How do you adapt your presentation style to different types of audiences?

The number one goal of any public speaker is to KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Whenever I book speaking gigs I always - ask the organizers for info on the audience: demographics, challenges, and what they want to learn - ask for feedback after each talk - I join events or conferences early to talk to people about what they expect from my session. It gives me fabulous insight, which they love when I mention them by name

Being adaptive and prepared for any kind of audience is a presenter's motto. Knowing your audience's pulse - maturity, work background, domain, comm skills, other feedback from the needs assessment helps to customize your pitch. For senior managers/leaders you need to have a story, data, facts, hard-hitting infographics which drive a compelling delivery of the message. For Directors, VP and above you need to again show hardcore data, and compelling stories, and the big picture of how your ppt can enable their business goals, skills and capabilities to impact their targets. Asking questions and being open to feedback, being dynamic and agile and delivering with focused attention and sound knowledge helps to give an effective presentation.

Whenever possible, try to get a copy of the audience list BEFORE the big presentation day. Then, look up participants on LinkedIn to learn more about them. You may wish to connect with a few (or all) participants in advance, to help get them looking forward to your talk. I've also found it helpful to know and identify if there will be any VIPs in the audience (company leaders, board of directors, founders, etc.).

For a public speaker or a presenter,it is very important to know their audience. There are mainly 2 strategies to look for & implement: 1. "LinkedIn Polls" comes as a saviour in such type of situations. Before every speaking event or presentation event, create LinkedIn polls for your audience to see the different geographies as well as to gauge their interested topic. You can create LinkedIn polls with relevant 3-4 options which could be highly beneficial,if used properly. 2. You can also create an engaging "post" on your "LinkedIn wall" to know your audience. That's the best way out, I would recommend to everyone out there. Please do let me know if you have used any of the strategy before.

I find this to be a key component. If you're just throwing noodles at a wall then only a couple may stick. If you target your message for targeted audience members those noodles will stick far more frequently.

After identifying your audience, as a community supporter, you need to determine the purpose. A presentation without purpose does not serve any purpose to anyone. It will be waste of time for you & anybody else who is reading the post/listening to the event. You must identify the purpose behind the presentation. You must also analyse the various aspects behind giving your presentation. For example: Am I focusing on my audience through my present? Is my data relevant to the audience or readers who are going to use it? Most important part in determining your purpose should involve how much VALUE you can add in your readers (network) life or in their careers by presenting such topics.

This is important not just for creating content or a business or trying to sell a product, this is important on a personal level. Purpose drives motivation and discipline and can help land desired results.

I love to see presentations as an opportunity to tell a story. How I choose to tell the story is dependent on several factors: - the composition (demographics) of my audience; - the setting (formal vs informal), - my aim (to educate, inspire, convince or entertain). Great presentations result from great storytelling.

In my experience experience having a clear purpose and intention is key, going a step further and what works for me is sharing that with the audience . It’s not about this is what I want to do, it’s more this is how I want US to interact today, this is how I want to help, I was us all to experience or reflect on. So take a leaf from ofsted and ask yourself then share, your intention, how you will implement it and the intended impact.

Identifying your purpose is key. I've found that it is important to clearly state your purpose and if the presentation is persuasive be sure to clearly and confidently assert the opinion / action that you are presenting.

When speaking to an audience on any topic, I know that however I frame my presentation, audience members will fall into one of 3 categories: ? For some, it will be too much. Too advanced and some information may go over their heads. ? For some, it will be too little. Too basic and feel like a review of information they already know. ? For some, it will be just right. Helps them absorb new information and be inspired to take action. Doing your homework to prepare goes a long way. Two ideas: 1. Depending on the context of the presentation, contact the organizer with specific questions about attendees background, experience with the topic, etc. 2. Survey the attendees in advance. I often do this with the organizer's permission.

I think this is really important. I work for an international news network where the audience couldn’t be broader. The secret is not to assume any knowledge and give the background to what you are presenting and then drill down to the detail. That way you include everyone. You may be telling some people what they already know initially but you need to tone it as a reminder. The one thing that really annoys them is when you sound patronising.

I find this to be difficult at times, because you have to have enough courage to ask for others opinions. Then you need to interpret the results which can also be difficult, but knowledge is power.

One efficient way to gauge your audience's knowledge is by using LinkedIn Polls. There couldn't be better way than trying out LinkedIn Polls. You can analyse the knowledge level of your audience by asking their opinion in the end of your LinkedIn posts. You can categorise the knowledge base into 3 parts: 1.Novice level 2. Intermediate level 3. Expert level Depending upon the percentage of the knowledge level of your audience,you can create similar posts and add value to their lives.

everytime that I've been on the dias or podium with an intent to engage with the audience...I've always looked up to understand who they are and how can I connect with them This simple strategy has been quite effective for me. I've never assumed or judged them irrespective of the language they have spoken or the geography that they represent My initial thoughts or engagement with the audience has given me a clear sense of understanding as to what's their current level of understanding and how can I move on a path that brings in seamless connect rather than overwhelm them The examples or the analogies being used has been such that appeals and cuts across people from different walks of life who have been part of the audience.

Giving presentations remotely makes this difficult because sometimes you can't see the audience and gauge their responses. The only thing you can do in these situations is to keep your energy up, keep them engaged in the chat and through polls and do your best! If you have an opportunity to send out a survey before you do your presentation to get some of these insights about what the audience feels about the topic it can be very helpful.

It's important for you to show your authentic side to your readers. Be honest with your views or opinions. Always show a positive attitude and be empathetic towards your readers. You can relate more with your audience and add more value in their lives or careers when they feel you have been there once at their place. Be your audience' s voice but in a unique way as you are. Be ready to share your failures with your audience. Also,the lessons learnt from those failures or how have you overcome those.

If you know the general attitude of your audience by asking many questions in advance, you will know on which level you ideally talk to them. I use models like Spiral Dynamics or "Haltung entscheidet" (Martin Permantier) to get deeper into the thoughts and the decision making of the persons I'm talking to.

Attitude can be the biggest value add or the biggest detractor in whatever it is you're trying to pursue. You can have a great attitude, but if the people you work with or work for have poor attitudes then you will experience more resistance. Positive attitudes all around is like a rising tide that lifts all boats.

When I gave job search presentations to people who had recently been laid off from my company, the attitude when I walked into the room, it was chilly to say the least. I typically would use humor to lighten the mood, and once I could get a chuckle, I knew I had their attention.

One tip I've found really useful, particularly when presenting to senior stakeholders is to go through the presentation with them 1-on-1 beforehand. Set the expectation that you want their help on an early draft of your deck, let them know you value their opinion and then afterwards implement their feedback. This will bring them on the journey with you and help them feel a sense of ownership of content. The end result will be that you've got their buy-in before you present, meaning no nasty surprises for them or you at crunch time.

In both virtual and in-person presentations, it's vital to Yes, know your audience: what they know, don't know, and need to know. But don't stop there. Identify the decision-maker or the person with the least knowledge and this is who you direct your talk to. This isn't about dumbing it down; it's about inclusivity, being thorough and ensuring no one is left out of the conversation. Consider a recent client or someone you've worked with before that needed more information than others as your focal point. They don't have to be physically in the audience. When delivering virtually, imagine this person on the other side of the camera. It personalizes your delivery and makes your message resonate with everyone.

In business, this is a key component. If you are pitching investors, you will need a very different presentation then if you are pitching a potential client. Everyone still needs to be on board, but how they get there requires different presentations and presentation skills.

Sometimes I adapt my presentation for audience. For example - more data for tech heavy audiences - more personal stories for non-profit organizations - more case studies for corporate environments Regardless, personal stories are the BEST way to adapt content. I was speaking to an engineering firm last month and of course I shared an engineering story from my university days!

That's become a bigger challenge with more online presentations and less in-person ones over the past few years. One significant change - when I present in person, I rely less on slide decks and much more on personal engagement.

Your presentation style should be in conjunction with your audience's interest,knowledge, emotions & respect. You must keep your tone polished and modulate as and when you speak some words. Put emphasis on those words where necessary. Add a tint of humour while presenting. This will lighten up the atmosphere and viewers will be at ease. You can ask few questions to your audience to keep them engaged. Once the engagement is established, it will be much easier for you to deliver and finish the presentation.

For a tired or unenthusiastic audience, you may need to switch up gears and bring a lot of energy to the room. Ask them a rhetorical question to get them thinking (without the awkward silence you might get following a direct question) and try to have some fun. It will be exhausting, but worth it. One other thing: call out what's happening e.g. "You seem a little quiet", "It doesn't feel like there's a lot of energy in the room" with a smile on your face. Be friendly, and most of all, interested in THEM.

As with tailored presentations, you must have tailored presentation skills for your purpose. Again, if you are trying to pitch an investor, you will need different skills to apply to the presentation then if you are pitching potential clients. Personalization is key.

First of all, remember to breathe. Public speaking and presenting is one of the most stressful things we can do. However, you will have no credibility if you're passed out from lack of oxygen! Second, practice your presentation and pre-game answers to potential questions so that you are confident in what you are saying and can focus your energy on connecting with your audience and making sure what you are saying is landing. Third, make sure that when you connect with people, you take in the feedback you are getting. Are they engaged, confused, bored? That will help you adjust your energy and methods as you go.

This step is extremely hard for me. As a Professional Speaker with ADHD, I am constantly fidgeting and keep a fidget spinner in my pocket while on stage. I counter this by simply being open about being neurodiverse at the start of the presentation. I find this actually puts a large portion of the audience at ease and humanizes the information being presented. We all need to work with what we have and this is a key component that does not get spoken about nearly enough.

Think about sharing information with your audience in terms of a story. Every audience cares mostly about themselves. This isn't a bad thing. It's just how we operate as humans. So, figure out the CONFLICT your audience cares about. Then share with them the CONTEXT (what's happening now) of their world or a similar CONTEXT you have experienced. Finally, lead them to a CONCLUSION that addresses and ultimately solves the challenge they are facing.

Last point to add from side is keep yourself engaged in the entire presentation. Do not lose your own interest or the passion with which you are delivering presentation. Make eye contact every now and then with your audience ?? Most important, convey your kind thanks to your viewers in the end of the presentation. Thank you!

Stories have the remarkable ability to keep any audience engaged. When the story is personal or untold, the audience is sure to pay heightened attention. A well-timed story can effectively support the presenter at any point during the presentation.

ABCDE of presentation - 5 steps to help you in presenting better 1. Analyze who the audience are, their attitude, their present knowledge etc. 2. Blueprint creation is important before actual presentation.This includes deciding on the flow as well as content of slides. 3. Create the presentation slides following the blueprint. Use graphics and colors. Try not to make slides content heavy. 4. Delivery Practice. Run all the slides and practice what you are going to speak at each slide. keep track of time as well. 5. Evaluate your presentation after the practice. you may like to simplify some slides which were complex or highlight some points at some place. You may want to delete few repetitive slides or want to weave in a story somewhere.

One important thing is to be yourself when doing it, it offers the best value to yourself and the audience. Far too often we go in with death by PowerPoint. Less is more with the PowerPoint slides. And I find rehearsing works wonders, working of talk tracks and scripts becomes so stiff.