‘A’ is for audience

Key #1 in becoming a Pow!-R-ful Presenter.

What do you think is the first question most people ask themselves when they are going to talk to a group of people or prepare a presentation? It is

"What do I want to say?"

It is no wonder most people give poor presentations. You never start with what you WANT to say. You start by asking yourself, "What do I NEED to say to this person, these people, this audience?

If you want to have people buy in to your ideas you have to start with the people. Here’s a cycle I always have my clients work through – it starts at the top with WHO?

• WHO am I speaking to? This will clarify
• WHY you are speaking. This will determine specifically
• WHAT information you will need to share at this time (out of all the information you could share on the subject) This will lead you to the specifics you will need to share as you look at
• HOW you will need to organize your message to get the action you want.

Of course you are going to be concentrating on the subject – that’s why you are speaking. That’s your area of expertise. However, to hold and handle the people you talk to remember this:

If you do not first focus on the person[s] you are trying to reach,
You may find you are talking at the wrong level;
Zeroing in on the wrong pieces of information;
Giving too much OR too little information!

Does the name Edward Everett mean anything to you? He was a renowned orator. When Abraham Lincoln was scheduled to speak at Gettysburg, the organizers hired Everett to speak before him. They thought he would "rouse" the crowd more.

He "orated for nearly two hours. Are his words remembered? NO!

On the other hand Lincoln‘s address was under three hundred words. However, he considered: WHO he was talking to;
WHY he was there;
WHAT he needed to say; and
HOW he needed to say it.

The result? His speech is still alive and well today. Most United States of America citizens can recite the Gettysburg Address word for word.

So let’s look at these four questions.

WHO am I talking to?

The more you know about your audience, the more you can zero in on what you need to share with them. So you have to ask yourself a few more questions.

You need to know how many you’ll be addressing.

One? Less than ten? A roomful? This information is vital. It will dictate where you will be talking, the way the room will be set up, and the way you will present your talk.

• With a small group you will probably be in an office or conference room.
• You may be sitting down rather than standing.
• You probably won’t have a lectern to hold notes.
• You may want to use handouts rather than slides.
• With a larger group there will be a broader mix of listeners.
• Some may know a great deal about the topic, others may not.
• Your talk will have to address the various levels.
• You may want or need a lectern.
• You may need some slides (as few as possible – but that’s another topic!)
• You may need a microphone.
• You will be standing.
• You may want to move about – so a remote mic is necessary.

Then you need to know where your audience comes from:

• Are you talking to Customers? Fellow employees? Senior Management? Community leaders? Young people? And why you are the best one to share this information.
• What qualifies you as the expert?

Bottom line is: "The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to keep on track."

This will give you the opportunity to share examples and activities and experiences that underscores your expertise. It also ties your audience to you as they recall similar experiences.

Knowing your audience well gives you the backup when they ask questions. You will know what you have to say to reinforce the commitment of some people or move people to your point of view.

You will know:

• if you need to prepare a handout;
• some take away material to give them after your talk;
• and whether you need to follow up or not.

One final word.

• Your audience is the reason you are able to share your ideas.
• They give you their time, and if you do your job well, their attention.
• Make it worth their while to listen to you.
• Help them to listen from your point of view.
• Enjoy share and enjoy them – and they will enjoy and appreciate you!

Betty Cooper is a communications specialist with more than 35 years experience in professional speaking and executive coaching. For more information or to order her best-selling book SPEAK WITH POWER, contact Betty K. Cooper