5

Tailor Your Point

Just like you wouldn’t make a sandwich for someone without knowing what he or she likes, consider the same precautions with your point’s impact on your audience. Some trainers and consultants boil this down to “Know your audience,” but it’s more specific than just knowing who they are and what they know. It’s about knowing what your audience wants from you.

These audience wants vary based on specific settings and situations, and may include the following:

Information

Insight

News or updates

Inspiration

Appreciation

Empathy

Explanation

Comfort

Ideally, the tone of your communication connects with, or at least addresses, your audience’s specific expectation. In other words, don’t be the strategist when you need to be the inspirer. Don’t be the finger-pointer when you need to be the appreciator. Don’t be the challenger when you need to be the encourager.

How do you know you’re being the “right” you? Before every event, ask yourself this: “What does this particular audience want and need from me?”

Once you determine what your audience expects from you, make sure it’s addressed as part of your overall communication, if not within your point itself. Otherwise, you run the risk of seeming out of touch, no matter how strong your point is.