I was recently reminded of the importance of one of the golden rules of presenting: know your audience. I was preparing speakers for a presentation to about 40-50 people. Since it was a relatively small group I suggested they find out who was in the room. To kick of the presentation, we asked each attendee to tell the group who they were and what their interest was in being at the session.
It only took about five minutes, but these audience introductions gave the speakers a wealth of insight. They were able to target the information they were sharing to the interests of this particular audience. Any time you can personalize your remarks and incorporate comments that relate to specific people in the room, you create a connection. People tend to listen more closely when they feel you’re talking to them, not just at them.
Another side benefit of these introductions occurred when the presentation ended. Many of the audience members not only jumped up to talk to the presenters, but they moved around the room to start up conversations with other attendees. Participants knew who else was in the room, giving them the ability to approach others with whom they had something in common, or wanted to spark up a discussion. Knowing your audience, in this case, had multiple benefits.
But how do you get to know your audience and create that connection in a larger room? If you ask for individual introductions, you’ll lose everyone’s attention and run out of time! Instead, the presenter can ask a few key questions off the top to gauge (and engage) the audience. Ask people to raise their hands or clap or cheer to respond. What are they hoping to get from the presentation? What level of knowledge do they have of this particular topic? Make the questions specific enough, but not embarrassing to answer in any way – unless it’s clearly a confusing topic and everyone willingly responds with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Whether the group is large or small, making the effort to better understand your audience’s WIIFM (what’s in it for me) can help you deliver a more impactful presentation, and create a bond within the group. They’ll thank you for it!
For presentation coaching, support, slide creation and script writing, contact diane@keycomms.ca.
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