Day Four: Getting Ready to Speak in

Public

by

Yana Cornish

Hamilton College

Audience Analysis

Audience Analysis Questions

Who are they?Why are they here?What do they know?What are their interests?What are their attitudes?

Example:A speaker who failed to ask, “What do they

know?”A new manager decided to educate

employees on the principles and values of Emotional Intelligence in team decision making.

He failed to realize that the audience had already been extensively trained in this area.

The Result: The other managers were disappointed with his presentation and arrogance.

Audience Analysis: Who are they?

Demographic analysis:– Age– Gender– Sexual orientation– Ethnicity, culture, and race– Religion– SES– Occupation– Education– Disabilities

AVOID STEREOTYPES & “ONE-SIZE-FITS-

ALL” CONCLUSIONS

Audience AnalysisSituational analysis:

– Time– Size– Location– Occasion

Why are they here?– Required– Habit– Interest in topic/speaker– Expect reward

Audience Analysis: What do they know?

– Education– Demographic characteristics– Interests– Expertise in a topic

Questions to ask:– How much do they know about the topic?– How much background material should I

cover?– Will they understand my vocabulary and

terminology?– Have they heard any of this information

before?

Audience Analysis: What are their interests?

Self-centered interests– Presentation will result in a personal

gain or loss;

Topic-centered interests– Topics people can enjoy hearing

about. Topics may include hobbies, favorite sports or pastimes, intrigue or mystery, etc.

Audience Analysis

Psychological Analysis:– Attitudes– Beliefs– Values

Adapting to audience beliefs and attitudes can produce a winning combination for most speakers! Ignoring these factors can lead to failure.

Gather Audience Information

Before your speech:– Look– Listen - introductions– Ask questions – 3 interviews:

Each interview consists of:– 3 possible topics; – 3 questions about each proposed topic (9 total).

Characteristics of a Good Survey:

Discovers something you need to know, don’t ask obvious questions such as, “Do you want to earn more money?”

Gives you specific information

Asks inclusive questions instead of Yes or No questions

Should be confidential so people will be more likely to give their opinions

Should be short so people will respond

Gather Audience Information

During your speech– Verbal cues

– Nonverbal cues: Eye contact Facial expression Restless movement Nonverbal responsiveness Verbal responsiveness How to respond to cues: pp. 108-109 in the book

Adapting Your Speeches

Adapt to the audience: Pre-presentation Adaptation

After analyzing information about your audience, go back to your purpose statement and apply what you’ve learned.

Use the five basic audience questions Example:

Preliminary Purpose: To provide general information on ways to grow tomatoes.

Revised Purpose (after audience analysis): To share my knowledge of the latest and best research on improving the health and output of a tomato plant in this growing region.

Adapt to the audience: Mid-presentation Adaptation

Sometimes you may get unexpected audience reactions

Requires you to do 3 things at once:

– Deliver your speech– Correctly interpret audience

responses as you speak– Successfully modify your speech

Adapt to the audience: Mid-presentation Adaptation

Watch for the mood, body language, and expressions of the audience

Don’t be afraid to stop and ask comprehension questions such as, “Would you like more detail on this point before I move on?”

Adapt to Cultural Differences Power Distance - Varying levels of

equality and status among members of a culture.

In high power distances, there is greater inequality between high- and low-status members than in low power distances.

The U.S. is in the middle of the two You can ask low power distance cultures

to challenge authority and make independent decisions.

High power audiences are used to accepting and following directions, so you can describe what you want them to do.

Individualism & Collectivism In Individualistic cultures (U.S., Canada,

Australia), personal achievement, independence, and freedom are valued.

In Collectivist cultures (most Asian and Latin American countries), group identity and group goals are emphasized.

Appeal to the sense of adventure and defense of individual rights in individualistic cultures.

In collectivist cultures, demonstrate how a particular course of action can benefit the family or community.

Masculinity & Femininity Not how many men and women are in your

audience, but how much a culture embraces masculine or feminine values.

Masculine cultures (Japan, Mexico, Italy, U.S.) are more assertive and task focused.

Feminine cultures (Chile, Thailand) focus on sharing and caring.

Focus on competitive goals and the glory of winning when speaking to masculine cultures.

For feminine cultures, focus on ways to achieve social and interpersonal harmony.

Adapt to the Setting Audience Size: determines

– whether or not you use a microphone,

– how to display visual aids,

– amount of eye contact and interaction with the audience,

– and amount of time it takes for audience to get settled before you can begin.

Adapt to the Setting Facilities: include

– seating arrangement of the audience… long conference table, rows of chairs, or theater-style auditorium

– Lighting– Size of the room– Podium or table

Questions About Facilities What are the size, shape, and décor of

the room? Does the room have distracting sights

or sounds? Will the audience sit or stand? If seated,

what are the arrangements of the chairs?

What kind of lighting will there be? Will I speak from a stage or platform?

Will I have a lectern and a table for materials or equipment?

Is there a good public-address system?

Adapt to the Setting Equipment: Know in

advance what technology is available, and show up 30-45 minutes early to make sure you have everything you need.

Questions About Equipment

What equipment, if any, do I need to be seen or heard?

What equipment, if any, do I need for my presentation aids?

Is there a lectern that is adjustable with enough space to hold my notes?

Are there any special arrangements that I need to make (requests for timer, water, special lighting, wireless microphone, media technician?)

Adapt to Time

Most audiences become impatient when you exceed your time limit

Time yourself and keep in mind that real presentations usually take longer than the practice.

Put a watch next to yourself when you speak, or have someone signal the time to you.

Adapt to the Occasion What is your relationship to the

occasion? Why has the audience assembled to hear you speak?

What does the audience expect? Think about what you would expect from another speech, and try to match your speaking style and content to it.

What behavior is appropriate for the occasion? What are the rules of the occasion and what delivery styles are appropriate?

Dress for the Occasion Wear something that

matches the tone and purpose of your presentation.

Be as conservatively dressed as the members of your audience.

Clothes should be comfortable and appropriate.

Avoid new shoes and clothes that show perspiration, pull long hair away from face.

Avoid clothes and accessories that distract the audience, such as clanging bracelets and big, bright patterns.

Activity:List at least 4 nonverbal

cues that let you know how your audience is reacting to your speech. Think of ways you can react to these cues. Discuss them with another person in the class.