Who exactly make up a mature audience? It is getting harder to identify this group.

With 70 becoming the new 50, it is hard to identify who exactly is elderly. It becomes even more challenging when looking at a sea of people in an audience. It is safe to say, if they wear a crown of gray hair, they most likely are up in years and have unique needs.

To illustrate...A dear friend modeled for a brochure for a hospital. She was featured with a child, a little girl that looked like her daughter. It was actually her granddaughter. She looked like the mother.

For many their bodies are biologically old but their minds, spirit, and health are much younger than the biological age of their body.

In addition to the adult learner needs there are a few additional needs of the elderly or mature audience, whoever they may be.

Memory

Although we tend to associate forgetfulness with increase age, it is not a hard and fast truth. Many have excellent memories. They like anyone else respond to the same mental stimulus and mental triggers.

With age can come a decrease in the speed of processing information. Because of the diverse abilities of the audience, there is a need to speak to the average. This means speaking slightly slower, more and longer pauses. Don’t go so slow that it makes the talk drag.

Spaced repetition is still necessary to enhance memory.

Volume

With some there will be a decrease in hearing. Memory shortcomings are sometimes misdiagnosed when in reality it is a hearing problem. Make sure there is adequate volume.

If you have good audience contact with a mature audience, you will notice those finding difficulty hearing taking a glance at the person next to them. If you’re not sure, just ask. Ask twice. They may not want to answer the first time. Ask for them to shake their head as you shake your head in the gesture of a No if they cannot hear.

If they are going to understand, they need to hear.

Understandable Information

Don't introduce a lot of facts, figures, percentages and raw data unless it is something already familiar to the majority of the audience. It is confusing at the least for younger learners. It can create information overload and make it difficult to get your most wanted response.

With these simple requirements you will meet the needs of a mature audience. What is involved with the Audience Professed Values Argument?

Audience Professed Values Argument is an overlooked aspect of public speaking. Whether speaking to one person or a thousand, this is an important aspect of speaking to master.

The Audience Home Page The complete list of topics on the audience.

Speechmastery.com: The Public Speaking Mature Audience Resource

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