HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations (HBR Guide Series)

Segment the Audience

If you see your audience as a homogenous, faceless clump of people, you’ll have a hard time making a connection and moving them to action. Instead, think of them as a line of individuals waiting to have a conversation with you.

Your audience will usually include a mix of people—individuals in diverse roles, with various levels of decision-making authority, from different parts of the organization—each needing to hear your message for different reasons. Decide which subgroup is the most important to you, and zero in on that subgroup’s needs when you develop your presentation.

When you’re segmenting your audience, take a look at:

• Politics: Power, influence, decision process
• Demographics: Age, education, ethnicity, gender, ...