When it comes to your PowerPoint presentation, one of the fundamental skills you need to master is knowing your audience. We need to find out all we can about who we are speaking to. Knowing your audience will allow you to tailor your message to any group’s unique tastes, expectations and experiences.
Many factors contribute to an audience’s profile. How much education do they have? What part of the country are they from? Are they mostly men or mostly women? Are there specific cultural signifiers you need to be aware of? What part of your industry do they represent?
How old are they?
Many of us can be sensitive about our ages. No one wants to be perceived as “too young” or “too old” – in business or in our personal lives. But age plays a big factor in determining who we are as each generation shares a unique experience with their times. When you’re presenting to a room full of 28 – 45 year olds you are facing what could be a tough crowd. This generation followed the Baby Boomers and were originally known as the Baby Bust. Eventually, they reclaimed their name, simply choosing to call themselves “X”.
Generation X came of age with Grunge music, Hip-Hop, MTV, the rise of home computers and the Internet, Pac Man, Ronald Reagan, Slacker culture, the return of the coffee house, and the fall of the Soviet Union. This is the first generation to make less money than their parents and they are known for their cynicism and skepticism where marketing and politics are concerned. However, their core values include a love of community and relationships as well altruism and entrepreneurship. They can be a prickly bunch. They are smart and they are savvy. When presenting to Generation X, you need to tell it like it is, and you better say it fast.
Tell, Don’t Sell
Never, ever try to “pitch” an audience of X’s. They see through you and they judge you with pitiless disdain. They are de-constructing your message before you begin and they are quickly beginning to suspect your character as a person. These folks detest spoon-feeding and they probably think they know more about your expertise than you do. Don’t forget, these folks grew up as latch-key kids. They know how to take care of themselves. Give ’em lots of dynamic messages and info, but also give them the room to come to their own conclusions.
The Need for Speed
This Generation was suckled on MTV and Oliver Stone. The X’s invented multi-tasking. They have a limitless capacity for information processing, but every one of them could be diagnosed with a kind of cultural ADD. A successful PowerPoint presentation for this group must by dynamic, full of variety and multimedia content, and – most importantly – it’s got to be fast! It has to move quickly from point to point and – ideally – wrap up in record time. Don’t worry, they’ll keep pace, and they’ll have plenty of pointed unexpected questions when you’re through.
No Pigeons Here
Although it is tempting to put a neat-fitting mold around a particular audience, this mentality can be especially disastrous when applied to Generation X. In fact these folks may be best defined as a group that uniformly rejects all definitions – and with good reason. They are racially diverse, economically varied, gender integrated, well-traveled and the most highly educated group you are likely to encounter. Do not pigeon-hole them or ply them with cliches!
The U in X
The best way to appeal to an audience of X’s is to engage their idealism. They aren’t interested in profits as much as they are interested in justice and truth. They aren’t likely to support a corporate trend, but they’ll stop traffic to get behind a social movement. They’ll pass up the next rung on the corporate ladder to climb a real mountain any day. Meet the X’s where practicality meets high-minded individualism and you’ll have a room full of eager, attentive participants at your next presentation.
