HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations — Key Terms (Audience and Delivery)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering concepts from audience understanding, segmentation, delivery, storytelling, and remote presenting from the notes.

Audience

The people a presenter addresses; they determine whether an idea spreads and should be the focal point of what you present.

Mentor (presentation role)

The presenter acts as a guiding mentor who helps the audience see themselves as the 'hero' of the idea.

Audience transformation

The change in beliefs or behaviors you want the audience to adopt as a result of your presentation.

Skepticism to Excitement

A typical transformation where a skeptical audience member becomes excited about the opportunity or idea.

Resonant frequency

A metaphor for tapping into the audience’s shared interests or beliefs to move them toward your objective.

Common ground

Shared experiences, goals, or qualifications that allow you to connect with the audience.

Shared experiences

Past events or memories you and the audience have in common to build connection.

Common goals

Mutually desired outcomes that align your message with the audience’s aims.

Qualifications

Why you are uniquely able to guide the audience and what you bring to the topic.

Segmenting the audience

Dividing the audience into subgroups to tailor content, then addressing the most influential subgroup while still appealing to others.

Politics (segmentation)

Power, influence, and decision-making dynamics within the audience.

Demographics

Audience attributes such as age, education, ethnicity, gender, and geography.

Psychographics

Personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles of the audience.

Firmographics

Organization-related data: number of employees, revenue, industry, locations.

Ethnographics

Social and cultural needs of the audience.

Executive summary slides

A concise overview of key points placed at the front of the deck for quick understanding.

10% rule

Aim to allocate about 10% of slides to a concise summary at the front (e.g., 5 slides if the appendix has 50 slides).

Rehearse

Practice your presentation to know the material well and adapt to changes during delivery.

Stage fright

Nervousness before presenting; can be managed with techniques like breathing and visualization.

Quiet mind

Mental calmness achieved to reduce anxiety before/during a presentation.

Breathing

Deep, controlled breaths used to reduce tension and steady delivery.

Precommunication

Early communications (e.g., agenda emails) that set expectations before the talk.

Atmosphere

The room mood and setup (lighting, refreshments, décor) that influence audience reception.

Appearance

Presenter’s attire and presentation signals—professionalism, approachability, credibility.

Disposition

Your overall attitude and energy; authenticity and sincerity affect credibility.

Eye contact

Looking at the audience (or camera for remote talks) to build connection and trust.

Body language

Posture, movement, and gestures that convey confidence and openness.

Gestures

Deliberate movements that emphasize or illustrate content; should match the message.

Facial expressions

Using facial cues to convey emotion and connect with the audience.

Voice

Speech quality including pitch, tone, volume, pace, and enunciation; creates emphasis and contrast.

Verbal tics

Filler words like um, uh, you know; best reduced or paused instead of spoken.

Storytelling

Using narratives to illustrate points with vivid, sensory details for impact.

Reexperience stories

Reenact or relive stories in the moment to keep the delivery fresh and engaging.

Sensory details

Descriptive elements that evoke sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to ground a story.

Interpreter

A translator who renders your presentation into another language; three types exist.

Simultaneous interpretation

Interpreter translates in real time from a booth; listeners wear earphones.

Consecutive interpretation

Interpreter speaks after you finish a point, sharing the translation.

Whispering interpretation

Interpreter whispers translation to the speaker when needed.

Q&A

Question and answer segment; plan timing, anticipate questions, and manage responses.

Moderator

Person who manages Q&A, keeping questions orderly and on topic.

Final impression

A strong closing that reinforces the message and leaves a lasting takeaway.

Remote audience

People attending via webinar or teleconference; engagement and trust-building are crucial.

Video streaming

Using video to connect with remote viewers; body language and eye contact matter.

Eye level camera

Positioning the camera at eye level to avoid looking superior and to create equality.

Comfort monitors

Teleprompters or screens that help read notes without breaking eye contact.

Backups

Extra copies of slides/content on drives or cloud storage; bring backups to events.

Tech walkthrough

A pre-event check of technology with AV staff to prevent glitches.

Pause strategically

Deliberate pauses before key points to emphasize and ensure comprehension.