Adapt to your Audience and Compose your Presentation

ADAPTING TO YOUR AUDIENCE

You need to always adapt to your audience, everything used in your presentation will be essential to attract their attention. In order to achieve your purpose, you must satisfy the audience with something in which they are interested.
Before you speak, you should learn as much about them and their interests as possible. Knowing your audience, gives you more confidence about what to say or what to use. For instance, they will become more interested in what you have to say, because you would be able to use real life examples related to your topic. The following questions would help you to learn more about your audience:

• How big will the audience be?


• Are there cultural or language differences?


• How familiar are they with your topic? Is the meeting formal or informal?


• What are your objectives for the meeting; what do you want the audience to do as a result of your speaking?
  

“A well prepared speech given to the wrong audience can have the same effect as a poorly prepared speech given to the correct audience.” (Lenny Laskowsky)

COMPOSING YOUR PRESENTATION

A successful presentation consists of three parts: introduction, body and conclusion.

The introduction focuses the audience’s attention on you, states what your presentation is going to be, outlining the purpose and goals of what you want to achieve by the presentation.

The body is the whole content of your presentation. It presents your evidence to support your thesis as well as your credibility. In other words is what you have told them in the introduction but the longer version.
Avoid overloading them with information. Remember to use KISS principle (Keep It Simple and Sweet). The simpler your presentation, the better it is for your audience to capture your message.

The conclusion is the final part of your presentation. It ties all your arguments and allows the audience to pick up anything they might have missed. In summary is what you have just told to your audience so they would remember everything.

• Remind your audience of your main points.
• Restate your thesis.

Tip:
Rehearse what you're going to say during your presentation, so you can avoid long pauses, looking often at your notes, and composing your thoughts. You don’t want your audience to say that you are not prepared to give your presentation.

Rehearsing your presentation would give you confidence to state your thesis and credibility. It would also help you memorize the sequence of your presentation even if unforeseen problems arise.

Photo Credit:
Corporate Audio Visual Services
corporateav.co.nz/Successful-seminars.html
Innovative writing assistance agency
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Resources:
Audience Analysis is your key to success (Lenny Laskowsky)
http://www.ljlseminars.com/audience.htm
What Is the Purpose of an Oral Presentation? (Ginny Putscher)
http://www.ehow.com/about_6314059_purpose-oral-presentation_.html