Presentation Tips-Know Your Audience!
Know Your Audience is always a critical factor in the success of your presentation. Thomas P. Mullen and Mala Narain of the Park Li Group strategy consulting group, stress you need to know how they listen!
People have distinctly different way of dealing with presentations about strategy, David Wagner writes in Sloan Management Review.
“Each audience member will emphasize one of four primary focuses-data, structure, vision and the human element-and the
effective speakers are those who integrate all four aspects into their presentations.”
Listeners who are primarily data driven will be evaluating your presentation to see if “it is grounded in the appropriate facts and figures.” My translation: Engineer types, CFO’s!
Audience members who look first for structure want to see how all the different aspects of your talk fit together. My translation: College Professors
“Where are all these strategy discussions going to lead us,” is what the people who are listening for vision want to know. My translation: CEO’s, Consultants
And, finally people who focus on human dimension want to know where they-and everyone else-fit in. My translation: You and I!
“The key to success is to always assume all four types of listeners are present in every audience. Identify your default mode and leverage those skills as much as you can, but address the needs of the other types of listeners as well.”
While this information is not new it certainaly is valuable and gives us a timely reminder when giving presentations. It also gives credence to the fact that speaking off the cuff-puts you at a distinct disadvantage with audiences. Lastly, let’s not forget to chart out our use of humor in our presentations!
Steve Mertz
Know Your Audience
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