"Hello, this is Arlen."

"Hi Arlen. This is John. We are looking for a speaker on August 12 in the evening."

"What can you tell me about the event?"

"………"

"Yes, John. My calendar is open. I do have some questions for you."

"Sure Arlen, go ahead."

Speech Research Tip #26: Be a Detective and Research your Audience.

Knowing your audience is essential before preparing and delivering the presentation. This knowledge will enable you to connect with the audience and tailor a presentation that hits home.

I may have the same keynote I give to various audiences, but I tweak it depending on if I am talking to Junior highers or retired seniors.

Back to the phone conversation. I asked John a series of questions to get a grasp on exactly who I would be speaking to. This helped me to create a "Chris" and focus my presentation.

• What is the age of the audience?
• Why are they at this event?
• What is the purpose of this event?
• What are they expecting from the speaker?
• What can you tell me about them?

These questions enabled me to hit a home run and give a custom tailored presentation.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

More Posts - Website