Influencing a Mixed Audience

When presenting, you know that very few audiences are all supportive or all neutral, that’s why it’s important to tailor your presentation to a wide spectrum of viewpoints. However, the key when presenting to a mixed audience is to identify whom in the audience you have to win over, says Harry Mills in his book, Power Points! How to Design & Deliver Presentations That Sizzle and Sell (AMACOM, 2007).

First, you have to identify which subgroups in your audience have the most power (the numbers) and concentrate your efforts on those subgroups, says Mills. Then, he says, you need to look for creative ways to influence each subgroup by offering each a different reward. "Look at a typical snack food commercial," explains Mills. "It promises kids a great taste while reassuring parents the snacks are healthy and nutritious."

Likewise, Mills offers these guidelines to use when presenting to a "mixed" audience:

Don’t promise "everything to everyone." "If there are groups in your audience with competing agendas, you may end up alienating everyone," says Mills. Instead try and find specific needs and focus on one for each group.
Use "glittering generalities." Mills describes these as "’purr words’ that have positive associations, but are essentially ambiguous."
Stress common interests. It doesn’t hurt to remind the audience about what they have in common while acknowledging their differences. For example, when presenting to a client, you can say your common goal is to increase profits and productivity.
Discuss issues not personalities. "Blame the ‘system’ rather than the person for failures," says Mills.
Call for positive suggestions. "Ask the audience to express any opinions in one sentence, and then to suggest something positive," advises Mills.
Don’t call for a vote. Voting can highlight the existing divisions. "A loss could easily be catastrophic and destroy your later chances for recovery," says Mills.

Finally, Mills reminds us that no matter what type of audience we are presenting to, we must set realistic and achievable goals. "If you can, appeal to the different groups in your audience with different parts of your message," he says. "Many presenters make the mistake of trying to achieve too much."