Here's how you can craft a message that resonates with diverse audiences using strategic thinking.

1. Do an audience research to first of all understand their diversity composition. 2. Ensure that your content cuts across borders by, for instance, using different examples that the resonate with the different groups that make up your audience. 3. Acknowledge that you know you have a diverse audience. As a listener, this makes me feel that I'm part of that conversation. 4. Logos, Ethos, Pathos: Logos builds logical arguments by appealing to the reason of the listener. By appealing to the speaker's position or authority, ethos increases the likelihood that the audience will trust them. Pathos tries to evoke strong feelings in the viewer, such as anger or sympathy.

Learn to engage the audience early on in your presentation to gain insight into their point of view, their background or other information that will help you relate to them. Communication is not a "one way" conversation so I've found that if I engage the audience and begin a two way conversation I am able to align with them. If you can identify the audience prior to your presentation that can be helpful but establishing a line of two way communication quickly will allow them to hear your message with open minds and hearts.

If you have ever failed at this, then you know how important it is. While being an expert on a topic or someone believed to have a meaningful perspective to share is fantastic, those things can only get you so far. It is great when your audience is well-defined. It reduces the level of complexity to some extent. But this is a luxury we do not always get though. Do your research and prepare for whatever diversity might be foreseeable. Help your audience understand you. Communication is a back-and-forth process and creating space for common ground can also prevent unnecessary conflict. Additionally, do not tip-toe around problems that might come up. Address them directly with your audience and show genuine respect while doing so.

It’s not only knowing your audience, but understanding how to build intimacy with them as soon as possible when you speak. Intimacy building can be as simple as sharing something vulnerable, silly, or relatable. This immediately builds a bridge between you and your audience. Even if you KNOW your crowd, but don’t build a bridge to them… they’re just a crowd.

it is incredibly important to study your audience. Never get too comfortable, every audience- even if it's within the same niche is different. Different locations, different ages, different levels all play a huge part in understanding your audience.

The second step is to establish your message objective. You need to determine the primary goal of your message. Do you want to educate, persuade, inspire, entertain, or inform your audience? Be clear about the intended outcome and how you want your audience to respond. This will go a long way.

I disagree: a speaker's objective does not necessarily shape the tone. Example: some speakers are naturally funny; humor can work with the most serious of informative or persuasive topics; arguments of consequence can be amusing & can show how ludicrous certain positions are. Note: this is a huge departure from strategic thinking about speaking to diverse audiences. Humor can be risky with diverse audiences. It's probably safest to be factual, unbiased, even-handed, and unemotional.

The nature of your speaking engagement will, by nature, define your objectives. What I personally want to achieve is separate. I may speak or present on a topic like schizophrenia. My objectives come down to presenting clear, concise, accurate information on the topic. What I want to achieve is an engaging, memorable presentation that is not only memorable, but holds educational value across a wide span of education and vocational backgrounds. Believe it or not, humor and anecdotes have a place, even when the topic is heavy. I like anecdotes as strategic tools. I prefer spontaneous humor when speaking about something serious because I am constantly scanning the audience and reading the room. Having a sense of appropriate timing is vital.

When you are passionate about something, you would need to go on and on and on about it without realizing you moved away from the objectives or goals you have set. Therefore, having set objectives or goals written can help stay on the course.

Crafted content can be a trap if you are unable to deliver it well. Well-crafted content can be easily derailed. -Be flexible and patient as you engage with the audience. -Remember, you are part of the content. Include your own learning experiences, especially those in which you struggled or even failed. The goal is to humanize yourself without being undermined. -Use pure language by avoiding words and phrases that are unnecessarily technical, especially if you want the audience to be able to share what you presented later on. -A message worth delivering is also worth knowing multiple ways share. Come with at least three distinct ways to share concepts. -Prepare to take on complex concepts in small pieces without being condescending.

Clearly explain the goal of your talk in one simple sentence. If you can't clearly explain the goal of your talk in one sentence you won't be clear in 10-30 minutes of talking. To determine that goal, think about how you expect this talk to change the way people think, act or feel? That will lead you in the right direction of clearly explaining the goal in one sentence.

Perhaps the most critical skill here is strategically aligning your stories to the key message of your presentation. People remember stories. They don't always remember what you think are "key points". So the tighter the story aligns with your message, the more effective the presentation will be (provided, of course, you deliver it effectively)!

Authenticity matters. There are many ways to tell a story, but you can think too hard about exactly how to phrase something. Instead, focus on why it's important for people to hear the message, and let that guide your word flow. People will be able to tell if you're speaking from a carefully worded (and perhaps robotic) speech or if you're speaking from experience, passion, etc.

It is paramount to craft a message that resonates with your audience by using language, tone, and style that aligns with their preferences and values. Use storytelling, metaphors, examples, and humor to make your message engaging and memorable. You need to also consider cultural nuances: Be mindful of cultural differences that can impact the interpretation of your message. Avoid stereotyping or offending anyone by researching and recognizing these potential sensitivities.

Depending on the topic, this can be difficult. While as a psychologist, I love the opportunity to tap into as many emotions as possible, it is not always there. In those cases, humor comes naturally for me. My parameters become timing and tact. When I have easier access to a broad range of emotion, I prefer to use myself for examples of coming up short, then use stories about others who have overcome, succeeded, or thrived. I love to draw people in, starting with when I came up short and progressing through the most salient emotions I have experienced in my own journey. My point in doing so is to humanize myself while joining with the audience in learning from others and achieving my goals.

While our diversity makes us unique, our feelings are universal. Once audiences know we are inclusive and respect differences in race, gender identity, ethnicity, we can connect emotionally. While we all have different and diverse life experiences based on our unique backgrounds, we all have felt excited, proud, angry, sad, scared, and lonely, to name a handful of emotions.

Walking into a room filled with IV poles, medicine bags, many of which are red in color was daunting. Trying to figure out where to sit was the first thing. Once that was figured out based on outlets for my lap top, the journey began. The gazes on the faces of those next to me had me a bit perplexed as to the process I was about to endure. This is the start, let’s see what happens next were my thoughts as the nurse approached us. The cancer treatment is multifaceted, join me as I share my road to healing.

I agree with this perspective and I was struggling a bit where to include this point, but ensuring you have a strong grasp and are comfortable with you understanding of the material. I saw many public speaking events where people were not fully understanding the topic they were covering which made the emotional connection difficult. Identifying the what you are trying to evoke from the audience along with topic knowledge will help pick the right words, order of topics, and strategy.

As Dustin said, when speaking to a diverse audience, engaging emotionally can be monumentally difficult. Sometimes, one person's sorrow is another person's victory. So, how do you tug at heartstrings with a diverse audience? My go-to is animal stories: abandoned pets; irresponsible, neglectful pet owners; the gratitude shown by fostered and adopted pets; forever families; euthanasia; the dedicated efforts of rescue organizations. Other go-to techniques: self-deprecating stories (also mentioned by Dustin); arguments of consequence (e.g., if everyone did this, then there would be a ridiculous situation).

The key to being able to adapt on the fly is preparation. Having taught public speaking to senior execs for years, those that can adapt the best are those who are the best prepared! If you're not prepared, you'll be stumbling over the freshly minted content in the moment and stumbling through your thoughts rather than being equally focused on your delivery. And, rest assured, the preso will fall very very much short! Practice. Practice. Practice.

I personally end up with specific points or stories that I love and want to share the most. They are my "babies." However, I have found that they are often more for me more than the audience. If you are prone to having your babies, be prepared to let go of them. Sometimes they are exactly what an audience needs. Other times they simply take up space and time that could be used more meaningfully for the audience.

Adaptability is a crucial skill for every public speaker because you can't always predict how your speech will unfold or who your audience will be. A single question from a heckler can pivot the entire direction of your presentation. This unpredictability is why speakers should avoid relying on scripted speeches. Instead they should be prepared to think on their feet and adjust their message accordingly.

One of the best tips for presenting is to rehearse 5-7 times in its entirety. A good trick is to record yourself giving the presentation, even if only audio. You might be surprised how much it makes it seem real, and then you can listen back and tweak. Often, the way we write and the way we speak can be pretty different. You'll find you'll prefer the way you said it in the recording and can easily edit. Regardless, if you've rehearsed it 7 times you can be sure you'll do well.

Conduct focus groups or surveys to test your message with representatives of the diverse audience you want to reach. This can help you refine your language, tone, and style. Yo also need to analyze the response to your message and adjust as needed. Look at metrics such as engagement, click-through rates, or conversion rates to ensure that your message achieves its intended objective.

I have always found it helpful to “linger a while” after speaking at a function participating in discussions. Make yourself available and be present. Active listening to hopeful pull small nuggets from conversation that resonate within me that I can convert into action/edits to a speech, presentation, or panel discussion of the future. Reflect, review, and refine…revamp as needed!

So very true! After each speaking engagement, class, interviewing, the opportunity for learning and becoming the best you can be is always directly in front of you. Take note, "what could I have executed in a more positive manner"? Write it down! Then use it.

Do not underestimate the power of spontaneity. Sometimes those off-script comments and stories are prompted by something in the back of your mind because you are picking up on something from the audience. These are often the points that end up leaving the strongest impression or teach something important that you had not planned.

Always speak shorter than the allotted time. The audience (and stage manager) will appreciate it more. I learned this from the founder of Texas Monthly. Mike always gives a great (short) speech.

In summary, crafting a message that resonates with diverse audiences using strategic thinking involves defining your audience, establishing your message objective, choosing the right medium, developing your message, considering cultural nuances, testing your message, and measuring and adjusting.

Storytelling is a powerful tool. Storytelling in strategic communication involves crafting narratives that authentically reflect diverse perspectives and experiences. By incorporating universal themes and emotional engagement, stories can resonate across different cultural and demographic boundaries. Personalizing narratives to align with audience values and aspirations while maintaining clarity and simplicity ensures accessibility and relevance. Cultural sensitivity, visual and verbal elements, and a clear call to action further enhance storytelling effectiveness. Continuous feedback and iteration refine storytelling approaches, fostering empathy, strengthening connections, and driving meaningful engagement with diverse audiences.

An integral approach to organisational change is essential for achieving cohesive and sustainable transformation. Rather than having multiple project teams working in isolation on related topics, it is crucial to ensure that all important policies are consistently applied across all projects. This holistic method helps to align objectives, streamline efforts, and eliminate redundancies. It is powerful to be the leader that sees this, and talks about the importance of this. In that way, one and the sam message can be used for different audiences, that all feel part of the larger change process. Depending on the audience, you choose a different entry point for the conversation, but the endgoal is always the same: coherence and harmonisation.