Chapter 2: Audience Analysis and Effective Listening
Chapter 2: Audience Analysis and Effective Listening
Scenario
Who’s In My Audience
“What’s up, Todd? You look bummed!”
“I don’t understand it, Darryl. I thought for sure my speech to the fraternity governing council and President Griffin would convince them that a KJYJ radio competition on campus would be a great way to kick off our “We Care” campaign. I clearly outlined how the competition would benefit everyone involved. I even threw in a few statistics! I did my research! Griffin’s always harping on positive publicity for the college, so this should have been a no-brainer!”
“Hey, never let it be said that I question the wisdom of my frat president, buddy, but what were you thinking when you suggested KJYJ? Didn’t you know that the council would never approve them? They might have given you the nod if you’d suggested GRUV 101, or even that station that plays all the oldies from the fifties. But KJYJ? You had zero chance with that one.”
“What makes YOU the expert on this? I know this campus inside and out.”
“Yeah? Well, you made a rookie mistake. Think about who’s on the governing council–not one person under fifty, dude! Griffin’s got to be at least sixty-five! You think that a group of geriatrics is going to approve the most controversial station in town? Shock radio? No way! The members of that council are old school, man.”
“You’re telling me that I should actually factor in the age of audience members every time I give a presentation? I don’t have time for that!”
“Well, according to my friend, Karyn, that’s just one of the things you need to think about. She’s in Professor Jamison’s speech class this semester, and she’s always telling me how much she’s learned about speaking in public. Seems obvious to me, but what do I know? You’re the one who ‘knows the campus inside and out.’”
Introduction
In Module 1, you learned that the speech communication process involves much more than a speaker with a message. The audience is a crucial component as well. While Todd appears to have gathered pertinent facts and clearly outlined his request to the council, the scenario above shows us that he failed to think about the composition of his audience. Todd did not consider how the values, beliefs, and backgrounds of his listeners might influence their decision-making.
The audience should be your primary focus as you plan and prepare each presentation. What do they value? What experiences have they had that might affect how they respond to your topic? What preconceived attitudes do they have that might influence whether they are for you or against you? This module will provide you with the tools you’ll need to effectively analyze your audience.
First, we’ll identify some basic terms that you will need to understand before you begin an audience analysis. Terms such as values, attitudes, and beliefs are of special interest to us as we begin to analyze the members of your audience. You’ll find that a person’s beliefs and values can play an important role in t