Present to your Audience

As this video from 5secondfilms.com so concisely points out, know your audience when planning a presentation!

No one would use a power point at a school for the blind. So, why would you explain basic theories to a group of experts, even worse, explain it then ask if they understand what was said. Mistakes like this are small but can be devastating to your presentation: people might stop listening or take offense.

Just finding some background information is problematic in itself. So, where is it? and what is it?

Resources for the resourceful:

• Venue publications: find any booklet or pamphlet the event planners have published
• Themes: what is the conference about. all science topics or is it specific to your field
• Pole: ask at the beginning of the presentation that will revel key audience-characteristics
• Talk to everyone: mingle before you present
• Common sense: intuition can be a powerful tool
• Event website: the event planners will often have a forum, blog or list of previous attendees accessible from the website
  

Who's Who:

• Experience level: do they know your topic and how easily can they grasp what you are saying
  
• Compliance: disagree or agree with what you will say
• Geographics/demographics: where are they from and are there any language or cultural barriers
• Girth: know the size of the audience

All you will know about your listeners can give you ideas to become more captivating, clear, understood and memorable; and, all you will know can limit the chances of an embarrassing or offensive mix-up.

If you have any interesting presentations online, please send me a link. If I or my readers can benefit from your strong presentation, I will post it to my blog.