Know your audience: Why every good presentation starts with an audience analysis

In 1995, I was travelling through Vietnam with a backpack. The country had just opened its doors to independent travellers. For me, so much was new: the surroundings, the language, and the question of whether I’d find my way around in this foreign country.

Would I get by with English?

One day, a small, slim Vietnamese man approached me. He was about 50 years old, wore a white shirt and blue trousers—and spoke German.

What a wonderful surprise!

In conversation, it turned out he had lived for many years in the former GDR. In that moment, I immediately felt at ease and understood.

A shared point creates closeness

Why am I telling you this story?

Because this man intuitively did something right: he thought about who he was dealing with. Then he looked for something we had in common—and found it.

That common ground had nothing to do with Vietnam. It was in our language and a shared past.

The result: the distance between us instantly shrank.

In a presentation, it’s also about building a connection with your audience. You don’t want to just dump information. You want your audience to listen, understand, and ideally take action.

To do that, you first need to know who you’re dealing with.

What is an audience analysis?

An audience analysis is the conscious process of engaging with the people you’re presenting to.

It’s not just about the number of listeners. Among other things, you should ask yourself the following questions:

What language does my audience speak?
How much subject-matter knowledge do they have?
What practical experience do they have?
Which terms are familiar—and which do I need to explain?
What does the audience expect?
What information do they really need?
What’s their attitude to my topic?
Is my audience there voluntarily, or were they required to attend?

These questions help you tailor your presentation more effectively to your listeners.

Not every audience needs the same presentation

Imagine you’re presenting a new project.

In front of senior management, different aspects will likely matter than in front of your colleagues from R Senior management may primarily want to know:

What benefits will the project deliver?
What costs will it involve?
What risks are there?
What decision is expected?

Your colleagues in RD, on the other hand, may be more interested in technical details, methods, and practical implementation.

The content can be the same. Your presentation shouldn’t be.

A customer presentation works differently too. Customers generally don’t want to hear as many details as possible about your company. They want to understand the concrete benefit your offer brings them.

Choose the right language

Audience analysis starts with language.

Are you presenting in German, Swiss German, French, or English? And if you’re speaking German: is Standard German or Swiss German the better choice?

Technical terms and anglicisms also need a reality check. For specialists, they can be precise and efficient. For a non-specialist audience, they can quickly feel like an extra hurdle.

The key question is:

Does this term help my audience understand—or does it just show that I know it?

If your audience doesn’t have the necessary technical background, you should explain technical terms or replace them with clear, accessible wording.

Must-have or nice-to-know?

As a subject-matter expert, you could probably talk about your topic for days. But your audience usually doesn’t have that time.

That’s why it’s worth distinguishing between two categories:

What does my audience absolutely need to know?
What might be interesting, but isn’t essential?

In English, this distinction is often described as “must have” and “nice to have”.

This separation forces you to focus on what matters most. It doesn’t make your presentation poorer—it makes it clearer.

An overloaded talk isn’t automatically a valuable talk. Often, the most sticks when you choose less content and communicate it clearly.

How to prepare

Before your next presentation, take a few minutes and answer these questions in writing:

Who is in the audience?
What roles and responsibilities do the listeners have?
What prior knowledge do they bring?
What do they expect from me?
What are they particularly interested in?
What might make them sceptical?
Which three messages should stick at the end?
Which examples fit their professional reality?
Which language and technical vocabulary will I choose?
What should the listeners do after the presentation?

The more specific your answers are, the more precisely you can shape your presentation.

In my book “The compelling internal business presentation” you’ll find a detailed checklist for audience analysis. It helps you assess your listeners systematically and prepare your presentation professionally. A corresponding checklist is also available online.

Conclusion

A good presentation doesn’t start with PowerPoint. It starts with the audience.

When you know who you’re facing, you can choose your language, your examples, your arguments, and your content more effectively. You’ll reach your audience more easily—and be understood better.

Just as the Vietnamese man in Vietnam found something we had in common, you too can build a bridge to your audience.

Analyse your audience. Then your presentation will be more effective.

🎥 Video: Tip 31 – Audience analysis

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