3 Pointers to Know Your Audience
You’re not the only one in the room | By Kristen Haldeman | November 26, 2019
A man dressed in black wearing a headset holding a clipboard waves his finger at you and ushers you down a small dark hallway up a narrow dark staircase behind an overwhelmingly dark curtain and points to an “X” in the middle of the stage handing you your own microphone headset, counts to three, looks you dead in the eye and says “you’re on.”
Whether you are giving a presentation in a room full of people or in a classroom, there are several ways to prepare for your speech to have the effect that you desire.
One of these ways is to know your audience.
To make things simple, here are three-pointers on how you can better know your audience and be prepared for your speech.
Pointer 1: Make your first speech “hello.”
If you have the opportunity, Toastmasters International suggests that you greet the audience as they arrive. It means standing at the doorway and shaking everyone’s hand as they walk into the room. Making this connection gives a familiar face to the audience and allows you to briefly evaluate the tone: are these people serious, funny, tired, optimistic? Getting a personal connection with the audience beforehand may also lead to better follow up questions at the end.
Pointer 2: Know what they know
Scott Schwertly advises that being aware of how much your audience knows about your subject can “make or break a presentation.” You researched your content enough to be confident enough to present on it. However, if your audience knows virtually nothing, your jargon filled presentation may only confuse them. Likewise, being over confident on the material could result in putting off an air of arrogance or being self-centered. No audience appreciates a know-it-all snob. On the contrary, if you are in a room of peers, an elementary version may only insult them. This is why knowing what your audience knows is important to presenting because it will determine whether they tune-in or tune-out what you are saying.
Pointer 3: Are you in your comfort zone?
The location of your presentation is just as important as the people listening. Before you speak, take a moment to do a walkthrough of the stage area. Will you have room for props? Will there be space to walk? Do you have a podium? Are people sitting in chairs at a table? Or in an auditorium setting? Also, check the technology equipment. Will you have a standing microphone? Or a headpiece? Will you have access to a presentation screen? Do you need to bring any equipment with you? It might be wise to even practice your opening line in the exact place you will be presenting so that you will be more comfortable when there is an audience watching you.
“70% of consumers get frustrated when content isn’t relevant to them,” and “49.33% said, “understanding my audience” is the top content marketing priority for 2015,” according to a HubSpot study. Knowing your audience is a key factor to effectively presenting your message.