Last summer I led a market research results presentation at a client’s office. I had not met any of the individuals in the meeting prior to the presentation other than my immediate client-contact. During introductions I tried my best to understand who was who and to carefully observe the dynamics between people. “Knowing thy audience” is key to an effective presentation.

And, I have to admit – within a few minutes I found myself stereotyping the members of my audience. I have delivered scores of presentations in the past and I can usually quickly assess what the dynamic of the room is going to be like and categorize attendees. But, I can also be wrong in my assessment and it isn’t healthy to make assumptions about people without taking the time to truly get to know them. I sort of feel guilty that I find myself doing this.

This particular presentation had gathered an interesting cast of characters and I couldn’t help but think about how they each were similar to people I have presented to in the past at various clients. Anyway, the list below is meant to be a bit humorous, and I think that anyone who has been in market research presentations will see people they recognize below.

“The Characters You Find in a Market Research Presentation.”

• The Introvert. This is a person who says little during the meeting but her mind is racing. She tends to get active late in the meeting and provides insightful comments because she doesn’t feel a need to chime in on every obvious point. Others in the organization often ignore her because she is introverted but she is often the smartest person in the room. However, she has the potential to derail the end of the meeting by starting an entirely new line of conversation as you are trying to wrap up. How to succeed with the Introvert: Try to engage her early and ask for her perspective late in the meeting as this person often has the best things to say and adds a lot to the discussion if you can draw her out.
• Mr. (Lack of) Attention Span. This is a person who probably comes late to the meeting and forces you to start over and repeat the first 10 minutes. Once in the meeting, he is constantly checking his phone, having side conversations, and asking questions that you just answered. This is also the person that skips ahead in the deck and won’t let you build a story as you would like. How to succeed with Mr. Attention Span: Do not provide handouts beforehand or during this meeting. Keep the presentation short if possible. State ground rules up front as to when you will pause for questions.
• The Poseur. This person has a clear view of the world in his mind and will find a way to massage every fact you present to make it fit with a pre-conceived view. He uses your facts to illustrate just how insightful he is and what he already knows. This is the marketer that personifies David Ogilvy’s quote that marketers use research “as a drunkard uses a lamp post, for support rather than for illumination.”   He uses the meeting to become the center of attention. He has to provide his view on every slide and every conclusion you have no matter what the size of the meeting. He dominates and other attendees tend to defer to him before offering their own opinions.  How to succeed with the Poseur:  At the onset, set “pause points” in the presentation — at the end of each section you will call for a discussion. Establish ground rules for the meeting. Ask everyone to write down a prediction on how a research result came out on paper before you show the actual result. Then, call on other individuals to discuss their prediction. Look to qualitative techniques for inspiration on how to handle a dominant focus group participant for inspiration.
• The Jargon Guy. This is a person who talks a lot but doesn’t really say anything. He is a master of business jargon – it is the person who will use words like “bandwidth”, “game changer”, “visioning”, etc.  He will add “ize” onto nouns to turn them into verbs and use acronyms as much as possible. He reads popular business books on the side. You’ll feel like you are in an episode of “The Office” when you meet him. How to succeed with the Jargon Guy: Learn some of the proprietary jargon and acronyms used by your client’s firm beforehand.
• The Cherry Picker.  Similar to the Poseur, this is the client who also has a clear “map of the world” established in her head and won’t let facts get in the way of a good opinion. She is active in the discussion but what she does is cherry pick results – and criticizes every point that doesn’t fit with her vision, and falls in love with every point that does. How to succeed with the Cherry Picker: Try to get her to buy into your methodology and lead with conclusions you think are likely to fit with how she thinks. That may get her to listen more to findings that don’t fit with her outlook later on.
• The Naysayer.  This person doesn’t believe in market research and once he learns the study isn’t perfect will challenge everything you say. He straddles a line between “critic” and “cynic”. How to succeed with the Naysayer: This person can be a useful contributor if you can get his negativity to become constructive and establish the right tone. Fortunately, his concerns can often be anticipated beforehand, and you can often address his concerns before he gets a chance to raise them.
• The Academic.  The academic asks incredibly detailed questions about the methodology and slows down the initial part of the presentation. This person is usually highly educated and understands the details of statistics and experimental design, sometimes better than you do. The good news is she rarely questions your findings if she agrees with the methods you have employed. How to succeed with the Academic: get to her beforehand and share the details of the methodology so she doesn’t get the meeting off to a bad start by bogging it down with methodological details. This person can be a great ally for you during the talk.
• The Box Checker.  This is a person who is mainly concerned that the research got done because it is part of a larger marketing process that he is responsible for. He is much more of a “process” than an “outcomes” person and tends to be bureaucratic. How to succeed with the Box Checker:  Make sure he knows the project got done efficiently, on time, and within budget.
• The Enlightened Leader.  This is the person we all want to present to. It is the highest ranking person in the room, but she casts aside all her other responsibilities for the hour you have with her. For at least one hour, you and your client feel that this study is the most important thing in her life.  She truly listens, doesn’t presume anything, and allows the research to add nuance to her view of the world. She usually insists that others in the meeting take action based on the findings.  How to succeed with the Enlightened Leader: Bring her into the conversation early, as it sets the tone for everyone.

I should note, that with very few exceptions, these personalities tend to be respectful and courteous and less challenging to present to than the above descriptions imply. Above all, preparation is key to success with all types of people. You need to deeply know your data set and have well-supported conclusions and implications, as in the end that tends to get you over any rough spots that arise. Your day-to-day contact needs to be your ally, and running through the presentation in advance with him/her often helps stave off any rough moments. Most research presentations go well, but we aim for them to not just go well, but to be effective. While it might not be appropriate to stereotype as I have done here, it is appropriate to realize each individual is coming to your presentation with his/her own perspective. Understanding that perspective can be as important as the study itself in terms of having research inform better decisions.