can be assured they will be thinking of the correct country because you have instructed them very specifically when to think of the country and you start the piece with the exact wording you said you would use . There is no surprise about what you are doing , no surprise when you ask everyone to think of a country and if using more then one spectator , they might very well think the other person was just randomly selected .
You can even ask your spectator / s “ You are thinking of a country right ?” Say it in the way as if you are not sure they are the one you spoke to earlier . They will take it that way ; the rest of the audience takes it you are making sure they are thinking of a country now . If you feel like you have a spectator that might change their mind you can always say “ You ’ ve BEEN thinking of a country right ?” and this will register to them they are to be thinking of the country they had thought of earlier , I never find this to be a problem but have used it from time to time when I have a spectator I feel is a little ditzy .
Now one ruse I use to make the rest of the audience think they are just being randomly selected has to do with something you told the spectator earlier . Remember you told them “ it is important I don ’ t know anything about you .” Use this to your benefit by saying to them , “ I don ’ t know anything about you like your name or where you live right ?” They will have to say yes and will only say yes since you brought it up earlier , if you were to just bring it up out of the blue now , they might say “ well besides when you talked to me earlier ”, you haven ’ t prevented this type of speak by bringing it up and framing the question in advance , again there is no confusion as to what you are talking about . Now I continue by turning it into an old joke with the words “ you seem happy about that ?” This again softens what you are doing and puts the spectators and audience on your side .
Now you continue and get the country explaining out loud how you are doing it via their ‘ body language .’
After a pre-showed effect I like to go into the next effect quickly so there is not talking to the spectator I just used . By the time they think of even asking the spectator , if they ever would , I have done so many other incredible things . Plus I get rid of any thought I might have set anything up by the following verbiage in the very next effect . It allows the audience to meld the fact that I do not talk to people before the show into my entire show and it allows the fact I did to the spectators I do pre-show without it seeming contradictory . It is a simple sentence of asking these new spectator / s ; “ Now we did not talk about this before the show did we ?”
Now I know this seems like a lot to say before the show to a spectator , but it really is not . Often I will streamline it , but I make sure they fully understand what they are to do , when they are to do it and what I am going to say and how I am going to present it . By doing it this way , I have never , ever had anyone change their thoughts by accident or on purpose and you to can feel comfort that your preshow will work perfect every time