Every speech has an audience and every audience is different. Tailoring your next speech to your audience is just as important as the content of the speech. So how do you connect with an audience so that your message matches their expectations, wants and needs and you can get your message across effectively?

Here are seven strategies for targeting your business presentation message with laser-like precision.

1. Research your audience before the presentation.

The more you know about your audience, the more likely you are to connect with them. It often amazes me how many business people just don’t bother to find out about their audience. The more specific you can be, the better. For example, one of the best reports I received from a client was the following audience description:

“Most of the group is on a two-day, two-night, four-off roster. It’s mostly process technicians. The rest are on a five-day roster with two days off. The day shift people includes tradesmen (we call (they are maintenance technicians) and laboratory, administrative and professional employees. The average tenure in the group is eight years and goes up to more than 30 years. The average age in the group is 38 years. Division by gender: women 6 percent, men 94 percent “

What a great start and fantastic audience research statistics. From this, I was able to deduce that almost half of the audience hadn’t been with the company for very long, they were predominantly a younger audience and mostly male! This provided a solid foundation for tailoring my message to connect with this group. Keep in mind that this was an exceptionally good report from the client and most of the time you will have to do the groundwork to find out who your audience is.

2. Find out what your audience wants.

Again, ask key questions of the event organization, such as “What are the key issues affecting your industry, business or members?” I always try to meet as many audience as

possible before a presentation such as asking “what do you have in mind right now and what do you want to get out of this presentation?” Be specific.

This is an example that I used for a recent presentation for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. I found that most potential investors will want to know 3 things when trying to collect finds. What are the sales projections? Who are your target customers? What is the exit strategy? Provide this and you have conquered them.

3. Use examples.

Nothing builds empathy and sympathy with your audience as powerfully as examples. Remember that you are selling intangible ideas and practical examples make these ideas more memorable, credible and tangible.

4. Use bullets.

No, this is not a type of dressing that you put on your salad! It is a short story, example or incident. The key point is that they are easy to remember and count. But they should be short and relevant.

5. Use metaphors.

These are powerful words that evoke vivid images in the minds of your audience. They are a proven technical speechwriter. I recently heard the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton speak. Clinton used the metaphor of the gap between the invention of the club and the shield to describe the current situation in the war on terror. He said,

“This gap must be closed.” This makes intangible concepts have more impact on the audience.

6. Be specific.

The more specific you can be with real-life examples, case studies, and results, the more accurate you will be in targeting your message. Know your content and don’t be afraid to reveal personal stories as examples in your speech, this will strengthen your relationship with your audience.

7. Use the incident / point / benefit technique.

This one is really powerful. Tell the story, make the point, and then most importantly reinforce how this will benefit the audience. It took me years to figure this out, but it will

a big difference in the impact of your presentations.