Adapting to Your Audience

Adapting to your audience means understanding who you are communicating with and adjusting your content, language, tone, emphasis, and approach to better meet their needs.

Before Your Appointment

Before meeting with an OCC consultant, think about:

  • Who is your audience?

    • Consider their background, knowledge, interests, and expectations.

  • What does your audience already know?

    • Think about what needs more explanation and what they may already understand.

  • What is your goal?

    • Are you trying to inform, persuade, teach, or engage your audience?

  • What tone should you use?

    • Decide whether your communication should sound professional, conversational, persuasive, or enthusiastic.

You can bring assignment instructions, an outline, slides, a speech draft, or even just an idea you want help developing. The OCC welcomes clients at any stage of the process.

After Your Appointment

Use what you discussed with your consultant to make final adjustments.

Ask yourself:

  • Is my message clear for my audience?

  • Is my language easy for them to understand?

  • Does my tone fit the situation?

  • Are my most important ideas emphasized?

  • Will my delivery keep the audience engaged?

Before presenting, try practicing one more time while imagining yourself as a member of the audience.

 Your Guide to Confident Presenting 

 

  • Short checklist for students who are panicking or rushing

    • Take one deep breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for 4 seconds

    • Read your introduction out loud (don’t try to memorize it)

    • Look up every few seconds to look at the room 

    • Avoid pacing and swaying 

    • End with one clear takeaway you want the audience to remember

  • Voice and Delivery

    • Speak slower than you think you need to (nerves speed you up)

    • Use intentional pauses to emphasize key points 

    • Vary your tone so your speech doesn’t sound stale

    Body Language

    • Use purposeful hand gestures to support your message 

    • Make eye contact with different parts of the room 

    • Keep your shoulder relaxed

    Presentation Structure

    • Strong hook: a question, statistic, story, or relatable moment 

    • 2-4 main points

    • Transitions: “Next, let's look at” or “Building on that idea.” 

    • Conclusions: summarize the big idea and leave your audience with a final thought

  • Practice strategy

    • Say your speech out loud 

    • Time yourself to ensure you are within the time limit

    • Bring water to drink before your presentation

    • Remember: nerves = adrenaline = energy. Use it.

    • Reading directly from your notes

    • Talking too fast or using filler words

    • Apologizing, “Sorry, I am nervous.”

    • Memorizing word-for-word (increases anxiety and makes you sound unnatural)

  • There come times when you’re feeling overwhelmed with assignments and presentations. You can practice the material 100 times, and still nothing seems to calm you down. 

    Try watching this video to help guide you through breathing exercises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odADwWzHR24 

    Maybe you struggle sitting still and prefer something more active. Try this: youtube.com/watch?v=ah4PAK18Rtg&feature=youtu.be 

    Here at UMD, there are multiple resources available for those seeking them. Visit https://mentalhealth.umd.edu/ for more information.