The letter “A” comes first in the alphabet and the audience should come first in your speech. Why? Because without an audience, there is no speech. You’re talking to yourself. And we all know how dangerous that can be!

Novice presenters often spend too much time thinking about their audience. They worry that the audience is judging them, or that the audience will detect their nervousness. Relax – the tips below for novice speakers will help with these issues.

Experienced presenters often spend too little time thinking about their audience. They assume they know the audience well enough. (“Hey, I work with these folks,” or “Everyone is there to hear about financial planning – what’s to know?”) Or worse, they assume the audience is somehow incidental to their speech. This can happen when speakers have a captive audience – at internal business or corporate meetings, at conferences and conventions, and even in the classroom. The tips below for advanced speakers provide specific reminders and strategies to help you focus on your audience.

“I am a real ham. I love an audience. I work better with an audience. I am dead, in fact, without one.”

~Lucille Ball

3 Audience Tips for Novice Speakers

3 Audience Tips For Advanced Speakers