Audience analysis and adaptation are fundamental to speech preparation. One should consider the audience in the initial planning stages while brainstorming for a topic. Thinking about the audience from the get go will allow for the speaker to relate better to the audience, and to adapt their speech to do so. For instance, it would be in poor taste to give a speech on the importance of dance to American culture to a group of multiple sclerosis patients, or to give a Pro Life speech to a Pro Choice audience. Proper consideration to the Audience can be the difference between a great presentation and an exercise in futility.
In addition to making sure that you are choosing a topic that your audience will not be vehemently against, audience analysis will allow for the speaker to adapt their speech in a manner which allows for the audience to relate. I know that if I personally cannot relate to someone giving a presentation I quickly lose interest. It is important to make your audience care.
This chapter reminded me of an article I read about about the idea of feedback. The article was about a particular stretch of road where drivers had a tendency to speed. Speed limit signs didn't seem to work, and the city and the local police were scratching their heads as to what to do. Eventually someone came up with the idea of feedback, and thus those fun little off the road signs that tell tell you how fast you are going came into being. Research found that when people were simply told to do the speed limit, not much thought was given to it; however once feedback was provided in the the form of a sign that showed people how fast they were going, people were able to see how it related to them and finally slowed down. You can apply the same concept here with the idea that saying "24% of the people in this room have an STD," is a lot more powerful than "1 out of every 4 Americans will contract an STD in their lifetime." Just saying 1 out of every 4 Americans is an obscure thought for people,and it is really easy not to include themselves in that statistic. But when you bring the information home it has a habit of smacking people in the face and grabbing their attention.
With regards to my demonstration speech, I think (or I like to anyway) that I have chosen a topic that will be pretty easy to relate to the audience. The majority of our class is female, and I am fairly passionate about the need for women to learn self-defense. There are a lot of statistics available regarding assault,assault on women, where it can come from,and what you can do about it. I think everyone, men and women alike, have had moments throughout their lives where they have been afraid, or questioned their safety. I know I have, many and many a time. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge on the subject with the class.
Also, I have need of a volunteer, and the young woman with the passion for disc golfing offered to do that for me the last time we met in class. I'm sorry, I can't remember your name, but can you leave me a message so that we can connect if you are still interested? THANK YOU!
I totally agree with you on the feedback idea. Simply telling someone that a certain percentage of the population is affected by something is too general and also too big of a number for the listener to really comprehend how great of an impact that is. When you narrow it down to a number the person can comprehend, like the size of their classroom, it can finally hit home for them and they are left thinking about that realization even after the speaker has finished his lecture. I had one of those moments when watching the speech buddy video on drinking. by the time the class would be over, four people would have died as a result of drinking and driving.
ReplyDelete