In the spirit of CYA, he began by outlining the presentation and asking for feedback. The audience said their real challenges involved people, not strategy. So he invited a colleague to give a completely different presentation. It drives me crazy when people assume they know what their audience wants to hear. Lots of people don't find out until the end of the presentation, which is the wrong time.
Fors urges presenters to do their research in small groups.
The speaker arrives early to collar members of the audience in the meeting room, a hallway, even nearby cafeterias. The presenter describes the core message, finds out what else people need to hear, and probes for objections. You don't make a presentation cold at Intel. It's part of our culture to be critical, even cynical. This lets you get ready for any concerns people might have.