As you plan your message, you need to take into account why people have gathered to listen. When an audience is required to attend a presentation, such as a mandatory employee meeting, you may have to work hard to arouse interest and sustain attention. When audience members voluntarily attend a presentation, they usually are more motivated to listen. But you need to know why they are there and what they expect from your speech. When a speaker does not offer the kind of message listeners expect, they may be annoyed. For example, if they are expecting an informative presentation on investment strategies and instead get a sales pitch for a mutual fund, they may feel exploited. This could result in more irritation than persuasion.