Audience Analysis

Ability to elocutionize, in our view, has a direct relation to all business professions. There are many situations in business world when it is necessary to defend good idea, to uphold the principle of company management or to present sales information at an in-person meeting. I want to mention that due to the lack of experience of public speeches not all people use possibilities to attract supporters on their side using main public speech principles. Meantime such experience accustoms quickly, if to adhere to certain technological methods. Knowing that communication must always be designed with the audience in mind we should answer the questions that will help to prepare really good and effective quarterly sales information. The purposes of this paper are to analyze the audience of the future speech and to pay attention on the main points which will help to understand that the characteristics of the audience were taken into account, were used appropriate communications channels and our message was effective.

Let’s define the term “audience analysis” that will help us to avoid dual understanding of these words. Audience analysis is a special technique which a writer or speaker uses to determine the characteristics of listeners or readers. I think that audience analysis is a key to success and in acknowledgement of my words I have the next statement from www.ljlseminars.com: “As speakers we all know the importance of properly preparing our material far enough in advance so we may have sufficient time to rehearse and “fine-tune” our speeches. Unfortunately, this is not enough to assure that your speech or presentation is well received. Your speech preparation must also include gathering information about your audience and their needs. A well prepared speech given to the wrong audience can have the same effect as a poorly prepared speech given to the correct audience. They both can fail terribly.

It is critical that your preparation efforts include some amount of audience analysis. The more you know and understand about your audience and their needs, the better you can prepare your speech to assure that you meet their needs.”

In our case the audience will consist from a group of stakeholders, including managers, salespeople, and customers. Knowing the participants of my future presentation I can conclude that in this case should be used appropriate communication channels to each group of people because they are rather different and not always understand information in one way. I think that it will be important to use visual demonstration because it will be understandable to all groups of audience. We know that managers and sales people get accustomed to different numbers and percentage, because they have analytical mind but for example customers not always understand “the language of numbers” and need some visual explanations. We should be certain to include explanation using stories and understandable examples, but in relate to discussed topic and using correct business terms. I think that the speech shouldn’t be full of special business vocabulary but it should be on appropriate business level.

Taking into account the diversity of the audience we should find the future leaders in audience, I mean people who will be the generator of solutions and whose decisions will be the main. We should remember that one business – to speak to economical specialists, other ”“ to the diverse audience. Age, social position, personal and public interests, degree of knowledge about the subject of report, attitude toward a speaker are also influence both on receptivity of audience and on their interest to the theme of report. Remarkably, if you organize collection of information about an audience in accordance with logical levels: an environment (surroundings) is usual style of conduct – capabilities (knowledge) – persuasions (opinions, values, prejudices) – selfpresentation (professional and personality) – a mission (general aims which are supported by majority of audience).

Knowledge about the leaders of opinions (people who rule estimations and opinions of some group) of this audience will be very useful. It, actually, are the stable indexes of audience. Immediately before your speech will begin it is necessary to make clear on your own and situation indexes. I mean emotional state of future listeners and their expectations concerning your speech.

Collecting these valuable information, make an effort understand, in what kind your presentation could be going. There are many variants of presentations, because it is possible to emphasize the status, age or membership in some certain group, it is possible to designate the line of the business and degree of the professional preparedness. As you see there are many variants but you should make the best because you will never have the second chance to make the first impression.

The speech should have a strong arguments and appropriate logical structure. It is also necessary to watch attentively after the audience reactions and immediately react on negative perception. As soon as you decide that the purpose of your speech is attained it is necessary to complete report with a right conclusion and thank audience for their attention. The best of all it will be summarizing the essence of the speech in a few words. The end of the speech, as well as began, is more than all parts memorized, consequently, the special turn of speech, prime example, is needed, catching emotions quotation, appeal to the action.

Thus, taking into account all above mentioned it is possible to conclude that the audience analysis should consists from several main stages and a future speech should be prepared using the results of audience analysis. It is necessary to involve audience in your speech and only then the results will be great. Remember that communication is more than the surface meaning of words it is an art and also it is a key to listeners’ hearts.