The Importance of Knowing Your Audience 

To Connect With Your Audience,
You Must Know Your Audience 

When you've been asked to give a presentation or speech to a group, it can be just as important to know whom you're talking to as what you're talking about.

While it's true they've probably invited you to make a speech about a certain topic, you'll connect with your audience a lot better--and they'll get more out of your presentation--if you show them you truly "feel their pain,"
and want to help them relieve it.

You do that by showing them you know who they are and what's
important to them in their jobs and even their everyday lives.

In his book "Wake 'Em Up Business Presentations," public speaking coach Tom Antion says,

"The more you know your audience, the better job you'll do...know the restaurants where they eat, the name of their newsletter, how much money they make, the names and records of their local sports teams..."

Your goal as a speaker, Tom continues, is to let your audience know that they're seeing and hearing a speech that was specifically tailored to them.

In other words, don't just show up and wing it. Or worse, don't just give them the same canned presentation that you've given to dozens of groups dozens of times before.

Even though Tom Antion is one of the best-known and highest paid professional speakers in the world, he customizes every speech specifically to his audience.

Now, of course, that doesn't mean that every word changes every time. It simply means he inserts tidbits of information into his presentations that are specific to the group or the city where he's speaking.

Tom interviews at least three "movers and shakers" among the the people who'll be in the audience long before he steps on stage.

As he talks to these people, Tom fills out a 3-4 page audience survey that includes questions like,

"Please share any local color you may know about the location where my presentation will take place."

"What sensitive issues should be avoided?"

"What general problems and challenges does your company or industry face?"

"What breakthroughs have been made in the company or the industry lately?"

Tom shares his entire pre-program questionnaire in Chapter 2 of "Wake 'Em Up Business Presentations."

To learn more about it, go to
http://www.speech-success.org/wake-em-up.html 

If you want to work some relevant humor into your
presentation, see
http://www.speech-success.org/antion-humor.html

Download a 28 page PDF explanation about making a dazzling presentation, written by one of the most successful public speakers in America? Click on Get Applause Now.