By James A. Baker
Founder
Baker Communications
Most of the time, even though a wide variety of people may be IN the audience for our presentation, there is a much smaller group of people -- maybe only one (in the case of some business or board presentations) – that make up our TARGET audience because they are the ones we most want or need to influence. Do you understand how to prepare a preparation that will gain and hold the attention of this audience in a way that will give you the opportunity to have the maximum impact?
Different types of people have different types of listening and decision making styles. We can break these styles down into a few basic categories, each with its own set of characteristic needs and attitudes.
Some people are hard-driving, CEO types who project an image that is decisive independent, confident, assertive and a little blunt and impatient at times. They are usually bottom-line driven and they don’t like to waste time. During a presentation, this person prefers something:
Others are enthusiastic, creative, friendly, and communicative; they are people oriented and enjoy group activities. During a presentation, people in this group respond well to:
Then there are folks who are concerned about details in the extreme. They are generally serious, reserved, accurate, systematic, organized, and cautious. During a presentation, these folks want:
Finally, there are those who are simply supportive, consistent in performance, dependable, folksy, and loyal. They prefer a presentation that:
Can you imagine what would happen if you delivered a heavily detailed presentation to a hard-driving CEO type? No matter how thorough, accurate and professional you are, your target audience will stop listening after less than five minutes. What a disaster that would be! Don’t just collect the facts; tailor the facts to fit your audience and you will be more persuasive and effective.
Re-Print Permission
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety if the following
conditions are met:
December Presentation Quick Tip of the Month – Give Your Audience At Least One Piece of Paper
You may have a great opening, powerful content and killer animated graphics, but you will be more effective with your audience if you also give them at least one piece of paper to take home with them. One reason for this is that some people will find it easier to learn and recall what you are saying if they have something in their hands that is connected to your message. (Some people are kinesthetic learners who just learn better when their hands are busy.) In addition, having a take home sheet will provide a frame of reference days later when they want to recall what you said, and if what you said was worth saying, they will appreciate this little memory trigger.
