Things to check before you present: presentation check-list
Things to check before you present: what to know about your audience before you present (audience check-list)
Knowing who your audience will be/are, is key to giving them what they want. Make it your mission to find out as much as possible about the audience, way in advance. This will aid with your preparation and will maximise the outcome of your presentation.
What to check before you present: details to find out about your audience
Things to check before you present: details to find out about your audience
1. Know your audience’s age
Speaking to kids is different from speaking to teenagers, youth, older people or the elderly. The language, pace and subject would all be affected by the age-group you are talking to. This could also help with the type of jokes, if applicable, that you could use.
2. Are they male or female?
If you are talking to women, you can use “she” and “he” if your audience is male. If it’s both, you could use “she” and “he” interchangeably.
3. Their socio-economic background
It is useless to be selling a product that is targeted at the rich people, to the people that have less.
4. Their education levels
Speak to people in the language they understand.
5. Ask about their needs/expectations
This you could ask from the audience themselves, at the beginning of the presentation. Hand them pieces of paper or ask them while writing their answers on the board. Before the presentation, you could ask the relevant person about expectations, depending on the nature and subject of the presentation. The purpose of the meeting could also guide you as to what type of attendants it would attract.
What to check before you present: about your audience
Things to check before you present: use appropriate humor for the audience's age