4.3: Conducting and Utilizing Audience Analysis

Learning Objectives

1. Create effective tools for gathering audience information.
2. Understand the value of acknowledging your audience.
3. Understand how to choose a worthwhile topic.
4. Explain how to adapt your speech to your audience’s needs.
5. Explain the value of speaking with credibility.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Penn State – MLK speaking to a crowd at Rec Hall – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Conducting Audience Analysis

Now that we have described what audience analysis is and why it is important, let’s examine some details of how to conduct it and utilize it.

Direct Observation

One way to learn about people is to observe them. By observing nonverbal patterns of behavior, you can learn a great deal as long as you are careful how you interpret the behaviors. For instance, do people greet each other with a handshake, a hug, a smile, or a nod? Do members of opposite sexes make physical contact? Does the setting suggest more conservative behavior? By listening in on conversations, you can find out the issues that concern people. Are people in the campus center talking about political unrest in the Middle East? About concerns over future Pell Grant funding? We suggest that you consider the ethical dimensions of eavesdropping, however. Are you simply overhearing an open conversation, or are you prying into a highly personal or private discussion?

Interviews and Surveys

To gather more precise information, interviews (one-on-one exchanges) and surveys (questions for multiple respondents) are invaluable. Interviews allow for in-depth discussion but are time-consuming. Surveys are efficient for collecting broad data quickly, especially online (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, etc.), often offering anonymity that encourages honest responses, though they lack the depth of follow-up questions.

When using these methods:

• Ensure questions are directly related to your speech topic and respect privacy.
• Use a standardized set of questions to ensure comparable responses.
• Keep them brief and clearly state their voluntary nature and purpose.
• Aim for at least 10–20 respondents to identify accurate trends in a diverse audience.

Be aware of socially desirable responding, where people provide answers they deem socially acceptable. Marketing professor Ashok Lalwani (2009) identifies two types: impression management (intentional favorable portrayal) and self-deceptive enhancement (unconscious exaggeration of good qualities). Reduce this by carefully crafting questions, avoiding those that respondents might not honestly reveal (Vavra, 2009). For instance, ask about attitudes towards body piercing rather than personal piercing counts.

Focus Groups

A focus group is a small group of people who give you feedback about their perceptions. As with interviews and surveys, in a focus group you should use a limited list of carefully prepared questions designed to get at the information you need to understand their beliefs, attitudes, and values specifically related to your topic.

If you conduct a focus group, part of your task will be striking a balance between allowing the discussion to flow freely according to what group members have to say and keeping the group focused on the questions. It’s also your job to guide the group in maintaining responsible and respectful behavior toward each other.

In evaluating focus group feedback, do your best to be receptive to what people had to say, whether or not it conforms to what you expected. Your purpose in conducting the group was to understand group members’ beliefs, attitudes, and values about your topic, not to confirm your assumptions.

Using Existing Data about Your Audience

Occasionally, existing information will be available about your audience. For instance, if you have a student audience, it might not be difficult to find out what their academic majors are. You might also be able to find out their degree of investment in their educations; for instance, you could reasonably assume that the seniors in the audience have been successful students who have invested at least three years pursuing a higher education. Sophomores have at least survived their first year but may not have matched the seniors in demonstrating strong values toward education and the work ethic necessary to earn a degree.

In another kind of audience, you might be able to learn other significant facts. For instance, are they veterans? Are they retired teachers? Are they members of a voluntary civic organization such as the Lions Club or Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)? This kind of information should help you respond to their concerns and interests.

In other cases, you may be able to use demographics collected by public and private organizations. Demographic analysis is done by the US Census Bureau through the American Community Survey, which is conducted every year, and through other specialized demographic surveys (Bureau of the Census, 2011; Bureau of the Census, 2011). The Census Bureau analysis generally captures information about people in all the regions of the United States, but you can drill down in census data to see results by state, by age group, by gender, by race, and by other factors. Demographic information about narrower segments of the United States, down to the level of individual zip codes, is available through private organizations such as The Nielsen Company, Sperling’s Best Places, and Point2Homes . Sales and marketing professionals use this data, and you may find it useful for your audience analysis as well.

Utilizing Knowledge Gained Through Audience Analysis

A good audience analysis takes time, thought, preparation, implementation, and processing. If done well, it will yield information that will help you interact effectively with your audience. Professional speakers, corporate executives, sales associates, and entertainers all rely on audience analysis to connect with their listeners. So do political candidates, whose chances of gaining votes depend on crafting the message and mood to appeal to each specific audience. One audience might be preoccupied with jobs, another with property taxes, and another with crime. Similarly, your audience analysis should help you identify the interests of your audience. Ultimately, a successful audience analysis can guide you in preparing the basic content of your speech and help you adjust your speech “on the fly.”

Preparing Content with Your Audience in Mind

Audience analysis first helps focus your speech's content. If delivering a persuasive speech on veganism, knowing half your audience consists of cattle ranchers' children might prompt you to shift focus to general health benefits, rather than explicit persuasion. The goal is to find a topic that is both interesting to you and beneficial to your audience, avoiding immediate negativity.

Additionally, audience analysis ensures maximum clarity. Be careful with idioms—phrases whose meanings aren't literal (e.g., "according to Hoyle")—as they can be culturally or temporally specific and confuse listeners. Ensure you state your topic clearly, define terms carefully, and avoid jargon or "insider" language that excludes listeners. A clear, decisive message, tailored with audience knowledge, is always more effective than a vague one born of fear of offense.

Adapting During Delivery

Beyond initial content preparation, audience analysis allows for real-time adjustments during your speech:

• Responding to Audience Feedback: If you notice drowsiness (e.g., after lunch), you can adjust your delivery (humor, voice modulation, asking questions) to re-engage. If listeners show disagreement (frowns, headshakes), you might spend more time on a specific argument or offer additional evidence.
• Adjusting to the Physical Setting: If your planned visual aids for an intimate room are too small for a large auditorium, you may need to omit them or direct listeners to view them later. Likewise, a fixed microphone might require changes to your movement or delivery style. A student, for instance, had to creatively adapt a 100-foot tape measure illustration for a much smaller room, highlighting the need to anticipate and adjust to the environment.

Building Connection and Trust

Establishing a positive relationship with your audience is paramount. Begin by acknowledging them through eye contact, thanking them for their presence, and recognizing any inconveniences they've overcome (e.g., bad weather). This simple act shows consideration and helps them become more receptive. Political figures like Bill Gates often briefly acknowledge their audience's roles or contributions, demonstrating they've prepared with them in mind (Coopman & Lull, 2009).

Your topic choice also reflects your regard for the audience. Ethically, select a worthwhile topic that is both novel and interesting, not just easy for you. While some experts suggest starting with what you know, choosing common or overly simple topics (e.g., fitness, drunk driving for a general class) risks appearing self-serving rather than audience-focused. Research thoroughly to ensure even informed listeners learn something new.

Respecting Diversity and Avoiding Offense

Diversity extends beyond race and ethnicity to include numerous less obvious aspects like socioeconomic status, education, and varied group memberships. Being mindful of diversity means avoiding racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, ageism, elitism, and chronocentrism (the assumption of modern superiority) (Russell, 1991). Avoid stereotyping, which assumes people with common characteristics think alike; instead, recognize the wide range of opinions and individual frames of reference within any group. For example, business students may value both profitability and green lifestyles.

Crucially, use audience analysis to avoid offending your audience. This includes more than just insensitive humor (like a governor's flat joke about a Latino person's name) (Shahid, 2011). Be mindful of language and nonverbal cues that imply negative messages or embed assumptions (e.g., all scientists are men, all elderly people are frail). As Samovar and McDaniel (2007) advise for ethical language: be accurate, aware of emotional impact, avoid hateful words, and be sensitive to how audience members prefer to be identified. Alienating your audience causes them to stop listening and doubt your credibility.

Ethical Speaking is Sincere Speaking

Ultimately, audience analysis contributes to your ethos, or credibility—the perception that you are honest, knowledgeable, and well-motivated. Building rapport means demonstrating that you've invested time in understanding your audience's needs and interests, and that you respect them as individuals. The audience needs to trust your motivations and believe you have their best interests at heart.

To convey this respect, be sincere. Examine your motives for topic choice, the true purpose of your speech, and your commitment to ensuring the content is truthful and accurate. This dedication reflects the kind of communicator and individual you aspire to be.

Exercises

1. Write a coherent set of four clear questions about a given issue, such as campus library services, campus computer centers, or the process of course registration. Make your questions concrete and specific in order to address the information you seek. Do not allow opportunities for your respondent to change the subject. Test out your questions on a classmate.
2. Write a set of six questions about public speaking anxiety to be answered on a Likert-type scale (strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, and strongly disagree).
3. Create a seven-question set designed to discover your audience’s attitudes about your speech topic. Have a partner evaluate your questions for clarity, respect for audience privacy, and relevance to your topic.

References

• Bureau of the Census. (2011). About the American community survey. Retrieved from www.census.gov/acs/www/about_the_survey/american_community_survey/.
• Bureau of the Census. (2011). Demographic surveys. Retrieved from www.census.gov/aboutus/sur_demo.html
• Coopman, S. J., & Lull, J. (2009). Public speaking: The evolving art. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage.
• Lalwani, A. K. (2009, August). The distinct influence of cognitive busyness and need for closure on cultural differences in socially desirable responding. Journal of Consumer Research, 36, 305–316. Retrieved from business.utsa.edu/marketing/files/phdpapers/lalwani2_2009-jcr.pdf
• Logan, J. R., and Zhang, C. (2010). Global neighborhoods: New pathways to diversity and separation. American Journal of Sociology, 115, 1069–1109.
• Russell, J. (1991). Inventing the flat earth. History Today, 41(8), 13–19.
• Samovar, L. A., & McDaniel, E. R. (2007). Public speaking in a multicultural society. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury.
• Shahid, A. (2011, June 24). Rick Perry’s Jose Cuervo joke at Latino convention bombs in Texas, as governor mulls 2012 GOP bid. New York Daily News. Retrieved from www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/06/24/2011-06-24_rick_perrys_jose_cuervo_joke_at_latino_convention_ bombs_in_texas_as_governor_mul.html
• Vavra, T. G. (2009, June 14). The truth about truth in survey research.

Adapted from:

LibreTexts. (n.d.). 5.03: Three Types of Audience Analysis. In Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking (Chapter 05: Audience Analysis). Social Sci LibreTexts.