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Audience Analysis

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Audience Analysis

Business Communication

COM 285

The first step in presenting information (and probably the most important as well) is knowing and understanding your audience. I believe that it doesn’t matter how much information you have or how much knowledge you possess about a particular topic if you cannot present the information in a comprehensive fashion catered to your audience. Significant wisdom is lost during communication that fails to permeate the minds of its audience. According to The Total Communicator (2003), “It follows that this part of your preparation - the phase known as audience analysis - is essential in determining how you will build your presentation. The more you know about your audience, the better you can target your remarks to reflect their specific interests and concerns. And the more likely you are to succeed as a presenter.” (para. 7).

I would initiate my quarterly sales report by knowing the people who will be on the receiving end of my presentation. I need to know how knowledgeable they are of the topic. I also need to know what type of interest or stake they have in the information to be presented. An accurate analysis of my audience will then allow me to choose the appropriate channel of communication. From this point I can tailor my presentation to fit those who are included in the audience.

The personnel who are to be present at this particular meeting can be described as a managerial or executive audience. In most cases they are responsible for making decisions about personnel, production, and profits. Their purpose for being at the meeting will be to gain information about quarterly sales. The insight gained from this information will be used to make further executive decisions. In most cases a managerial audience has more knowledge of a

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