VIDEO-Design Your PowerPoint Presentation Based on the Needs of Your Audience

Doug Staneart  |  11/29/11
last updated

When you write a presentation or design a PowerPoint slideshow, make sure and think of your audience first. This public speaking video gives tips on how to write a speech better by considering the wants and needs of your audience first. When your audience changes, your presentation should also change. When your audience changes, your PowerPoint slideshow also needs to change. Consider your audience, and you are much more likely to have a success delivering your presentation.

This presentation skills video is one part of a three-part video series that helps presenters design presentations more quickly and easily. Subscribe to our feed or LIKE us on Facebook to receive additional tips in this series.

How well do you know your audience?

One of the most important things you need to understand in being an effective communicator is to consider your audience. It’s not all about you. It’s about them. It is also important to understand what the audience has in common with each other.

So, we need to know a little bit about them — what experiences they’ve had. You want to look at your presentation from their perspective.

Now, we’ve all grown up thinking that, as a presenter, the presentation is all about us. And many of the tips and techniques from well-meaning friends back this up. For instance, one method is the KISS technique. Remember that one? “Keep It Simple Stupid.” Another technique is the “Stand Up, Speak Up, and then Shut Up” technique.

As fun as that is, though, that does not help you as a speaker because all of the tips are all centered on us. They only focus on our perspective.

Instead, spend more time in the preparation process focusing on your audience. Ask yourself, “If I were the person in the audience, what would I absolutely need to know about this topic?” So, if you focus on what they want or need to know about the subject that you’re sharing, your audience will like you more.

So remember, the next time that you put your presentation together, consider your audience first.

author Doug Staneart
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