Public Speaking:
An Audience-Centered Approach – 7th edition
Chapter 5
Analyzing
Your
Audience
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Steven A. Beebe & Susan J. Beebe
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
“For of the three
elements in
speechmaking –
speaker, subject,
and person
addressed –
it is the last one,
the hearer,
that determines
the speech’s
end and object”
- Aristotle
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Becoming an
Audience-Centered Speaker
Gather information about your audience
• Informally:
• Formally:
demographics: information
about age, gender, sexual
orientation, education &
religious views.
1. Open-ended questions
(unrestricted answers).
2. Closed-ended questions
(limited answers).
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Becoming an Audience-Centered
Speaker
Analyze information about
your audience
• Audience analysis: examining
information about listeners.
• Ask:
1. How are they similar?
2. How are they different?
3. How can I establish
common ground?
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Becoming an Audience-Centered
Speaker
Adapting to your audience
• Ethically using audience
information, to adapt
messages for clarity
and your objective.
• Modifying messages for
better clarity.
• Helps achieve ethical goal(s).
• Means not fabricating information.
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Analyzing your audience
before you speak
Demographic audience analysis
Analyzing an audience
by examining demographic
information to develop
clear and effective messages.
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Analyzing your audience
before you speak
Types of Demographics
• Age.
• Gender.
• Sex.
• Sexual Orientation.
• Ethnicity.
• Race.
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Types of Demographics, continued
Dimensions of culture:
Individualistic
Collectivistic
High-context
Low-context
Tolerance for
uncertainty
High-power
Need for certainty
Long-term time
orientation
Short-term time
orientation
Low-power
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Types of Demographics, continued
• Group Membership:
Religious.
Political.
Work.
Social.
Service.
• Socioeconomic Status:
Income.
Occupation.
Education.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Adapting to Diverse Listeners
• Look at differences beyond cultural.
• Focus on a target audience.
• Use variety of supporting materials.
• Tell stories.
• Balance logic with emotions.
• Show ideas visually.
• Identify common values of
audience.
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Psychological Audience Analysis
• Attitudes:
• Beliefs:
•
•
likes and/or dislikes.
perceptions of what
is true or false.
Values:
enduring concept of
good/bad, right/wrong.
Audiences can be:
Interested or uninterested.
Favorable or unfavorable.
Voluntary or captive.
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Situational Audience Analysis
• Time (when, how long).
• Audience size.
• Location (type of room, arrangement of chairs).
• Occasion (event).
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Adapting as you speak
• Identify nonverbal cues from listeners:
Eye-contact.
Facial expression.
Movement.
Nonverbal
responsiveness.
Verbal responsiveness.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Adapting as you speak
If audience
seems bored
Tell a
story
Consider
humor
Increase rate
of speech
Give personal
examples
If audience
seems
confused
Use
redundancy
Phrase ideas
differently
Ask audience
to summarize
Use a
visual aid
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If audience
seems to
disagree
Provide more
evidence
Remind them of
your credibility
Give more facts
& fewer stories
Give information
visually
Customizing Your Message
To Your Audience
• Refer to:
 Names of listeners.
 Place of speech.
 Historical events.
• Mention recent news related to topic.
• Give positive references to groups or
•
organizations in audience.
Discuss topic’s relevance for listeners.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Analyzing Your Audience
After You Speak
• Observe nonverbal responses.
• Listen for verbal comments.
• Survey audience.
• Check for desired
behavioral responses
from audience.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009