Who are You talking to?

Warm greetings to the beautiful people of the Steemit ecosystem!

I trust we are all doing well.

Today, I'm excited to share an important principle in public speaking that can make a speech delivery much more rewarding for the audience, the speakers, and the organizers.

The success of a speech depends on how much information you have about the audience you will be addressing.

Knowing your audience is a fundamental rule in public speaking.

As a speaker, I believe the main goal of a speech is to leave a lasting impact on the lives of your audience.

But that might not happen if you're unaware of who your audience is going to be.

There are speakers who get invited to speak at events and, upon arriving, discover an audience that is made up of children and adults. Because of this negligence, many end up speaking to either adults and unconsciously ignoring the kids, or vice versa.

Importance of Knowing Your Audience

• It enables you to choose the right language to effectively convey your message to the listeners.

• It would be hilarious if a speaker went to the market to talk to mothers who sell tomatoes and the like, and decided to use overly complex vocabulary. No impact would be felt by the audience.

• It enables the speaker to choose the right attire to wear for a speaking engagement. "Oh no!" would be my reaction if I saw a speaker, especially a female, go to the suburbs in Muslim communities wearing something like a miniskirt.

• Also, knowing your audience helps you figure out what to do and what not to do. It helps you make appropriate references and give relatable examples during your presentation. The best way to make a speech impactful is to make it relevant to the audience.

• Last but not least, studying your audience helps you understand the meanings of certain body language and gestures. A thumbs up in Cameroon might mean great, but in some countries like the Middle East, a thumbs up might be interpreted as vulgar language.

The last batch of students I trained in public speaking were graduating, and as their trainer, I had to address the crowd for five minutes. I delivered the talk in three minutes, and the guest speaker of the ceremony took the mic after my presentation and said he very much enjoyed it. Because of this, he offered me a suit that cost about 100,000 CFA francs.

It's true that I took three days to prepare for the three-minute speech, but the most effective thing that made the presentation more impactful was the fact that I knew my audience very well and had a lot to say about them. It was beautiful to see this principle at work.

I urge you to learn just a little more about your audience next time you have a speaking engagement, and to act on the information you find out. Your presentation will be fire!
Information to look out for includes demographic information such as age, gender, location, and profession. Also, check to know the audience's level of knowledge on the topic you're going to be addressing.

Cheers! ✌️