There Is No Such Thing as One Size Fits All

One size fits all is a myth. The only way that it would ever be true is if all human beings were exactly the same (like robots). Of course, everyone knows that human beings are all different, with different viewpoints, different ways of thinking, and different likes and dislikes. Therefore, one size fits all will never work.

Customizing is as essential as breathing

When it comes to addressing your target audience, whether through your content or in some other sort of presentation, you must customize what you are sharing based on the other person and his or her needs. First of all, you will want to determine why you are giving the presentation and what you want the audience to take with them when you are finished. You can try that approach if you like but it probably will not cause the results that you are hoping to achieve with that person (or any other members of your target audience). 

Basically, one size fits all means no size fits all. If you consider oral presentations, you need to address the particular target audience members who are sitting in front of you and who took the time and made the effort to hear what you have to say. They are there for a good reason, which is that they want to take what you are sharing with them for the benefit of their brand and business. Honestly, the last thing that anyone wants is to listen to a presentation that is delivered by a robot. In order for your presentation to be effective, your story must resonate with them. In other words, your experience(s) need to have been experienced by your target audience members as well. That is just basic common sense. 

If you aren’t sure how to deliver a presentation that is effective and that gives the audience what they need and want, there is a simple approach that will probably work well for you and you should seriously consider incorporating it into your business strategy. Always remember to share some of yourself in every presentation that you deliver.

Body language is very important

Physical gestures are a really important part of an oral presentation. Your ora (verbal) presentation is essential but so is your non-verbal communication in the form of body language. It is important for you to take notice of your body language and gestures so that you can control how they are received by the people who are attending your presentation. The basic approach should be:

• Put your upper body into it. Move your shoulders, head, and hands.

• If you are standing in front of a podium, make sure that your audience can see your physical gestures.

• Using your hands is a good thing; however, using a single finger is not. Engage your full hands whenever possible.

• Make sure that your body does not appear to be tense at those times when you are not using gestures.

Whether you are conscious of it or not, you (and the rest of the human race) use body language to express yourself. Your gestures and body language should not differ based on the number of people whom you are addressing. One or one hundred is the same. The main thing is that both your audience and you should be comfortable and at ease. If you are, the message that you are delivering will be well received and you will appear credible and genuine.

Move around the room 

Standing in one spot as you are presenting looks strange and extremely awkward and it certainly will not put your audience at ease. Of course, you want to keep your movements reasonable. You don’t want to move fast and you certainly don’t want to cover every inch of the room. Here are some reasonable guidelines to follow:

• When you first begin your presentation, don’t move around. You will want to give your target audience the opportunity to know you. Additionally, when you are wrapping up your presentation, that is also not an appropriate time to move around. That will solidify your relationship with the target audience.

• If you do move around during the body of your presentation, you should have a destination in mind. It will seem strange if you just move around randomly. Also, you should stand still in between movements.

• Always face your audience.

• Always keep the personal space of the other person in mind and respect those boundaries.

Ensure that the volume of your voice is sufficient

You will want to keep your voice even and at a consistent volume. This will help your audience members to grasp what you are conveying and it will hold their interest in your subject matter. The way in which you deliver the information is extremely important and if your delivery is good, the audience will pay attention and you will know it.

• Make sure that your voice is loud enough for the person who is sitting or standing in the outermost corner of the room can hear you clearly. 

• Your body language should synchronize with what you are conveying.

• Watch the tone of your voice. You don’t want to speak in a monotone because you will lose the interest of your audience and that will be detrimental to you.

Conclusion

Your presentation must be a good fit for your audience. Of course, it goes without saying that you should be well prepared and succinct. People don’t appreciate a presentation that is too long or too long and boring. Remember that there is no such thing as one size fits all. It is not difficult to customize your presentation to your target audience; however, it is absolutely critical that you do so. Otherwise, you will not have an audience. You not only want to capture the attention of your audience but you want to keep them engaged for the entire time that you are presenting.

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