Analysing Your Audience in Advance

Abstract

Audience analysis is a concept of increasing prominence in the fields of business and public speaking. One of the key reasons for a presentation to fail is because the audience is unable to focus on the topic, or there is an apparent lack of interest in the topic. The key to resolving this type of problem is to conduct a thorough audience analysis before presenting. For too long, many presenters have overlooked the central importance of the audience in the success or failure of a presentation. However audience analysis has now become an integral part of preparing a presentation. Just as the great orators and public speakers of the past were able to find the common interests that united large groups of individuals, in spite of their different viewpoints and attitudes, so any presenter must aim to find what the audience members have in common. In any type of communicative exchange, communication is more effective when the parties involved know something about each other’s background. The term “audience analysis” denotes research carried out on the audience for a presentation, from which conclusions can be drawn about how best to present. Whenever a presentation is given, the audience plays a major role, and being able to tailor a presentation to suit an audience is an indicator of a highly skilled presenter.