Audience Assessment and Analysis: Creating Speeches

Creating Speeches

I work for a local car dealership. After being requested by the chamber of commerce to deliver a presentation to my community on the various aspects of buying a car, I decided to conduct an audience analysis. My town has a population of approximately 40,000. At this point, I do not know who will attend the presentation. Neither do I know the exact needs of this population.

The relevance of conducting an audience assessment cannot be overstated. This is particularly the case given that the said assessment comes in handy in the determination of not only the needs and opinions of the audience but also the background information it posses with regard to the topic at hand. In seeking to conduct audience assessment, I would make use of the various components of the three approaches to audience assessment, as highlighted by Wrench, Goding, Johnson, and Attias in their informative piece on public speaking. The three approaches to audience assessment, according to the authors are; demographic analysis, psychographic analysis, and situational analysis (Wrench, Goding, Johnson, and Attias, 2014). With regard to demographic analysis, I would take into consideration such factors as the socioeconomic status, marital status, age range, as well as gender of my target audience. Data such as socioeconomic status would, for instance, be of great relevance in the determination of the price range of cars whose information will be presented. Psychographic analysis, as Wrench, Goding, Johnson, and Attias (2014) point out "includes such things as values, opinions, attitudes, and beliefs." In my assessment, I could consider the attitudes and opinions of my target audience to certain models of motor vehicles, i.e. those manufactured outside the country. Situational analysis, on the other hand, has got to do with "characteristics related to the specific speaking situation" (Wrench, Goding, Johnson, and Attias 2014). On this front, I could take into consideration the number of people likely to attend the presentation.

There is also need to get to know people in the community. On this front, I could go on a 'meet the people' tour, pay visits to those who could help me in my endeavor to meet the people, or search the various information mediums for more information on my target audience (i.e. newspapers, the internet, and magazines). My 'meet the people' tours could be random, in which case I could, for instance, elect to walk into a supermarket like Wal-Mart and question people I meet on various issues that relate to my presentation. Some of those I could rope in to help me get to know the people in the community include, but they are not limited to, members of the clergy, my customers, as well as family and friends.

Some of the questions I could float to the people in the community include, but they are not limited to: their marital status, income range, favorite vehicles, their key considerations and preferences when it comes to the purchase of a motor vehicle, the type and number of vehicles they currently own (if any), etc.

The relevance of the questions I formulate above, as far as my presentation is concerned, cannot be overstated. In general, these questions will enable me to tailor make the presentation and enhance its relevance. More specifically, they would come in handy as I seek to focus my presentation on specific models of motor vehicles, the most appropriate makes (station wagons, saloons, or hatchback car bodies), and the price range to focus on.