Determine demographic, psychographic and situational
characteristics of your audience
Just as a gardener must tend to the individual needs of each
plant, a speaker must know his/her audience well. Learn all that
you can about your audience in order to meet the needs of your
speaking occasion.
Consider cultural considerations
Ignoring cultural differences and expectations is considered
rude and impolitic.
Interact with your audience during your talk
All speakers seek to converse with their audience members in
order to reach them. As you are delivering your talk, consider
adopting a heightened conversational tone.
Get
feedback following your talk
If you are enrolled in a public speaking course, you will
receive expert feedback from your instructor who is trained to
do just this. Much like a referee or judge sees a performance
differently than do the fans, your instructor will be looking at
elements of your presentation that many audience members may or
may not notice.
Your audience members can give you some useful information as
well, particularly about how well you adapted your talk to their
particular needs.