Getting to Know Your Audience
If you're about to stand in front of a group of people (or a camera to make a video that will be viewed by a group of people), you'd be wise to spend a few minutes getting answers to the following questions.
1. Do I know my audience well? If you make the effort to know them, to discover what they need and ferret out what is worrying them, you'll be better able to connect. IDEA: get a planner on the line and dig a little. Find out what's been brewing in their ranks and what management thinks. Get the name of two or three people who deserve mention but rarely get it.
2. Do they know who I am? You might be stepping to the mic because you're their boss, which can really help their level of attentiveness. You might also be a globally-famous celebrity, which will heighten their attentiveness so much, you could actually say ANYTHING and they'll still love you. (NOTE: this list is not for you.) However, if you're something of an unknown quantity, you'll need to educate them quickly. IDEA: offer to write your own introduction (keep it short, but sell yourself unashamedly) and be ready to describe the experiences that make your opinion matter.
3. Do I know what is expected of me? Have you been commissioned to convey bad news? Offer encouragement? Dispense industry insights? Announce a financial windfall that means bonuses for everyone? (The latter is a GREAT expectation...) IDEA: Be sure you know which deliverable is expected of you. If it's positive, you can build to it for a payoff. If it's negative, get to the point and keep it short. People will resent you for screwing with them otherwise.
4. Do I have a story that resonates with the news at hand? Personal stories are a wonderful way to break down barriers between you and your audience. IDEA: Devote some time to reflection on which stories from your life pertain to the topic at hand. However, if you're Oprah and those stories involve truffle hunts in Italy or 500-person birthday parties in Barcelona, beware: your attempt at authenticity and connection might just make you seem condescending.
In the end, knowing your audience and sharing some of your own story will help build connections upon which your news will flow and penetrate deeper when it is received.
1. Do I know my audience well? If you make the effort to know them, to discover what they need and ferret out what is worrying them, you'll be better able to connect. IDEA: get a planner on the line and dig a little. Find out what's been brewing in their ranks and what management thinks. Get the name of two or three people who deserve mention but rarely get it.
2. Do they know who I am? You might be stepping to the mic because you're their boss, which can really help their level of attentiveness. You might also be a globally-famous celebrity, which will heighten their attentiveness so much, you could actually say ANYTHING and they'll still love you. (NOTE: this list is not for you.) However, if you're something of an unknown quantity, you'll need to educate them quickly. IDEA: offer to write your own introduction (keep it short, but sell yourself unashamedly) and be ready to describe the experiences that make your opinion matter.
3. Do I know what is expected of me? Have you been commissioned to convey bad news? Offer encouragement? Dispense industry insights? Announce a financial windfall that means bonuses for everyone? (The latter is a GREAT expectation...) IDEA: Be sure you know which deliverable is expected of you. If it's positive, you can build to it for a payoff. If it's negative, get to the point and keep it short. People will resent you for screwing with them otherwise.
4. Do I have a story that resonates with the news at hand? Personal stories are a wonderful way to break down barriers between you and your audience. IDEA: Devote some time to reflection on which stories from your life pertain to the topic at hand. However, if you're Oprah and those stories involve truffle hunts in Italy or 500-person birthday parties in Barcelona, beware: your attempt at authenticity and connection might just make you seem condescending.
In the end, knowing your audience and sharing some of your own story will help build connections upon which your news will flow and penetrate deeper when it is received.
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