Audience Analysis
Speaker Focus

Self-centric speaker



Presents self interests
No concern for audience feelings, interests,
or desires
Audience-centric speaker


Presents audience interests
Uses words, concepts, stories, visuals, etc.
that audience identifies with
Three Dimensions

Demographics



Psychological




Individual characteristics
Group characteristics
Previous knowledge
Beliefs
Attitudes
Contextual


When and where?
Why are they here?
Demographics









Age
Gender
Race, culture, ethnicity
Profession
Religion
Educational level
Relevant qualities/interests
Homogeneous/heterogeneous (size, too)
Self: similarities/differences
Psychology

What are they thinking?





Previous knowledge vs. knowledge needed
Knowledge desired vs. knowledge needed
Familiar terminology
Familiar concepts, processes, tools
Who knows more?


You?
Them?
Psychology

Beliefs



Neutral vs. agree vs. opposed
Values
Problem exists
Context


Voluntary vs. mandatory attendance?
Current climate







Midterm exams
Flu season
Company layoffs
Audience expectations of style
Dress
Time of day
Obstacles or distractions in room
Conducting the Analysis
Step 1


Consider what you already know
Identify gaps
Step 2

Interview event organizer if external
presentation




Demographics
Knowledge level
Taboo topics
Purpose of event and how presentation fits
Step 3

Survey Audience


Email
Formal




Survey monkey
Google drive
Focused questions relevant to topic
KISS
Step 4 (Alternate Step 3)

Poll similar people

Other students



Same major
Other majors
View past event videos

Learn about context, speaker topics, and
audience
Survey Question Formats
Dual Answer

Provide limited information




Yes/no
Like/dislike
Agree/disagree
Do you agree that cultural events are
an important part of a well-rounded
education?
Ordinal Scale


Assumed equal distance between each
answer
Provide more detailed data
Attending cultural events is an important
part of a well-rounded education.
__never
__sometimes
__often __always
Likert Scale

Similar to ordinal but more
specific/quantifiable
How important are cultural events to a
well-rounded education?
very
important
important
unimportant
very
unimportant
Ratio Scale

Provides numerical responses that are
easily quantified
Using the scale below, please rate how important cultural events
are to a well-rounded education, where 1 is highly unimportant and
10 is highly important.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ranking

Allows audience to rank the order of
importance of predetermined responses
Please rank the following according to importance, where 1 is the
most important and 5 is the least important.
The cultural event experience can be improved by
___Adding more daytime events
___Structuring them to include more direct audience interaction
___Reducing the number required
___Providing more lecture/informational sessions
___Making no changes: they are fine just the way they are
All that Apply

Allows audience to choose a number of
applicable predetermined responses.
Please check all responses that apply.
The cultural event experience can be improved by
___Adding more daytime events
___Structuring them to include more direct audience interaction
___Reducing the number required
___Providing more lecture/informational sessions
___ Making no changes: they are fine just the way they are
Applying the Information
Format

Select what will work for audience




Traditional “lecture”
PPT
Physical demonstration
Multi-media
Content

Main points

What will persuade/interest the audience
the most?






Economics?
Ease of use or access?
Environment?
Personal gain?
Altruism?
Build on values
Content

Use sources audience recognize



I.D. unfamiliar sources
Establish credibility
Testimonials from respected and
representative public figures
Content

Examples that resonate


Personal stories/narratives
Make the hero representative of the
audience demographics, e.g., teachers,
parents, students, non-managerial staff,
etc.
Content

Visual aids


Use images that impact audience most vs.
those you like the most
Figures/diagrams



Answer questions
Self explanatory (KISS)
Theme appropriate to audience
Types of Audiences
Special Audiences

Mandatory attendance



Voluntary attendance: interested
Mandatory attendance: convince of the
value
Hostile


Doomed to fail
Choose a different topic
Special Audiences

Tired





Before lunch
Late in the day
Mid-afternoon “sleepies”
Use high-energy/enthusiasm—upbeat
Conference (multiple speakers)


Context of your presentation
Draw connections to other presentations
Heterogeneous



Traditional and post traditional students
Non-management, middle management, and
upper management
Three possibilities



Speak to one sub-group, e.g. decision-makers and
ignore rest
Break into different parts to address each subgroup
Focus on common appeals, e.g., values,
principles, issues that all can agree on