Audience Analysis & Adaptation

It is very important to always analyze your audience and adapt to it based on what you know about the people you will be speaking to. One thing that I found helpful is to identify commonalities between yourself and the audience. Not only will this help them to relate to you and your topic better, but it can also help you in feeling more comfortable. It is also important when analyzing your audience to show how credible you are when discussing the subject. Regardless of the diversity of your audience, if you sound knowledgeable on your topic, they will probably be more likely to listen to what you are saying. When adapting to your audience, you have to consider their different backgrounds, beliefs, and/or values. You must be more sensitive to things that may cause a reaction in your audience. I plan on using audience analysis in my speech by remembering to consider the cultural identities of the students in our class, and be sure to include everyone when I speak. Also, I will remember to identify the commonalities we all share, which I’m sure there are many.