The Art of Public Speaking CHAPTER 5 Analyzing the Audience

Contents 1. Why does a successful speaker need to analyze the audience? 2. How to analyze the audience? 3. How to adapt to the audience?

Why does a successful speaker need to analyze the audience? Audience- Centeredness To whom I am speaking? What do I want them to know? What is the most effective way of composing and presenting my speech to accomplish that aims? “ Keeping the audience foremost in mind a every step of speech preparation and presentation”

The Psychology of Audiences What do people want to hear? Egocentrism: the tendency of people to be concerned above all with their own values, beliefs, and well-being “ Good speakers are audience-centered. Whether speaking formally or informally, they work hard to find creative ways to evoke an enthusiastic response from their listeners”.

How to analyze the audience? Demographic Audience Analysis (age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, group membership, racial, ethic or cultural background) Situational Audience Analysis (size, physical setting, disposition toward the topic, the speaker, the occasion)

Techniques In the classroom: -Observation -Conversation Outside the classroom: -Ask the person who invites you to speak -Interview -Circulate a questionnaire

How to adapt to the audience? Before the speech -Keep your audience in mind as you prepare the speech -Put yourself in their place -Anticipate questions and objections -Find the ways to answer the questions in advance During the speech -Keep an eye for audience feedback