When speaking at a conference or to an audience outside your organisation, here are the 10 basic factual questions to ask the client contact/host/organiser:
- How many people will attend?
- What is the age range?
- What is the gender split?
- What nationalities/ethnic groups will be present?
- What are the levels of education/qualifications?
- What is the spread of job titles of those present?
- What organisations are represented?
- Who will speak before you?
- Who will speak after you?
- Who will introduce you?
After getting the basic facts, your next step is to get inside the heads of the audience. As Stephen Covey would say, ‘Seek first to understand and then to be understood’.
