I remember when I was beginning my public speaking journey, I’d always think before a presentation

“I wonder what the people in the audience are like … I hope they’re nice!”

Whenever something is uncertain, it is inherently scarier.

If we don’t know who’s in the audience, it’s scary to imagine what they’d be like.

Now, I’ll let you in on a secret:

Most people in a corporate environment, are very nice….

…but have you tried the rowdy drunk nightclub audience on a weekend who expect you to make them laugh…?

That’s exactly where I found myself…

Totally…different…game.

Luckily, I came across an amazing book “Deliver Unforgettable Presentation by Patricia Fripp, Darren LaCroix, and Mark Brown.

The book mentioned the 7 types of audiences you can expect no matter what kind of arena you speak in.

By knowing their traits, you can customize your speeches and presentation accordingly to make it as effective as possible!

Here they are:

1) The Sceptic

The sceptic doesn’t trust you, they don’t believe what you’re saying. They have their doubts. You must go the extra mile in convincing them of your message.

You must have talking points in your presentation that address the biggest sticking points that the sceptic may bring up.

Think of a sales presentation, the sceptic might think:

“It’s too expensive”
“This won’t work”
“This already exists.”

You need to mention points that counterbalance the scepticism. Don’t wait for them to ask, chances are they won’t. But bring them up yourself and own the narrative.

2) The Source

The source wants to know where you got your statistics, your facts and figures from. They only trust you if you can back it up with evidence from credible sources.

Instead of making generalized statements, back it up. Bring your receipts. Quote authors, studies, books, industry experts etc.

“People are more believing when the source is external, even if they’re not familiar with the source.” Dr Ali Sajjad.

Didn’t that sound more credible? I completely made up the quote and the author.

See what I mean?


3) The Young Gun

The young gun is easily distracted, and can’t pay attention to long, boring lectures. They need something constantly happening in the presentation to keep their interest otherwise they tune out.

For them, introduce activities, discussions, take your clothes off I don’t care, whatever you have to do to keep their attention! (Okay maybe keep your clothes on otherwise you’ll get in trouble with HR)

Variety is the key here.

4) The Veteran

The veteran has been in the industry longer than you, they know more about it than you. These people aren’t easy to fool and even harder to impress. You must know your material and be transparent with your limitations.

The key here is not to claim you know something as a rule if you don’t know it. But if you’re going to talk about something that is different than the norm then mention “In my experience, and I know this will go against a lot of what you hear…” People can’t argue with what you’ve experienced.

Also, respect the knowledge in the room. Don’t act like you no more than people who have put in decades more than you into their craft.

5) The Newbie

The newbie requires extra guidance, more hope, and more assurance. They don’t know what help they need and they have a lack of direction. They may need closer attention.

Be empathetic, ask them questions, assume they know absolutely nothing and give them a guiding hand. These people are also the last to ask for help but they’re the ones who benefit from it most.

6) The Know-it-all

The Know-it-all tunes out new information because they think they already know everything, and possibly more than you. They are often egotistical or uninterested in admitting there was something they didn’t already know. Not knowing something makes them feel inferior.

What’s that saying “You can bring the horse to the river but you can’t force it do drink?” Same concept applies here.

In my experience, one of the most effective ways of cutting through to Know-it-alls has been through storytelling. Yes, they might know about the tips and tricks you share but they don’t know your unique twist and spin on it. Story also adds that emotional angle to your presentation, even the most sceptical person will trust you more after a good story.

7) The Cheerleader

The Cheerleader loves you and supports you no matter what you say. You could belly-flop on stage but they would still cheer you on and tell you that you were amazing. These people are great, but don’t rely on them to be there to save a bad presentation!

There’s not much you need to do here … maybe invite them to your future workshops and and ask them to cheer you on there too … LOL