This document provides guidance on tailoring a presentation to the audience. It discusses the importance of knowing the audience and their interests. The document outlines questions to ask about the audience and how understanding them can help focus the presentation and address their concerns. It also provides an example of modifying the same argument for two different audiences. Finally, it includes sample presentation materials and notes that highlight information to exclude for the targeted marketing executive audience.

1. © 2016 SkimaTalk, Inc.
SkimaTalk Official Course
Advanced Presentation Skills
Lesson 5: Know Your Audience

2. Session Guidelines
2
Introduction / briefing
Deliver presentation
(Using pages 10 – 13)
Teacher feedback / discussion
Exercise and feedback
5
min
5
min
5
min
10
min
Spend 2 – 3 minutes
reviewing the content on
pages 4-6. Answer any
student questions.

3. Why Knowing Your Audience?
3

4. Before Giving a Presentation, Get to Know Your Audience
4
Ask the following questions:
1 Who is my audience?
2 What does my audience care about?
3 How should I deliver the relevant information?

5. Knowing Your Audience Will Help You Deliver a More
Effective Presentation
Benefits of knowing your audience:
1 Focus
2 Pre-empt questions
3 Get to “Yes”
Deliver only the information that matters to your audience.
Address your audience’s questions BEFORE they ask them.
By addressing the needs / concerns of your audience, you
are more likely to get your audience to agree with your
argument or request.
5

6. Example of the Same Argument Designed for Two
Different Audiences
l I am seeking your support for a new
software tool.
l The tool will generate new sales
leads and help up-sell existing
customers, both of which will
increase sales for your team.
l Additionally, the tool is easy to use
and will improve the efficiency of
your reps.
l The costs are minimal (1% of
budget), and will be recovered 5
weeks after purchasing the software.
Audience: Sales Manager Audience: Security Manager
l I am seeking your support for a new
software tool.
l The tool is critical to securing our
customer data.
l Your team will be required to
support the tool; but this tradeoff is
worth the extra data security
benefits.
l The tool will help maintain our
reputation as the most secure
Enterprise Software company in the
world.
6

7. Preparing For Your Presentation
7
Spend 1 hour preparing for your SkimaTalk session.
1. Review the “target audience” document, the
presentation, & sample presentation notes for this
course (pages 9 – 17).
2. Update the sample presentation notes to tailor the
presentation to the target audience. Eliminate any
information that is not relevant to the target
audience.
3. Practice delivering the revised presentation notes in
front of a mirror.

8. Are You Ready?
8
Teacher Instructions:
1. Listen to the student deliver the full presentation without interruption.
2. During the presentation, write down the areas where the student could have eliminated
information not relevant to the target audience. To assist you, we have highlighted suggested
information to exclude in red text in the teacher version of the presentation notes.
3. Ask the student the following question: “Did you find this exercise easy or difficult? Why?”
4. Review the areas where the student could have eliminated information not relevant to the
target audience. Discuss why the information may not be relevant.

9. Target Audience: Marketing Executive
9
Who is my audience: Marketing Executive
What does my audience care about:
• increasing sales leads
• keeping other executives happy
• building brand awareness
How should I deliver the information: focus on lead generation and
support from other executives
Goal: convince the executive to purchase a new marketing software

10. Practice Presentation: Slide 1
Title: Proposal to Purchase
Apollo Marketing Software
10

11. Practice Presentation: Slide 2
11
Apollo Software Will Improve Lead Volume & Quality
Fictional data
Increase Web Traffic Build Brand AwarenessIdentify Best Leads

12. Practice Presentation: Slide 3
12
Compelling Data Points Support Apollo’s Claims
Fictional data
42% increase in lead volume
34% increase in brand recognition
Apollo’s software has been a game changer for our
business. We now see more leads, and better
quality leads. I don’t know how we survived
without Apollo!
“
“

13. Practice Presentation: Slide 4
13
The Proposal Has Only Minimal Costs and is Supported by Senior
Executives
Fictional data
Minimal Cost Executive Support
CEO
CFO
VP Sales
Legal
95% of cost covered
by existing software
budget

14. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 1
14Fictional data
l The goal of this presentation is to gain your support for a new marketing
software tool from Apollo.
l Let’s jump right into the presentation.
Overview

15. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 2
15Fictional data
l The Apollo software has many benefits.
o First, the software will help increase web traffic to our site, which will increase
the number of leads we receive.
o Second, the software will improve our data security. This will help us minimize
the chance of future security breaches.
o Third, the software will help our team identify the best sales leads and pursue
only those leads that are promising.
o Fourth, the software will help our account managers better manage our
customer relationships and help up-sell existing customers.
o Finally, the software will help us build brand awareness around the world.
Increased brand awareness has been proven to drive more leads.
The Apollo software will increase the number of high quality leads
Remember, we want students to exclude
information that is not important to the
target audience for this presentation.

16. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 3
16Fictional data
l There are many compelling data points for the Apollo software:
o Customers saw the following improvements to their businesses:
• 42% average increase in lead volume.
• 40% average increase in up-sell opportunities among existing customers.
• 59% average decrease in the length of the sales cycle.
• 34% average increase in brand awareness.
• 48% average reduction in the cost of securing customer data.
o Customers provided many compelling quotes, including:
• “Apollo software improved our data security practices. Thank you Apollo!”
• “Apollo’s software has been a game changer for our business. We now see
more leads, and better quality leads. I don’t know how we survived without
Apollo!”
Data Indicates that the software is very effective
Remember, we want students to exclude
information that is not important to the
target audience for this presentation.

17. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 4
17Fictional data
l The costs of the software are minimal
o 95% of the costs will come from our existing software budget.
l Support from executives is strong
o The program is already supported by the CEO, CFO, head of Sales, and head of
Legal.
Costs are minimal and executive support is high

18. Discussion
18

19. For Discussion
19
Discuss how you would alter the content of the presentation for
each of the audience’s below
Chief Security Officer
Sales Executive
Legal Officer
What info in the presentation focuses
on security?
What info in the presentation focuses
on increasing sales?
What info in the presentation focuses
on keeping the company out of legal
trouble?

20. 20
End of Lesson
We Hope You Enjoyed It!