21 April 2015

The Best Presentations Are Tailored to the Audience

APRIL 17, 2015

When preparing a presentation, we all remember to think about the basics: what you want to say, the data you need to back it up, any visuals that might help. But what about the people you’re presenting to? The following excerpt from the book Presentations will help you better understand your audience and cater your message to their needs.

The better you understand your audience’s goals and concerns, the more likely you are to achieve your objective and your desired outcomes. And the better able you will be to measure those successes.

The audience, not the presenter, is the heart of any presentation. To figure out what makes it tick, answer these questions:

1. How big will the group be? Who will be absent? Are you expecting 5, 15, or 50 people? The size of the audience affects the type of presentation you’ll give and the resources you’ll need. Keep track of which people can’t attend. Absent stakeholders are stakeholders nonetheless; you’ll want to follow up with them afterward.

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