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Audience Analysis

This document discusses the importance of analyzing the intended audience for a presentation. There are three key aspects to consider: demographic factors like age, gender, education level; psychological factors such as existing knowledge and beliefs; and contextual factors including time, location, and expectations. Thoroughly understanding the audience across these dimensions allows the presenter to tailor the presentation style, content, and delivery to best engage the specific group. Failing to analyze the audience could result in a presentation that does not resonate or that loses the audience's interest.

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130 views6 pages

Audience Analysis

This document discusses the importance of analyzing the intended audience for a presentation. There are three key aspects to consider: demographic factors like age, gender, education level; psychological factors such as existing knowledge and beliefs; and contextual factors including time, location, and expectations. Thoroughly understanding the audience across these dimensions allows the presenter to tailor the presentation style, content, and delivery to best engage the specific group. Failing to analyze the audience could result in a presentation that does not resonate or that loses the audience's interest.

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AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

BUS 2200
Lon Schiffbauer, Instructor

Stacey Rodgers
8 June, 2016

Abstract
This paper examines some of the steps required in determining how to set the tone of a
presentation to the audience being presented to. Some considerations include education level,
size of the audience, time considerations, venue of the presentation and complexity of the
material.

Audience Analysis
The difference between a ho-hum presentation and a good one involves the audience as
much as the presenter. A good presenter takes the time to investigate what the makeup of the
intended audience is going to be. But what kind of analysis goes into the preparation of the
event? The audience analysis is usually broken down into three categories: demographic,
psychological and contextual (Brizee, 2016).
The Demographic group covers attributes such as age, gender, race, culture, ethnicity,
primary language, profession, religion, educational level, organization membership personality
type, marital status and more. The differences in the manner of both the material presented and
style of the presenter will be affected by these. The insertion of a joke about the good old days
might go over well as an icebreaker to fifty year-olds but will go right over the heads of a group
of six graders. If the subject of the presentation is about the early signs of menopause, a mostlymale audience will probably be heading out the door in two minutes flat. These individual
characteristics are also affected by group characteristics such as homogeneous or heterogeneous
and size as well as the audiences relationship to you are they similar or different, peers,
subordinates or superiors? It should come as no surprise that the way you would present to your
superior is different than if the audience looking to you as the boss.
The Psychological aspect differs from the Demographic in that the Demographic covers
the physical characteristics and the Psychological looks at the mental and emotional aspects of
the audience. It tries to define what the audience already knows about the topic, and what they
dont know. If the audience is already familiar with the topic, then what additional information
should be added to further inform them? What new aspect is being brought to their attention?
What information does the audience need to know and what do they want to know? Is there any

special terminology in the presentation? Is the audience already familiar with the terminology or
is a brief review needed? Are there processes or concepts that need to be explained? If the
audience is already well versed in the basics, then the presenter has more time available to drill
down to the more specific items of interest. Are there going to be members of the audience who
know more about the topic than the presenter? If so, then it would be wise for the presenter to try
to anticipate some of the questions and develop a plan on how to deal with someone who might
want to highjack the presentation to show off. What are the audiences beliefs agreeable to the
subject, neutral or opposed to it? What are the anticipated issues the audience might have?
The Contextual aspect of the analysis combines element of the first two. It takes the
physical and mental characteristic and adds time and place to the equation. Are the members of
the audience there by choice or by force? Did they pay out of their own pocket to attend? People
who paid with their own funds are going to be more attentive and involved, even if it is so they
feel like they are getting their moneys worth, than those who are there just to be able to tell their
boss they attended some mandatory training that they really have no interest in. Is the
presentation expected to solve problems for them or just be a main source of information they
can take with them and investigate further on their own? Is the audience attending as a result of
company issues such as layoffs, facility shutdowns or massive expansion? If that is the case, then
the presenter will want to read up on the details of the upheaval and delete anything from the
presentation that might rub salt in their wounds. What do they expect from the presentation and
presenter formal or informal, directive or supportive? When will they attend the presentation
first thing in the morning, right after lunch or near the end of the work day? The time of day may
be a changing factor if the presentation is an all-day affair. The technical knowledge covered in
the morning when all were well rested might have to change to something less detailed and more

fast paced after the audience has sat there all morning and now are settling in after a big lunch.
What issues might there be with the presentation itself? Are there places in the venue with poor
visibility or lighting? If the presentation is being provided to the elderly, then perhaps having
smaller morning and afternoon sessions instead of one big session might be in order so more of
the audience can sit closer to the monitor or screen.
The items addressed are by no means all-inclusive. The presenter must remember that
each and every audience is different. But by taking the time to look at the make-up of the
intended audience, the presenter will go a long way towards providing a good presentation.

References
Brizee, H., Schmaling, K. (2016). Audience Analysis: Building Information About Your Readers.
Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/629/1/

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