How to present a speech to an undetermined audience

One of the basic recommendations before starting to prepare a speech is to identify the target audience. Having basic notions about who our audience will be allows us to adapt the language and content we will use in our presentation. It is not the same to present to people who are experts in the subject we are going to deal with, than to do it to people who do not know or only have basic notions about it.

Sometimes, identifying the audience can be complex or impossible. This is due to the fact that there are scenarios that are made up of a plurality of spectators, where a very generic audience converges. In these cases, doubts may arise about how to manage our presentation, so that it adapts to the knowledge levels of those present.

During the following session, we will be carrying out a series of recommendations to elaborate a speech in front of an undetermined audience. This will be useful for those moments when it is very difficult for you to foresee who will be the audience of your presentation.

The use of questions: Once we have introduced ourselves to our audience, we must decide how we will carry out the presentation, in such a way that it satisfies the general interests of the audience. When our language is too advanced or too technical for the level of the audience, they will not be able to understand the message and therefore the objective of the presentation will not be fulfilled.

Similarly, if the audience has a higher level of education and what we are communicating is too basic for them, our speech will be boring and not very useful for those present.

A simple way to understand and identify the level of the audience is to begin your presentation by asking some basic questions about the topic to be discussed. If you notice that the audience responds easily, raise the level of complexity of the questions to measure the general knowledge of the audience.

When you have a good command of the topics you intend to address during your presentation and your communication skills are adequate, you will be able to easily adapt the level of technicality you will use to make your message understandable to everyone.

Introduce the topic from the basics: If by asking general questions to the audience, you still cannot identify their general level of knowledge, you can introduce your speech by introducing the topic from the most basic elements.

When we increase the complexity of the message, in a progressive and staggered way, it is more likely that most of those present will be able to follow the thread of the speech and assimilate as much information as possible.

It is normal that some people may not be able to adapt to the higher levels or may find the introductory elements of the speech boring. However, your interest as a speaker is to reach as many listeners as possible.

Review the points made in the speech: Near the end of your speech, take a few minutes to summarize the most important points made during the presentation. This brief summary will help your audience understand those elements that they have not been able to assimilate during the presentation. The summary should be written in simple, easy-to-understand language. The objective is that those who have not been able to follow the thread of your speech can take away the essential idea of it and receive the most important information.

Preparing a speech for an undetermined audience is a complex task. That is why you should try to incorporate some of these techniques, so that they receive a useful and satisfactory message for their interests.