How to Identify the Needs of International Audiences

By Rana Sinha

International audiences can be very intimidating. The less you have prior knowledge of them, the more nervous you might become about how to appear and present before them. But some preparation beforehand goes a long way towards acquiring necessary skills and gaining confidence to handle international audiences.

There are three basic steps to assuring that you get at least a part of your message across and affect your audience. The old advice of "know your listeners" works better if you split it into two parts, one about the listener's needs and the second one about the manner in which they process information. This method will help you get beyond cultural stereotypes with its many shortcomings.

1. Identify your listeners' needs
2. Identify the manner of information gathering your listeners are used to
3. Tailor your message to suit the needs and learning style of your audience

Identify your listeners' needs

This is very difficult, as your listeners are not going to tell you "this is my need." It is up to you to discover their needs in relation to your presentation. Unless they are in love or are consumed by morbid hatred, people usually act rationally. So there must be a rational reason for your audience to come to listen to you. What is the reason for their giving you their time and attention? You can start discovering that by enquiring before you meet them "What brings these people to listen to me?" Or "How are they connected to my topic?" The answer usually is somehow connected to the theme of the gathering or that it brings some added value to them.

It is a bit too simple to assume that an audience has a uniform kind of expectation. People in the audience can have as many kinds of expectations and motives for being there as the varieties of their food tastes. Someone is there with a burning desire to learn new ideas. Another person is there because he found this topic to be the least boring among other presentations in the seminar. Yet another person can be there because she wants to be noticed for asking an intelligent question in an international seminar.

You wouldn't speak to a board of directors in Barcelona in the same way as you would to young nurses back at home, would you? Different audiences have different needs. One audience might need to learn more details about a new product or service or specific details about a project. Another audience might be looking for reassurance from the head office that their branch is not being downgraded or eventually shut down, while the official topic of the presentation may be "Presentation of corporate annual report."

The time concepts of the people you are speaking with also play a vital role. A strict timetable may be realistic in a culture that's exact and oriented towards immediate action. It may be considered pushy in another culture that's more consensus-oriented and more relaxed, to stick to a timetable running strictly to the minute.


Identify the manner of information gathering your listeners are used to

People have different learning styles. There are three basic learning styles or different approaches to learning. They are:

1. Learning through seeing or visual learning
Visual learners may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays such as diagrams and pictures, illustrated textbooks, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and handouts. These learners prefer sitting at the front of the room to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. other people's heads).

2.Learning through listening or auditory earning
Auditory learners learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners try to interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. For them, written information achieves meaning only when it is heard.

3. Learning by doing, moving around, touching or tactile/kinaesthetic Learning
Tactile/Kinaesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them by touching or trying things for themselves. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

Usually people feel comfortable doing things they are used to doing until the point is reached where they get bored and desire change. So if a person is used to gathering information by reading and underlining text with colour markers, she might not feel comfortable listening to a lecture with no handouts or possibilities for note taking. In some cultures like Finland or Japan interrupting a speaker is considered a breach of etiquette and all questions or comments usually are left till the end. In other cultures like Britain or USA presentations are usually interactive with lots of audience input in the form of short comments, jokes, questions or applause.

How interactive a presentation is, depends much on the culture. Typically English speaking cultures like presentations to be lively and interactive. Paradoxically there are similarities among Far Eastern, Slavic and protestant cultures like Germany and Finland. Presentations there are formal and with few interruptions. Questions are answered either when the presentation ends or quickly as they arise. In Japan it is common to show concentration and attentiveness in public by closing the eyes and nodding the head up and down slightly. You might feel you are putting your audience to sleep in Japan, but don't worry. Then again, don’t forget to check that you really are not boring them to sleep.

Many Europeans, particularly Scandinavians and Germans prefer to receive information in detail, with lots of supporting documentation. They want their presenters to be systematic and build to a clear point in their presentation. The Japanese business audiences, where senior managers are more likely to hold technical or management degrees are very similar. American and Canadian audiences, on the other hand, like a faster pace. The Latin and many Asian cultures prefer presentations with emotional appeal.


Tailor your message to suit audience needs and their method of information processing

This is where presentation skills matter the most. If your presentation, offering or message caters to the needs of the audience, they would feel energised, eager and responsive. In the best of cases they wouldn’t want to leave. If you know that your facts are shocking or revolutionary, you have to prepare your audience to digest these by guiding them to expect what you are about to give them. By giving examples and connecting your subject matter to their work or everyday life, you have to highlight the relevance for them.

Now how do you go about discovering the learning styles of your listeners? You just can't ask them or put them through tests. Well, who says you can't? Try asking your audienceýýýthey'll be flattered.

At the beginning of your presentation, take a few seconds to establish contact with your audience and watch them. See how they behave as you go on. Are they with you and paying attention? Are they taking notes? Are they gossiping with their neighbour? Are they looking at the diagram you are showing or listening to you first?

People who start taking notes right away can actually have three different learning styles and it's very difficult to know which is their strongest one. People who are gossiping with their neighbour can do for two reasons, either to discuss to topic or because they are not interested at all. So it's almost impossible that you'll have an audience with only one kind of learning style.

And we come to the conclusion that your presentation should cater to all three styles of information processing. Use graphics and diagrams along with oral presentations and if possible use methods like rhetorical questions or asking audience members guiding questions to place the topic in their midst. This way you try to appeal to different senses and different methods of gathering information and make the chances to getting the right message across and leaving a powerful impression higher. Good luck!
managesmarter.com

Is Your Marketing Smart?

Ad technology evolves with Yahoo!'s SmartAds platform that allows marketers to specifically target Web users by their searches and set preferences.

By Victor Van Valen

Advertisers not only need to cater to and directly pinpoint a precise targeted audience to be successful; they need to customize their advertisements as well. In print mediums, you have an idea of who will see your ad. For example, you know Cosmopolitan magazine would be great to target women in their 20s and 30s and promote your new beauty product line. But when it comes to online venues, how can you target the right audience when millions are browsing?

Earlier this month, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo! launched its SmartAds product, an innovative new advertising platform that allows marketers to deliver tailored ads to highly targeted audiences. SmartAds combines Yahoo!'s consumer insights and media capabilities with new ad serving technology that automatically converts campaign creative and targeted offerings into highly-customized, relevant ad displays.

Here's how it works: Let's say a user is browsing for hybrid cars in Yahoo! Autos and has selected New York as their default location in Yahoo! Weather. Yahoo!'s SmartAds platform will assemble and deliver an ad display in real time that showcases a hybrid vehicle from a major partnering auto brand, local dealer information and current lease rates. This provides a not only a relevant experience to the user but allows the partnering marketer to reach users who are more likely to become customers.

"Yahoo!'s SmartAds gives marketers what they want from online advertising: the ability to deliver customized marketing messages to consumers, and still engage very large audiences with their brand," says Todd Teresi, Yahoo!'s senior vice president of display marketplaces.

Yahoo!'s SmartAds technology automatically generates hundreds of unique ad combinations based on an advertisers creative set and offer database. Advertisers and agencies can thereby take full advantage of all of Yahoo!'s audience targeting capabilities and still maintain control over how their brand is presented.
managesmarter.com

Fitness for Business Travelers

7 Secrets to Pump Up Your Workout While Traveling

By Jeanie Callen Barat

Do you let your constant business trips ruin your fitness progress? Traveling for business has its perks—such as earning points and miles for your vacation trip. But the stress that accompanies business travel and the extra hours in airline seats and rental cars can be hazardous to your health and fitness plan.

Just because you leave your hometown behind, doesn't mean you have to leave your exercise plan, too. Traveling can be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the extra time to kick-start your workouts and enjoy the extra energy surge.

Keeping your exercise routine consistent while you're traveling can actually make your stressful time away more enjoyable. Here's how:

• Your body craves the good feeling exercise brings on. So instead of depriving it of those endorphins, keep them humming by walking, running or swimming. A strong workout can be just what you need to get your ready for your big meeting. And, it can help you de-stress after a long day.

• Sticking to your exercise plan keeps your energy levels high. Energy is definitely something we can all use more of when we're on the road, especially when traveling for business.



• You will feel great when you return home slimmer than when you left rather than having to lose a few pounds from the buffet breakfasts, cocktail hours and late night business dinners.

As you hit the road, follow these 7 winning ideas keeping your fitness plan on track while traveling for business.

1. Bring your gear.
Stop trying to save space. Pack your workout shoes, workout outfits and any equipment such as hand and ankle weights. Ask yourself what's worse: the extra pounds in your luggage or the extra pounds on you?

2. Test it out.
Test your travel workout before you go away on your business trip. This familiarity will encourage you to complete the workout on the road. If you aren't sure of the facilities at your destination, plan exercises that don't require equipment, such as push-ups and crunches.

3. Do your research.
Before you go, research the best place to do your favorite exercise. If you love running, seek out best running trails are. If aerobics classes turn you on, search for gyms in the areas and check out their class schedules.

4. Stick with your routine.
Sometimes you think getting away is the perfect time to try something new. Variety is great but if you are attempting an exercise you are not familiar with, chances are you will forget about it. Just pick what you love and enjoy the new setting. Although if you are personally inspired to try a new and exotic activity, such as snorkeling or waterskiing—go for it.

5. Commit to healthy eating.
Eating healthy while on the road can be a challenge—especially when traveling for business. But the good news is that restaurants do offer healthier choices. You just have to make them.
Make a commitment to enjoy the local fare or a favorite dish, while forgoing the extras you can live without. Don't be afraid to ask for sauces and dressings on the side. Order fruit for breakfast and double the vegetables during your late night business dinner.

6. Share the fun.
When you are on the road, invite others to join you. This will keep you accountable. Invite your co-worker or potential customer to join you for a run or trip to the local pool. Skip the happy hour and opt for a walk. Use this time to catch up or network with an important business contact.

7. Maximize your time.
If you are crunched for time, try the most efficient and effective workout for fat loss—interval training. By alternating bouts of high intensity with low intensity training, you will accelerate your metabolism. Plus you will trigger a surge of energy and adrenaline that will keep you going all day guaranteed.
managesmater.com