Research Your Audience Before You Speak – Persuasive Speaking

As a rule, I ALWAYS do advanced research on a group I plan to speak.  I regularly customize my message to meet the unique makeup of each gathering.  Before I speak, regardless of the topic, I try to understand the unique personality, wants, needs and learning styles of the group.

I NEVER present the same message twice.  I always tweak my presentation reflecting the uniqueness of the audience.

For instance, if the topic is marketing, I will speak differently to a group of entrepreneurs age 40 and under compared to a group age 40 and older.  I still have the same core message but I will communicate differently at each event.  Why? The primary difference is that the needs and learning styles of each group is dissimilar.

Speaking to under 40’s.  Generally, they look to be educated.  I will talk with them about emerging internet marketing technologies and get them involved in participatory exercises.  Why?  They expect you to talk about Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and the latest app for their smartphone.  Also, they have shorter attention spans and as a group they like the talk to be more interactive rather than lecture.  They are more open-minded to learning new ideas.

Speaking to over 40’s.  They want to be informed and provoked. They are less savvy about emerging technologies and know significantly less about how to interact with the internet.  They want more “hands-on” marketing ideas.  They are getting set in their ways, so sometimes they can be critical of your content. 

I meet each group’s core needs or expectations by researching and understanding each group’s unique learning style and needs. 

Example of a group over age 40. I was asked to speak to a group of ministers (all men) from 10 different denominational backgrounds to compare/contrast new Bible versions.  My advanced research determined that this group is over the age 40 and generally closed minded (sadly).  Almost all have grown up with a particular Bible version (mostly NIV) and are not interested in interacting with new versions.  So what could I say to persuade them to embrace the new versions of the Bible?

The very first point I made (to get their attention) is that their familiar Bible version will one day be obsolete.  They should be prepared to embrace new Scriptural versions whether they agree with me or not.  I noted that in the last few generations many new versions have appeared that were painstakingly translated into modern English (including the NIV).  

I also said that their parishioners like it or not, will begin to embrace newer Bible versions and they as Christian leaders must keep step with the changing times.  I was able to make an impact with the presentation because of (1) my research; and (2) complimenting the research with a persuasive message.

Bottom Line:  Research Your Group to Build a Persuasive Argument