“i’ve learned that people will

forget what you said and what you

did but never forget how you
made them feel“

• maya angelou
Analyzing your
audience
ICEBREAKER:
tumpakners
audience-centeredness
audience-centeredness
• Good public speakers are audience-
centered
• Your purpose in your speech is to
gain a favorable response from major
groups in your audience
• Tailoring content to your audience
 is adolf
hitler
audience-
centered?
 What is
audience-
centeredness?
audience-centeredness
• Keeping the audience foremost in mind at
every step of preparation and presentation.

• Being audience-centered means putting the audience

at the center of your presentation.

• This is a powerful approach to help

you really connect and make a difference,
rather than just making a speech or
presenting dry knowledge.
Identification
A process in which
speakers seek to
create a bond with
the audience by
emphasizing
common values,
goals, and
experience.
 Values, Goals,
Experience, and Belief
To be audience-centered,
you need to keep
several questions in
mind when you
work on your speeches:
1. To whom am I speaking?

2. What do I want them to know,

believe, or do as a result of my
speech?

3. What is the most effective way of

composing and presenting my speech
to accomplish that aim?
REmember
this!
REmember this!
1. You should start and end with the
audience.
2. Being audience-centered does not
involve compromising your beliefs to get
a favorable response.
3. You can remain true to yourself and
speak ethically while adapting your
message to the needs of your listeners.
 Importance of
Audience-Centered
Approach
 Importance of Audience-
Centered Approach
4. Building
1. Increased trust and
engagemen rapport
t 3. Positive
audience
2. perception 5. Increases
Improved the effectivity
retention to influence
of
YOUR CLASSMATES AS
AN AUDIENCE
REmember this!

It is easy to lose
sight of your fellow
students as an
authentic
audience.
 When your
classmates are
your audience,
what can you say?
how will you
describe the
the psychology of
audiences
what do you do
when you listen
to speech?
What do you do when you
listen to speech?
 Even when people do pay attention, they
do not process a speaker’s message exactly
as the speaker intends. Auditory perception is
always selective. Every speech contains two
messages – the one sent by the speaker
and the one received by the listener.
 What do people want to hear?
Very simply, they usually want to hear
about things that are meaningful to them.
People are egocentric. They pay closest attention
to messages that affect their own values,
beliefs, and well-being.
 “Why is
this
important
to me?”
 “There is nothing that people
are so interested in as
themselves, their own
problems, and the way to
solve them. The fact is … the
primary starting point of all
Harry Emerson
public speaking”.
Fosdick (1878 -1969)
what do these psychological principles
mean to you as speaker?

First, they mean your listeners will hear

and judge what you say on the
basis of what they already know
and believe.

Second, they mean you must relate your

message to your listeners–show how it
pertains to them, explain why they
should care about it as much as you do
 “People only
understand
things in terms of
their experience”
Saul alinsky (1909 -
1972)
demographic audience
analysis
 demographic audience
analysis
Demographic analysis
means collecting and
examining factors, such as
age, gender identification,
location, education,
religion, ethnic, or cultural
background and income.
 demographic audience
• analysis
This is usually the first and easiest
step in analyzing your audience

• Understanding these characteristics of

your audience is critical for speeches.
Two steps:
• Identifying the general
demographic analysis
features of your audience

• Gauging the importance

of those features to a

particular speaking
situation
Stereotyping
• Creating an oversimplified image of a

particular group of people, usually by

assuming that

all members of the group are alike

 Types of
Demographic
Factors
age • audience
experiences
• Language and tone
• sensitivity
• relevance
 gender
• Gender-specific
issues
• Promoting inclusivity
• avoiding stereotypes
 sexual
orientation
• inclusivity
• relevance topic
 Group
Membersh
i p
• no exclusion
• Understanding
Audience Dynamics
• Promoting Diversity
and Inclusion
Re l i g i o n
• Respect for Beliefs
• Avoiding Offense
• Addressing Shared
Values
 Racial,
Ethnic, and
Cultural
Background
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Addressing Diversity
• Promoting Inclusivity
 example
Sarah, a motivational speaker, has been
invited
to deliver a speech at a conference on
personal development. The conference
attracts attendees from different age groups,
cultural backgrounds, and professions. Sarah
understands the significance of demographic
analysis in crafting her message to connect
with her audience effectively.
 example
Identifying the Audience: Before the event,
Sarah conducts thorough research to
understand the demographics of the audience.
She collects data on age, gender, occupation,
educational background, and cultural diversity.
This information helps her gain insights into
the preferences, interests, and values of the
attendees.
 example
Identifying the Audience: Before the event,
Sarah conducts thorough research to
understand the demographics of the audience.
She collects data on age, gender, occupation,
educational background, and cultural diversity.
This information helps her gain insights into
the preferences, interests, and values of the
attendees.
 example
Tailoring the Message: Based on her
demographic analysis, Sarah customizes her
speech to resonate with various segments of
the audience.
Adapting Communication Style: Sarah
recognizes the importance of adapting her
communication style to suit the audience's
preferences. She varies her tone, pace, and
delivery to maintain engagement across
 example
Addressing Sensitivity and Diversity: During
her speech, Sarah is mindful of sensitive
topics and respects cultural differences. She
avoids making assumptions or using language
that may alienate certain groups. Instead, she
promotes inclusivity and diversity by
acknowledging the unique experiences and
perspectives of each individual in the
audience.
 example
Seeking Feedback and Iteration: After the
event, Sarah solicits feedback from attendees
to evaluate the effectiveness of her speech.
She analyzes responses from different
demographic groups to identify areas for
improvement. This feedback loop allows her to
refine her approach and enhance her public
speaking skills for future engagements.
SITUATIONAL
AUDIENCE
ANALYSIS
 SITUATIONAL AUDIENCE
ANALYSIS
an audience analysis that focuses on situational
factors such as the size of the
audience, the physical setting for the speech,
and the disposition of the audience toward
the topic, the speaker and the occasion.
 Disposition
Audience Physical of the
Size Setting Audience
Number of Time and place How the
people that are where the audience
part of the speech will be feels,
audience presented behaves, or
thinks
Situational audience analysis usually
builds on and complements the
demographic audience analysis.

A skilled speaker considers both

aspects to connect authentically
with their audience. It is better to
use
both than just to use one.
 Factors to consider in situational audience
analysis:
Audience Size
• Most speech classes consist of 20 to
30 people - a small-to-medium sized audience.
• No matter what size group you are
addressing, bear in mind one basic
principle: The larger the audience,
the
more formal your presentation must
• Audience size affects your language, choice
be.
of appeals, and use of visual aids.
 How does Audience Size affect
language? Larger audience:
Smaller audience: the language style is
the language style can be professional, authoritative,
casual, interactive, and and structured.
personalized with the use of
a conversational tone. Example: Picture that you’re
addressing a conference hall
Example: Imagine you’re with 1,000 attendees. Here, a
leading a workshop for a more formal language is
team of 10 colleagues. In this appropriate. You might say,
intimate setting, you can use “Ladies and gentlemen,
a conversational tone. You esteemed guests, I’d like to
might say, “Hey everyone, present our company’s annual
let’s discuss our project report.”
goals.”
 How does Audience Size affect choice of
appeals?
Smaller audience: Larger audience:
the usual appeal type is the usual appeal type is
emotional and personal. logical and factual.

Example: In a small Example: You present data-

workshop, you share a driven insights. You show
heartfelt story about graphs illustrating revenue
overcoming challenges. Your growth. The audience
colleagues connect appreciates the logical
emotionally, reinforcing team evidence.
spirit.
How does Audience Size affect visual
aids?

Example (small Example (large

audience): During a audience): In a corporate
team meeting, you use a seminar, you create a
whiteboard to sketch polished PowerPoint
project timelines. presentation. Clear
Everyone can see and slides display market
interact with the visuals. trends, enhancing
understanding.
 Factors to consider in situational audience
analysis:
Physical Setting
• Adverse conditions could seriously impair the
audience's willingness to accept your ideas or
even listen to you.
• It is important to know in
advance
if there will be any difficulties
with
• Do everything you can to control the
the physical setting.
influence of physical settings on your
audience.
considering the physical
setting
Examples:
Lighting - Ensure proper lighting for visibility.

Acoustics - Address any sound-related challenges.

Seating arrangement - Arrange seating to

facilitate interaction.

Distractions - Minimize distractions (noise,

temperature, uncomfortable seating).
Factors to consider in situational audience
analysis:
Disposition of the audience toward the topic
• Keep your audience in mind when choosing
a topic.
• Pick a topic that suits them
as
well as it suits you.
• You must consider in more detail their
interest in the topic, knowledge about it,
and attitudes toward it.
disposition toward the topic
Interest
• Assess your listener’s interests in advance,
then
adjust your speech accordingly.

• If your topic isn’t inherently captivating, take

special steps to engage your audience.

• Consider using attention-grabbing anecdotes,

thought-provoking questions, relatable
examples, or even humorous statements,
depending on the situation.
disposition toward the topic
Knowledge
• People tend to be interested in what
they know about.

• Your listener’s knowledge level significantly

impacts what you can convey in your speech.

• Adapt your content to match their existing

understanding.

• Provide context or background information as

needed.
disposition toward the topic
Attitude
• A frame of mind in favor of
or opposed to a person, policy,
belief, institution, etc.

• Know in advance the prevailing attitude among

members of your audience, then adjust your
speech to address their concerns or to
answer their objections.
 Factors to consider in situational audience
analysis:
Disposition of the audience toward the
speaker
• The more competent listeners believe
a speaker to be, the more likely
they are to accept what he or she says.
• Likewise, the more listeners believe
that a
speaker has their best interests at
heart,
the more likely they are to respond
positively to the speaker’s message.
 Factors to consider in situational audience
analysis:
Disposition of the audience toward the
occasion
• Speakers who seriously violate audience
expectations can almost always count on
infuriating the audience.
• The occasion will dictate how long
a
speech should be. Do not exceed
the
time under any circumstances.
GETTING INFORMATION
ABOUT THE AUDIENCE
 1. Fixed-alternative questions. As their
name implies, it offers a fixed choice
between two or more responses.
For example:
Do you believe in the saying “No man is
an island”?
YES
NO
NOT REALLY
 2. Scale questions. It resembled fixed-
alternative questions, but they allow more
leeway in responding.
For example:
How often do you believe that insanity
plea is used in U.S. court cases?
Very seldom --------l--------Very often
 3. Open-ended questions. A question
that allows respondents to answer
however they want. In putting
together your own questionnaire, keep
the following principles in mind:
 1. Plan the questionnaire carefully to
elicit precisely the information you need.
2. Use all three types of questions –
fixed-alternative, scale, and open-
ended.
3. Make sure the questions are clear and
unambiguous.
4. Keep the questionnaire relatively
For example:
How would you describe your
experience studying here at
Tarlac State University?
adapting the audience
Once you have completed the
audience analysis, you should
have a pretty
clear picture of your listeners.
The key is how well
you use what you
know in preparing
and presenting the
speech.
 Two major stages in the
•
process:
Audience adaptation before the
speech
(a) assessing how your audience is likely
to
respond to what you say in your speech
(b) adjusting what you say to make it
as clear, appropriate, and convincing as
possible.
 Two major stages in the
process:
2. Audience adaptation during the
speech
(a) do not panic
(b) adjust your delivery to the changed
audience size
(c) condense your speech to its most
essential points and present them in the
time available
(d) be sure to keep an eye out during your
speech for audience feedback.
Adapting to your audience is one of
the most important keys to
successful public speaking.
GENERALIZATI
ON
Thank You for
listening!