Every communicator needs to speak to "tough crowds" from time to time. The audience isn't excited about the message, and they may even be hostile to the speaker. Delivering contentious or unpopular news puts the speaker at a disadvantage.

Here I discuss two tips to help soften a crowd: researching the audience and establishing a personal connection with the audience members. I hope this helps you in your own presentations--especially those difficult presentations where you hope the audience won't "shoot the messenger!"