Identify Your Speaking Purpose

Purpose One: To Inform
Why are you giving this talk? Lectures, briefings, and training sessions usually are designed for inform the audience. You want to know what the audience already knows and present your information in a way that is educational and engaging.

Purpose Two: To Persuade
Sales talks, campaign speeches, and pep rallies seek to motivate an audience to make a change in their thinking or behavior. These are difficult talks if you don't know your audience well.

Purpose Three: To Entertain
After-dinner talks, stand-up comics, and roasts are designed to delight an audience. This style depends upon the speaker's personality and an audience sense of humor.

You need to inquire about the length of your talktime, the place and available audio/visual resources.

Analyze Your Audience

A major tactic in strategic warfare is to know your enemy. While your audience is not your enemy, it is equally important to consider carefully the individuals who make up your audience. What do they know about you and you subject? What do they expect from this speaking engagement? How long will they be willing to listen?

Consider Demographics
What is the intellectual level, visual and auditory needs, and size of your group? Will you be following several other speakers? Will you be talking after lunch or first thing in the morning?

Consider Psychographics
What are the attitudes of your audience towards you and towards your topic? You need to know this! Ask the person who has requested your speaking services to assist you in this regard. Interview particular audience members prior to your talk. Assume nothing about your audience.

Select Your Subject

Generally, this is not of your making because you will be asked to give the talk based upon your expertise in a given subject. If this is not the case, choose a topic that you know well. If you are not experienced in the subject, be sure to acquire expertise through thorough research.

Click here to move to Step 2 of the Blueprint for Successful Speaking.