Ch 1: Analyze the Audience

JOHN PHELAN ASHEK FAIZRULLAH NEAZ AREFIN CUICUI CHEN

The 5 Most Important Things

The audience…

1. Who are they?

2. Do I know them?

3. What do they know?

4. What do they feel?

5. Can I persuade them?

#1 Who are they?2 types of audience:

Primary audience Secondary audience

How can I expand my reach to the secondary audience? Ask the audience to share your ideas with someone

who might benefit Create clear handouts that are shareable and

convincing Use social media to connect with a wider audience

#2 Do I know them?

Unfamiliar audience? … Act like a detectiveo Get inside informationo Collect group datao Segment big audienceso Ask about preferences and traitso Continue collecting information

during presentation Familiar audience? … Don’t be

complacent

#3 What do they know?Novices or experts?

What about a mixed crowd? How can I keep experts engaged without

confusing novices?o Include the expertso Point out the knowledge gapo Prepare background materials

#3 Cont.Can I use jargon? Make sure the audience understands

your lingo or eliminate the phrases Clarify idioms

o “Dot your I’s and cross your T’s” Avoid possibly confusing metaphors

o “Fourth and goal” – describing tense situation

#4 How do they feel?

Empathize with the audience’s emotionso “Bad is Stronger than Good”o Gauge their interest

– Clock-watchers vs. interest

#4Cont.How do I deal with a biased audience?

Positive or neutral biaso State your conclusion upfront and

reinforce the importance Negative

o Build off of small agreementso Ask-for-less approach

#5 Can I persuade them?

ABCD of Persuasion A – Assess various appeals

o Consider objections when crafting presentation

o Link statistics to the audienceo Stories with compelling characters

B – Build support with benefit statementso WIIFM?

#5Cont. C – Consider your credibility

o Authority, expertise, associations with experts

D – Determine how to reach decision makerso 3 types

– Decision makers– Opinion leaders– Gatekeepers

QUIZ1. What are the 2 types of audiences?

2. If you don’t know your audience, what do you need to act like?(hint: Sherlock Holmes)

3. A challenge in presenting to a mixed crowd is engaging the experts without confusing the ___________.

4. When referring to emotions, “________ is stronger than ________.”

5. What does the acronym WIIFM stand for?

ANSWERS1. Primary and secondary

2. Detective

3. Novices

4. “Bad is stronger than good.”

5. What’s In It For Me?