The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters - Lifecycle Performance ...

Know Thy Audience / 29
It was, after all, my first public statement on where I wanted
to take GE....
My first time in front of Wall Street’s analysts as chairman was
a bomb.
...the analysts arrived that day expecting to hear the financial
results and the successes achieved by the company during the year.
They expected a detailed breakdown of the financial numbers....
Over a 20-minute speech, I gave them little of what they wanted
and quickly launched into a qualitative discussion around my vision
for the company…
I pressed on, not letting their blank stares discourage me....
What happened to Jack Welch can happen to any presenter who
does not take the time to truly know his or her audience. In the Introduction
you learned that your presentations must be credible and relevant.
The following eight techniques are designed to make your
presentations as credible and relevant as possible.
8 Techniques to “Know Thy Audience”
We have all heard the maxim “know thyself.” In order to give
high-impact presentations, it is not only necessary to “know thyself,”
you also have to “know thy audience.” And just because you have
worked in the same organization for many years, don’t make the unwarranted
assumption that you know your audience. The following
eight techniques are guaranteed to help you “know thy audience”
whether speaking to your staff, peers, senior management, or giving a
keynote address to the board of directors and shareholders at your
organization’s annual general meeting.
The eight techniques are:
1. Pre-session surveys.
2. Face-to-face interviews.
3. Telephone interviews.
4. Case studies.
5. Worksite visits.
6. Job shadowing.
7. Annual and/or other published reports.
8. Websites and Internet research.