1. COMMUNICATING
FOR RESULTS
How to connect with your audience

2. WHO ARE
YOUR
AUDIENCE
MEMBERS?
Finding out more about your
listeners is known as audience
analysis.
• Gather information informally
• Demographics – age, race, gender
• Observations and conversations
with others
• Gather information formally – for
example, conduct a survey prior to
the speaking event on audience
members’ demographics and/or
attitudes

3. AUDIENCE
SIMILARITIES
AND
DIFFERENCES
• How are members similar
to one another?
• How are members
different from one
another?
• Examining similarities and
differences, how can you
establish “common
ground” with the
audience?

4. COMMON
GROUND
To establish “common
ground” with your
audience, examine the
ways in which you and
audience members are
alike.

5. WHY ARE
THEY THERE?
• Is the speech to inform or
persuade?
• If you’re trying to persuade,
are your listeners likely to
agree or disagree with your
point of view? (Remember the
information you gathered as part of
audience analysis.)

6. AUDIENCE
ADAPTATION
• Do you want the audience to listen
to what you have to say? Probably
so, and that’s why audience
adaptation is critical.
• You’ve gathered information
about your audience through
audience analysis. Now apply that
knowledge to help your audience
understand your message – and
help you achieve your speaking
objective.
• You adjust, or customize your
message, to hold your listeners’
attention and make them more
receptive to your ideas.