Here's a useful tip:
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Know your Audience |
The first question you should ask yourself as you start
preparing your next presentation should not be "what
should I talk about?"
Instead, your first question should be "who will
I be talking to?"
Before you write a word, you should know everything you
can about your audience. Because, from the moment you begin
to speak, your audience will know whether the words you
are saying are what they expect, want, need … they'll know
if the message is just for them. If it is, you will enjoy
their applause and their appreciation.
Audiences want you to talk about what you know and what
they don't know, but they wish they knew. That's usually
why a speaker gets an invitation to speak in the first place.
They're hoping for information you have in your storehouse
of information and they don't have. They want to hear about
your expertise and how they can use it.
So, start your research by finding out about their problems,
their plans, their peculiarities. For example, if you know
they have a problem, and you have a solution, you have a
potent speech subject. If they have plans, and you have
experiences that would benefit them with their plans, you've
got a desirable speech. If you know their peculiarities
… like what industry, business, job they're in, you're onto
something. Further, be sure you also know if they are all
manufacturers, all comptrollers, or techies. will your audience
be made up of a combination of people in related fields
like bankers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers et al.
Your speech has to be for all of them!
The best and safest way to get to know your audience is
to ask a lot of questions of the person who invited you
to give the speech. Ask who they are. Ask how many people
will be in the audience - 5 or 500 - or what. Ask about
the gender mix: all men? all women? mostly men? mostly women?
Ask about their ages, so you can be knowledgeable and sensitive.
Ask where they are from: Cleveland? Princeton, LA? Where?
Ask all the right questions so you can localize and sensitize
your message.
Whatever you do, don't assume. Dig. Know your audience
and give them what they want: new information, practical
information, useful information.
Good Luck!
Here's another useful tip:
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Use PARS in your
next interview |
Today you need sharp tools to make
yourself memorable in a job interview.
That requires a lot of preparation. Only when
you’ve done your homework can you create a PAR
that will communicate what a great employee you would
be. PAR stands for: PROBLEM–ACTION–RESULT.
Use PARS. Get the job!
First, - Know everything you
can about the company before you go into any interview.
For example: What do they do? What do they sell?
Who do they sell to? Who are their competitors?
What job do you want? Only knowing about a company
will you be able to position your interview
responses to best demonstrate what specific contributions
you can make.
Prepare at least three PARS
for each interview. Examine your work experience
and try to connect your accomplishments to something
this company would find useful. Prepare by
listing PROBLEMS you’ve solved.
Then select the best three for each interview. To
help you remember each PROBLEM, and to help the interviewer
focus on it, say it in a headline. Repeat the
PROBLEM headline as you tell the ACTION
you took and the RESULT of your actions.
Be very specific when you tell the ACTION
part of the PAR by telling a story, short
but interesting . Use nouns. Check your
past for PROBLEMS you’ve solved that
made money or saved money. Look for PROBLEMS
you’ve solved by being innovative, by developing
people or anything else that would be valuable to
the prospective employer.
Keep in mind that your interviewer
is always thinking: “Can we use this kind
of experience?” Turn your responses to
answer the company‘s needs as well as demonstrating
your ability to answer those needs.
Finally, during the interview,
be enthusiastic. It’s powerful. Be positive.
Actively sell yourself … from your appearance to your
PAR experiences. Good Luck!
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