I’ll be offering the Public Speaking tele-class again in early fall as one of three business classes for entrepreneurs. But here is a tip to get you started right now – know your audience! This is critical. Take the time to ask the folks who invited you to tell you important details about the needs and expectations of the audience.  Here are some of the things I ask right away.

• What are the needs of the group (ie., why am I being invited)
• How many people are expected to attend including ages & gender
• What is the audience expecting to take away from my presentation
• What is their experience already with my topic
• Logistics: length of time I have; location; need for visuals etc.

Now you can develop your learning objectives – what do you want the audience to walk away with? You want them to take away one or two ideas that are meaningful to them. They will then remember you not only as an awesome speaker but also as someone who brings real insight, ideas and value to the conversation.