Audience Analysis
Most failures of communication can
be directly linked to ineffective
audience analysis.
- PGC
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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1. Fundamental Principles
• Effective persuaders adapt their messages to their
audiences.
• Message sent  Message received
• Benefits:
• Increases efficiency
• Enhances influence
• There is usually more than one audience
• Groups within groups
• Hidden decision makers
• Variances over time
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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2. Perspective
• “The best way to identify the meaningful political
categories is to choose categories that are: 1) as inclusive
as possible and 2) internally homogeneous with respect to
the issues under study. Identifying the political categories
is, in other words, a problem of clustering, in which the
criterion is to cluster people together to maximize their
homogeneity in opinions and preferences that are relevant
to the questions being studied. This involves the exercise
of judgment, to discern whether the differences between
given sets of people are important enough to justify
considering them as separate political groups.”
– Jeffery Pfeffer
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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3. Audience Differences
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Personality profiles
Demographics (education, gender, etc.)
Physical location
Job responsibilities
Beliefs
Past experiences
Values
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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4. Conducting AA
• Prior to
• During
• After
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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5. So What?
Adapt:
• Proof (verbal, visual, etc…)
• Examples
• Word choices
• Arguments
• Strategy
• Physical setting
• Communicators (who delivers message)
7/1/2016
Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.
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