Tips on Building Audience Focused Presentations

Tips on building audience-focused
presentations

Building a great presentation starts with studying the anticipated audience.
Capturing and holding audience attention is a huge challenge for every presenter. For
one thing, a presenter has to compete with Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Candycrush
and all the other features a smartphone has to offer.
At SOAP we have a saying: just as a traveler has to be well prepared for the trip, a
presenter needs to be well prepared to reach the destination. Really, have you ever
traveled without knowing where you were going? Without knowing if it would be cold or
warm there?
So then to sum up: To create a presentation you need to be prepared, and you will be
prepared only if you know how to speak with the audience and who that audience will be.
To get you there, we’re giving you some key questions that should be answered even
before you start creating a presentation, to help you know your audience.
Enjoy.

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Knowing the purpose of a presentation
means analyzing in depth what actions
you expect of an audience once you’ve
finished. This means you have to decide
on the desired impact. What do you
want your audience to do after the
presentation?
(For example, a goal could be to
schedule a second meeting to delve into
details and close a deal.)


This is the information that can guide the
tone of the presentation. Would it make
sense to use slang with a crowd of very
formal people? You get the idea….


Figure out what your audience already
knows about the subject.
Do not underestimate the intelligence of
an audience. Repeating information the
listeners already know is the fastest way to
lose their attention and their focus on you.


Remember: the audience isn’t interested
in what you do. They’re interested in how
you can help them.
Talking about what you do, how you do it
and why you do it isn’t something
audiences value. So focus your main
message on how all of what you’re saying
can benefit them.
Bottom-line, be relevant to your audience.


Try to determine how long you’ll need to explain
each key item, and how much time it will take for
the entire presentation.
That thing people say, that each slide equals 1
minute? It’s a myth!
A slide can be on the screen much more or much
less than a minute. It all depends on your objective
and how you organize the slide content.
Also, a presentation should ideally take up to 40%
of meeting time; the other 20% should be used for
discussion and Q&A.
It’s also worth noting that if there are going to be
important people in the audience, people who have
little time to waste, you should try to be able to
summarize the presentation, omitting whatever
details you have to, so as to finish your speech
while they’re still in the audience.


Meetings with
just a few people
Lectures for
few people

Presentations at events
for a lot of people
In the third case it’s important to follow the main
theme of the event, adapting everything to it, so
the audience won’t feel lost.


Always remember: some
presentations can be visually
appealing, with little text per
slide, while a self-explanatory
presentation has to convey the
whole message and so requires
more text on-screen.
(If there is a possibility of using
both scenarios, you’ll need two
different presentation files.)


It’s not uncommon to find some
audience members who leave you
confused or even embarrassed
during a presentation. Here are
some audience profile types we’ve
identified over the years.

the person who thinks that what you're
saying doesn’t apply to his/her reality and
that nothing you’re saying will ever work.

What to do?

Try to explain that with a pessimistic view a
listener will never leave his/her comfort
zone and experience new solutions to old
problems. Even if we know that something
won’t work, it’s still important to try it.


you can tell the funniest joke in the universe,
but this person won’t laugh, won’t have any
reaction at all, in fact.

What to do?

Do not crack. Sometimes this is an
individual actually enjoying 100 %
of the presentation.


you’re being tested the whole time. The wonk
disagrees with almost everything you say and
likes to interrupt, to challenge.

What to do?
People do this to draw attention to themselves.
So use their interruptions. Use the person as an
example and ask questions like: Do you agree
with this, and why? Flatter that ego and put that
wonk in the spotlight.


often, this person just wants to show the boss
that the job is being done. And so he/she ends
up asking countless questions at
inappropriate moments.

What to do?
Questions are always welcome, but in
moderation. The time that people are dedicating
to your presentation is valuable to them, so be as
objective as possible in your answers or you may
end up disregarding everybody else’s time.


this person is always talking to others,
disrupting their concentration and yours as well.

What to do?
Draw the talker into the mood of the lecture, try
to address him/her more than once, and say
his/her name out loud. Make it clear why you’re
there in the first place, then move on.


is the person who hired you to make the
presentation. The mentor is deathly afraid that
something will go wrong and never stops
telling you what to do.

What to do?
Calm him/her down. Say that you understand
the individual’s concern but you know what
you’re doing. Say that you’ve done your job.
(For example, you’ve researched the company,
and everything you have to say is in accord with
that company’s profile and what is expected.)


a most typical type: always texting, playing
games, interacting on social networks.

What to do?
Whenever possible, call the person by name,
as in: "Isn’t that right, Andrew?" Or, when
you move, stand directly in front of the
person, so he/she won’t have the nerve to
keep ignoring you.


another typical type! When you least expect
it, somebody falls asleep and takes all your
concentration along with him/her.

What to do?
You can apply the same solution as that
for the constant texter, but be more
sensitive here. There’s always a possibility
that the sleeper is having a personal or
health problem.


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Tips on Building Audience Focused Presentations

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Tips on Building Audience Focused Presentations