > [You feel a sense of urgency, especially at my advanced age, when you're staring into the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/you-feel-a-sense-of-urgency-especially-at-my-advanced-age-when-you-re/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [When I was coming out of the dark places in my life, it's like, 'Man, you've come that close to not being here anymore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-waller/when-i-was-coming-out-of-the-dark-places-in-my-life-it-s-like-man-you/) [Darren Waller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-waller/) > [The sense of urgency has almost completely vanished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/the-sense-of-urgency-has-almost-completely-vanished/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [I'm a little more measured. That sense of urgency I thought accompanied things - it can take a little longer. You have to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arad/i-m-a-little-more-measured-that-sense-of-urgency-i-thought/) [Michael Arad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arad/) > [Throughout all of human history we've enjoyed certain benign circumstances: an envelope of atmosphere, an envelope of temperature. A kind of resilience that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/throughout-all-of-human-history-we-ve-enjoyed-certain-benign/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [There's a thin line between playing with a sense of urgency and playing a little too tight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-slater/there-s-a-thin-line-between-playing-with-a-sense-of-urgency-and/) [Matthew Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-slater/) > [There's a sense of urgency in understanding that your body is not really your own. We can control it to a certain extent through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/there-s-a-sense-of-urgency-in-understanding-that-your-body-is-not/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [I have a sense of urgency, of time. I am a woman and am always running between work, doctors' appointments, school meetings, filling up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segolene-royal/i-have-a-sense-of-urgency-of-time-i-am-a-woman-and-am-always-running/) [Segolene Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segolene-royal/) > [Develop a sense of urgency in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/develop-a-sense-of-urgency-in-your-life/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/without-a-sense-of-urgency-desire-loses-its-value/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [So many people are on the front lines of this fossil fuel frenzy. It is infused with a sense of urgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-lewis/so-many-people-are-on-the-front-lines-of-this-fossil-fuel-frenzy-it/) [Avi Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-lewis/) ## More by Dave McKinsey > [“What appears to be a set of solutions is merely a set of initial hypotheses, proposed explanations that now must be rigorously tested. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/what-appears-to-be-a-set-of-solutions-is-merely-a-set-of-initial/) [Dave McKinsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckinsey/) [Explore all 2 Dave McKinsey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckinsey/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave McKinsey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-begin-with-the-complication-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-begin-with-the-complication-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/dave-mckinsey-91320_audience_if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-be_3199943.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.” — Dave McKinsey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dave McKinsey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckinsey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If your audience is overly complacent,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-begin-with-the-complication-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-begin-with-the-complication-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```