How can communicators ensure they are using an audience-centered approach to their communication?

1. Career development
2. How To Create an Audience-Centered Speech

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published April 5, 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

If you want to give a truly engaging presentation, you need to find ways to connect with your audience. That's why it's important for you to anticipate who might be listening to your speech. By considering who your audience is and what they care about, you can choose more interesting and memorable talking points. In this article, we discuss what audience-centered speaking is, why it's useful and how to go about doing it.

Related: How To Start a Presentation: Steps for a Winning Presentation

What is audience-centered speaking?

Audience-centered speaking is when you build your speech or presentation around the audience's experience. Those who are skilled audience-centered speakers have the ability to connect with the audience and give a presentation that will leave a lasting impression on their listeners. When planning to do an audience-centered speech, you'll figure out who your audience is and what they care about. By doing some background research and planning, you can introduce talking points that resonate with your audience.

Related: How To Improve Your Public Speaking Skills (With Examples)

Why do audience-centered speaking?

Audience-centered speaking is a great way to engage and connect with your listeners. Here are some of the benefits of this presentation style:

• Keep their interest: When giving a presentation, you want to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you are saying. By focusing on what the audience is going to enjoy, you may notice people are excited to listen to you speak.

• Help them learn: If you need to teach an audience something, one of the best ways to do this is by making your speech fun and engaging. Rather than listing facts and data, consider implementing eye-catching visuals, videos and stories that encourage learning.

• Deliver your message: Presenting your work to a large group is an effective way to get your message across. If you want people to remember what you had to say, you need to find ways to keep their interest.

• Leave a lasting impression: Rather than giving a decent speech, try to give one that your audience will always remember. With audience-centered speaking, you can give a presentation that stays in their memory.

Related: 15 Public Speaking Tips and Tricks for Your Next Presentation

How to do audience-centered speaking

Follow these steps to implement audience-centered speaking into your next presentation:

1. Learn about your audience

When planning your speech, start by learning about your audience. Get to know what demographics you'll be speaking to and what might be important to them. Consider their values, beliefs and what they care about. When planning what they say, consider what your audience might already know about a topic and what they may want to learn more about. Think about what they will enjoy about your speech and what they could possibly disagree with.

Related: How To Give a Memorable Speech

2. Use authentic communication

In order to be a charismatic speaker, you need to learn to show some personality during your next speaking engagement. Learn to communicate with your audience like you would a friend. Rather than relying on note cards, learn to speak like an actual person. If appropriate for your topic, consider incorporating jokes or personal anecdotes into your speech. This more casual way of speaking can help you connect with your audience members on a human level.

3. Think about your audience first

Before even creating your presentation, think about what is going to capture your audience's attention. Work on writing your speech to cater to your audience before you start building slides. Consider adding in the visuals of your presentation at the very end of your preparation process. This way, you can focus on creating interesting talking points first. Essentially, your presentation can enhance your speech rather than being the center of everything.

Related: How To Become Confident Speaking

4. Determine your purpose

In order to keep your audience interested in what you have to say, make sure your speech has a well-defined purpose. The goal of public speaking is to have your audience understand exactly what you intended for your speech. Make sure the information you're sharing connects to the overarching point of your speech. Think of ways you can connect all of your talking points to the central theme of your presentation.

5. Use data sparingly

While data can help back up your claims, you want to use it sparingly throughout your speech. Consider which data points are the most important and how you can present them in a way that will resonate with your audience. Finding ways to connect hard data with real-life implications can make your presentation more interesting.

6. Incorporate a call to action

Once you deliver your message, tell your audience what to do next. By using a call to action in your presentation, you can persuade your audience to follow your message. For instance, when giving a speech about climate change, you need to incorporate ways your audience members can do their part in helping the environment. Essentially, you want to answer the question, "Now what?" by the end of your speech.

7. Ask for participation

Create an engaging presentation by asking audience members to participate. Whether it's asking your audience questions or having someone come up on stage, this technique shows your audience that you need their help to make your speech a success. Asking for participation encourages your audience members to carefully listen to what you have to say. It's also a fun way to break up your talking points and help audience members regain their attention.

8. Respond to feedback

At the end of your presentation, consider sending out an anonymous survey so that you can collect data about your audience and what they thought about your presentation. Give them free space to write down their thoughts. After collecting these surveys, carefully read through them all. Think of ways you can apply this feedback to future speeches, especially if you're going to be talking to a similar audience again.

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