Speaking
to an Audience
You
must consider the composition of an audience; along with
the information they want or need in order to accomplish
your goals. A typical audience consists of age, size,
and education.
Age…adolescence,
teen, young adult, and adult
Size…one
on one, family, group, classroom, and conference
Education…population
at large, schooling (elementary to university), and other
survivors
These
factors will define how information is most effectively
presented to a given audience. For example, you would
avoid technical terms around children as opposed to a
group of medical students; you would concentrate on themes
of safety and acceptance as opposed to hospital stay and
recovery.
Whether
you are speaking to an individual or giving a lecture
to a group, focus must always be on the audience. Every
burn survivor has a story to tell. (It comes with the
territory.) But having a story that inspires is not enough
unless you present it in a way that gives the audience
more than they expected.
Accomplishing
this will not only increase your odds in favor of support,
both monetary and otherwise, it will also turn the audience
into educators. An audience will spread the word of an
effective speaker far beyond what they witnessed. Regardless
the size on an audience and how much time you use, the
presentation must be one that is not easily forgotten.
Such
a presentation consists of a skilled and professional
speaker. One can learn how to motivate and educate an
audience. And with practice and dedication, one can become
an effective speaker.
