Exceptional public speaking is about more than delivering a polished introduction, maintaining eye contact or appearing confident on stage. The most effective speakers focus on what their audience needs to understand, feel and do.
In her Harvard Business Review article, The Best Public Speakers Put the Audience First, communication expert Deborah Grayson Riegel suggests approaching public speaking as a form of servant leadership. Instead of using the stage to demonstrate everything you know, use it to serve the people who have come to listen.
Adapt to what your audience needs
Riegel describes travelling from New York to Geneva to deliver a 45-minute closing keynote at the World Communication Forum. After earlier speakers exceeded their allotted times, she was left with only eight minutes.
She could have insisted on delivering the full presentation or rushed through as much material as possible. Instead, she recognised that the audience was tired, hungry and ready for dinner. She reduced the presentation to its most valuable practical advice and finished within the available time.
The audience appreciated her focus, adaptability and respect for their situation.
This illustrates the central lesson: a presentation should not be measured by how much the speaker manages to say. Its value lies in what the audience can understand, remember and use.
Think like a servant leader
A servant leader places the needs of others ahead of personal status or recognition. Riegel identifies three qualities that can help speakers adopt this approach.
1. Practise self-awareness
Presenters can bring anxiety, frustration and defensiveness into the room without realising how strongly these emotions affect an audience.
Before speaking, take a moment to recognise what you are feeling. Naming an emotion can help reduce its intensity and allow you to respond more thoughtfully.
Consider what the emotion may be telling you:
Anxiety might indicate that accuracy or excellence matters deeply to you.
Worry about questions may show that you value acceptance and want your ideas to be well received.
Frustration may reveal that you are concerned about fairness or respect.
Use that information constructively. If accuracy worries you, rehearse carefully. If you are concerned about objections, practise with someone who can challenge your ideas. If plans change, pause before allowing frustration to shape your delivery.
Self-awareness helps you manage your own needs so you can concentrate on the audience’s.
2. Lead with empathy
A common presentation mistake is beginning with what the speaker wants to discuss rather than what the audience needs to hear.
Audience-centred speakers ask:
What is motivating these people?
What are they hoping to achieve?
What are they worried about?
What pressures are they experiencing?
What information would be genuinely useful to them?
For an internal presentation, answers may be found in previous conversations, meetings and emails. For an external event, speak to the organiser or contact a few attendees beforehand.
Once you understand what matters to your audience, build the presentation around those priorities. Relevant information earns attention far more effectively than an impressive but disconnected display of expertise.
3. Use foresight
Good speakers combine previous experience with an understanding of the current situation to predict how an audience is likely to respond.
Riegel knew that extending her presentation would frustrate an audience that had already been sitting through an overlong conference. She also recognised that racing through 45 minutes of content in eight minutes would overwhelm listeners and damage her credibility.
Foresight helped her identify the most useful information and deliver it clearly within the time available.
Before presenting, consider:
How long has the audience already been listening?
What has happened immediately before your session?
What energy level are they likely to have?
Which information is essential?
What can be removed if time becomes limited?
How might your decision affect the rest of their day?
A presentation plan should provide direction without preventing you from adapting when circumstances change.
Understand your audience’s knowledge
Find out how familiar the audience is with your subject.
If people are new to it, establish a clear foundation and minimise jargon, acronyms and specialist language. If the audience is experienced, avoid spending too long explaining concepts they already understand.
For an audience with mixed knowledge, identify the primary group while acknowledging the range of experience in the room. Invite knowledgeable participants to contribute without making newcomers feel excluded.
The objective is not to demonstrate how much you understand. It is to help the audience understand.
Recognise their current reality
Before asking people to accept a new idea, demonstrate that you understand their existing situation.
If an audience is worried, frustrated or confused, acknowledge it. Check that your understanding is accurate and give people an opportunity to respond.
Presentations do not always need to be one-way performances. In many situations, turning part of the presentation into a conversation will create greater trust, engagement and ownership.
Continue the conversation
Audience members may have questions or perspectives that cannot be addressed during the allotted time.
Explain how they can continue the discussion after the presentation. This might involve:
Staying behind for questions.
Providing an email address.
Inviting people to connect online.
Arranging a follow-up meeting.
Sharing additional resources.
This reassures the audience that their questions matter, even when time is limited.
An audience-first presentation checklist
Before your next presentation, ask yourself:
What does this audience already understand?
What are they hoping to learn or achieve?
What might they be worried about?
Have I acknowledged their present situation?
Is the content relevant to their needs?
Am I using unnecessary jargon?
What is the most important idea for them to remember?
What can I remove if the available time changes?
Have I created opportunities for participation?
How can people continue the conversation afterwards?
Am I trying to impress the audience or genuinely help them?
The best public speakers do not make themselves the centre of the presentation. They remain attentive, adaptable and focused on giving their audience something genuinely useful.
This article is an independent summary inspired by Deborah Grayson Riegel’s “The Best Public Speakers Put the Audience First,” published by Harvard Business Review. Read the original article for Riegel’s complete discussion and examples.
