Good presentations start with an effective analysis of your audience and a clear organizational structure designed to connect your content to your audience.

1. Effective Presentations:
Audience Analysis and
Presentation Structure
Jennifer Charpentier, Ph.D.

2. Introductions & Warm Up

3. Agenda for Evening
 Intro & Warm Up
 Objectives & Burning Questions
 Audience Analysis
 Structure
 Summary & Conclusions

4. Learning Objectives
 Complete an Audience Analysis
 Structure more effective Presentations
 Greater Confidence in your ability to
Deliver Presentations

5. Burning Questions

6. Audience Analysis
 Demographics
 Psychographics
 Audience Culture
 Beliefs and Values
 Needs
 Expectations
 History
 Authority
 Research

7. Demographics
 Size
 Heterogeneity
 Voluntary or Involuntary

8. Psychographics
 Interests
 Activities
 Opinions
 Touchstones
 Generations

9. Generations in the Workplace
(Cox-Otto, 2005, 2007; Lancaster &
Stillman, 2003)
 Shaped by what have experienced as a
generation
 Can clash
 Can cooperate

10. Traditionalists [Builder]
 Born 1925-1945 (75 million)
 Hard work as its own reward
 Don’t take a job for granted
 Veterans of military; survivors of Great
Depression
 Value job security
 Recognition appreciated

11. Baby Boomers
 Born 1946-1964 (80 million)
 Rewards: money, title, seniority, etc. -- markers
 Vietnam War, Civil Rights & Women’s Rights
Movements, Television
 We gotta change the world
 Groomed to do better than parents
 Spent more and saved less
 Change society
 “The World is not Safe”
 Value of time

12. Generation X
 Born 1965-1980 (46 million)
 Rewards: freedom; safe now
 Chernobyl, Lockerby, Cable, Digital, Fax, Pagers,
Palm Pilots
 My Family is not Safe
 We gotta take care of #1
 Latchkey generation
 Balance
 Portability

13. Generation Y/ Millennials [Net]
 Born 1980-2002 (76 million)
 Rewards: tangible
 Columbine/ Virginia Tech/ Illinois, 9/11, The Internet
 I am not Safe
 We gotta Stick Together
 Work in teams with peers
 Add skill or experience to resume
 Engaged in work that has meaning

14. Generations working together
 Understanding other generations
experiences
 Focus on Productivity
 Transparency of benefits or rewards

15. Audience Culture
 What in their self interest
 Strong Interest
 Casual Interest
 Beliefs and Values
 Common knowledge and experience
 Cultural facts
 Allusion

16. Needs
 For information
 For action

17. History

18. Research

19. Outcomes

20. Credibility
 Education
 Expertise
 Empathy
 Enthusiasm
 Appearance

21. Structure

22. Components of a Speech
 Introduction
 Body
 Conclusion

23. Introduction
 Goals
 Questions to ask ourselves as we
prepare it
 Why are these things important?
 Thesis

24. Thesis
 Critical
 What is your main point?
 Everything in speech supports main
point
 Declarative claim
 Narrows the topic

25. Main ideas
 Identification of main ideas
 Questions that can be helpful in
identifying
 Criteria
 Characteristics

26. Identification of Main Ideas
 From thesis or specific purpose
 Topic: United Way
 General purpose: Inducing a specific action
 Specific purpose: Convince listeners to give
 Thesis: Everyone should give to UW.
 Issues: everyone, should contribute, what is it?
 From patterns in your research
 Low administrative costs
 Reliance on volunteers means can give more
funds to organizations/ programs

27. Identifying Main Ideas
from Thesis
 What does it mean?  How will it happen?
 How describe it?  Who is involved?
 What are the facts?
 What are the reasons?
 What are some
 How often occur? examples?
 What are the parts?  Why is it strange?
 What is the reasoning?  What is the effect?
 What is the cause?
 Stories to tell?
 How often?

28. Criteria
 Want between two and five
 Is this idea really essential?
 Can several ideas be combined?

29. Characteristics
 Simplicity
 Discreetness
 Parallel Structure
 Balance
 Coherence
 Completeness

30. Body
 Present evidence of speech to support
claims
 Can organize into several types of
patterns
 Adapt to your audience

31. Conclusion
 Summarizes main ideas
 Supports the thesis
 Fixes purpose of the speech in the
audience’s mind
 Climax of the speech

32. Outlining
 Visual representation among ideas
 Structure of Outlines
 Tests the consistency of approach and plan
 Use Roman numerals

33. Visual Representation
Among Ideas
I. Main Idea 1
A. Subpoint 1
B. Subpoint 2
C. Subpoint 3
II. Main Idea 2
A. Subpoint 1
B. Subpoint 2
C. Subpoint 3
III. Main Idea 3
A. Subpoint 1
B. Subpoint 2
C. Subpoint 3

34. Structure of Outlines
 Points
 Main points
 Subpoints
 Characteristics
 Subordinate
 Coordinate
 Mutually exclusive

35. Tests consistency of approach
and plan
 See where holes are
 Can make sure pattern makes sense
 Documents your plan

36. Forms & Organizational
Patterns
 Sequence
 By aspects or issues
 Analysis of causes and effects

37. Sequence
 Shows development over time
 Topic best understood in terms of how it
unfolds over time
 Assumes must follow a particular
sequence

38. By aspects or issues
 Aspects, divisions, or issues
 When want to select a part for specific
emphasis
 Can explore natural divisions of topic

39. Analysis of causes and effects
 Logical structures
 Often used to develop questions of
policy
 Develops necessary relationships

40. Adapting your outline to your
audience
 Deductively
 Inductively
 Two-sided or refutative

41. Choosing a Pattern of
Organization
 How sonar systems are used in
diagnosing pregnant women
 The advantages of traveling with a
professional travel agent
 Legitimacy of public advertising for
doctors
 How profits for airlines can be increased

42. Introductions, Conclusions &
Transitions

43. Introductions
 Purposes
 Types
 Strategies for preparation

44. Purposes of Introductions
 Gain audience’s attention
 Dispose the audience favorably towards
the speaker and the topic
 Clarifying the purpose or thesis of the
speech
 Previewing the development of the topic

45. Types of Introductions
 Identification with the audience
 Reference to the situation
 Statement of purpose
 Stating the importance of the topic
 Startling statistics or claims
 Telling a story
 Making a key comparison
 Posing a rhetorical question
 Quoting someone
 Using humor

46. Strategies of Preparation
 Prepare the body of the speech first
 Relate the introduction to the body
 Keep the introduction brief
 Make the introduction complete
 Keep files of possible introductions
 Use the types as guides
 Plan the introduction word for word

47. Conclusions
 Purposes of conclusions
 Types of conclusions
 Strategies of preparation

48. Purposes of Conclusions
 Completing the form
 Summarizing main ideas
 Making a final appeal to the audience

49. Types of Conclusions
 Summarizing
 Quoting
 Making personal reference
 Challenging the audience
 Offering a Utopian vision

50. Strategies of Preparation
 Make certain that it truly is the
conclusion
 Return to the device of the introduction
when possible
 Practice the conclusion

51. Transitions
 Purposes of Transitions
 Elements of good transitions
 Strategies for preparation

52. Purposes of Transitions
 Aids in flow of presentation
 Links one part of the speech to another
 Let’s audience know where you are in
the speech

53. Elements of Good Transitions
 Internal previews
 Internal summaries
 Links
 Complete transitions

54. Strategies for Preparation of
Transitions
 Identify ideas succinctly
 Use parallel structure where possible
 Use signposting

55. Summary & Conclusions
 Address Burning Questions
 Summary
 Thank you and good night!