Learn how to customize your language to suit your audience's backgrounds, interests, goals, and problems in presentations. Discover tips on choosing words, adjusting tone, varying complexity, monitoring feedback, and practicing delivery.

Your audience will be more responsive if you are using their language. For example, do they call their key stakeholders a "client" or "customer?" Or maybe it is a "policyholder" or "student?" Throughout your presentation, be sure to select words that relate to their industry and business. Examples are also key to audience engagement and interest. I like to use very specific examples from their employees or leaders when I teach LinkedIn strategies at companies. When you use your client's real examples, they are thrilled because you made it real.

How do you tailor your language to your audience?

When you give a presentation, you want to communicate effectively with your audience. But how do you know what language to use, what tone to adopt, and what level of detail to provide? The answer is to tailor your language to your audience, based on their needs, expectations, and preferences. Here are some tips on how to do that.

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your presentation, you need to do some research on your audience. Who are they? What are their backgrounds, interests, and goals? What are their problems, challenges, and pain points? What are their attitudes, opinions, and beliefs? What are their questions, concerns, and objections? The more you know about your audience, the more you can customize your language to suit them.

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Harsh Shah 🏃♂️

Customer Success Leader | Data & Analytics Consulting |Strategy & Growth
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Personally, i have followed asking myself these questions to know my audience, 1. Why are they attending this presentation? 2. What kind of information are they looking to acquire? 3. How will they consume my presentation?

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Hussam Abujamilah CSCP, CISCP, CISCM, CISCC, CILT, CIPP, CIPM

Local Content & Industrial Development Head at PIF PC Leading Local Content Growth || Expert in Supply Chain, Vendor Development, Industry Localization, Economic Participation, Procurement Excellence, Local Content
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In my experience, understanding your audience can significantly impact how your message resonates with them. Additionally, keep in mind that discovering your audience's perspectives and viewpoints can assist you in striking a chord and establishing a deeper connection with them. This will allow you to anticipate their questions, address their concerns, and even proactively address any objections they may have.

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2 Choose your words

Once you have a clear picture of your audience, you can choose your words accordingly. You want to use words that are familiar, relevant, and clear to your audience. Avoid jargon, slang, and acronyms that they may not understand, or explain them if you have to use them. Use examples, stories, and analogies that relate to their experiences and interests. Use positive, respectful, and inclusive language that builds rapport and trust with your audience.

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Sandra Long

Author of "LinkedIn for Personal Branding"| LinkedIn Top Voice | TEDx and Keynote Speaker | LinkedIn Rebranding | B2B Social Selling l My Mantra: "Be a Friend First" l Let’s Amplify Your Brand and Event
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Your audience will be more responsive if you are using their language. For example, do they call their key stakeholders a "client" or "customer?" Or maybe it is a "policyholder" or "student?" Throughout your presentation, be sure to select words that relate to their industry and business. Examples are also key to audience engagement and interest. I like to use very specific examples from their employees or leaders when I teach LinkedIn strategies at companies. When you use your client's real examples, they are thrilled because you made it real.

Like
Harsh Shah 🏃♂️

Customer Success Leader | Data & Analytics Consulting |Strategy & Growth
Report contribution
The best practice that I have followed is to have your language so simple that a 5th grade student can understand. Keeping your words simple makes it easy to follow yet impactful.

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3 Adjust your tone

Your tone is how you express your attitude and emotion through your language. You want to match your tone to your audience's mood, expectations, and preferences. For example, if your audience is formal and serious, you may want to use a more formal and authoritative tone. If your audience is casual and friendly, you may want to use a more informal and conversational tone. If your audience is skeptical and resistant, you may want to use a more persuasive and confident tone.

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Hussam Abujamilah CSCP, CISCP, CISCM, CISCC, CILT, CIPP, CIPM

Local Content & Industrial Development Head at PIF PC Leading Local Content Growth || Expert in Supply Chain, Vendor Development, Industry Localization, Economic Participation, Procurement Excellence, Local Content
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Totally agree, tone adjusting is crucial in effective communication. It allows you to convey your message in a way that is appropriate and respectful to the recipient. To adjust your tone, start by being aware of the current tone you are using. Consider whether it aligns with your intended message and the context of the situation. If you find that your tone needs adjustment, try the following techniques: 1. Reflect on your emotions 2. Practice empathy 3. Use appropriate body language 4. Practice active listening Remember, adjusting your tone is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness and practice.

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4 Vary your complexity

Your complexity is how much detail and depth you provide in your language. You want to balance your complexity with your audience's level of knowledge, interest, and attention. For example, if your audience is expert and curious, you may want to use more complex and detailed language. If your audience is novice and bored, you may want to use simpler and concise language. If your audience is mixed and diverse, you may want to use a combination of both.

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5 Monitor your feedback

Your feedback is how you check and adjust your language based on your audience's reactions and responses. You want to pay attention to your feedback cues, such as body language, facial expressions, eye contact, nods, questions, comments, and applause. These cues can tell you if your audience is engaged, confused, interested, or bored. You can then modify your language accordingly, such as by clarifying, emphasizing, summarizing, or adding humor.

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6 Practice your delivery

Your delivery is how you perform your language through your voice, gestures, and posture. You want to practice your delivery to enhance your language and connect with your audience. You can practice by recording yourself, rehearsing with a friend, or using a mirror. You can then improve your delivery by adjusting your volume, pace, pitch, tone, pauses, emphasis, eye contact, facial expressions, hand movements, and stance.

By tailoring your language to your audience, you can make your presentation more effective, engaging, and memorable. You can also build rapport, credibility, and trust with your audience, and persuade them to take action on your message.

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Harsh Shah 🏃♂️

Customer Success Leader | Data & Analytics Consulting |Strategy & Growth
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Practice, Practice, Practice...! Try recording yourself on video and audio, it will help you be an audience to your own presentation and improve drastically. Avoid any fillers (e.g. umm, like, sooo etc) and consciously replace it with deliberate 'pauses'. This will make you look extremely confident and intelligent.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you tailor your language to your audience?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Choose your words

3 Adjust your tone

4 Vary your complexity

5 Monitor your feedback

6 Practice your delivery

7 Here’s what else to consider

Presentations

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How do you tailor your language to your audience?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Choose your words

3 Adjust your tone

4 Vary your complexity

5 Monitor your feedback

6 Practice your delivery

7 Here’s what else to consider

Presentations

Rate this article

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