Chapter 4

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4
C H A P T E R
Step Two: Analyze
the Audience

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Strategic Communicators Analyze
their Audiences
 To conduct an analysis
• Examine the demographic characteristics of
the audience
• Assess the knowledge, interests and
attitudes of the audience
• Determine what type(s) of business
audiences you will be addressing

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Demographics, Values, and Beliefs
Generation
Culture
Knowledge, Interests, Attitudes, Concerns

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Demographics, Values, and Beliefs
Generation
Culture
Knowledge, Interests, Attitudes, Concerns

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Generations in the Workforce
Traditionalist
• Tendency to honor hard work, respect
leaders, maintain loyalty to institutions,
defer gratification
Baby Boomer
• Characterized by political skills,
competitiveness, optimism, desire to make
the world a better place
Generation X
• Known to be resourceful and independent,
distrustful of companies and managers
Millennial
• Generally tech savvy, comfortable with
diversity, expect to contribute to decisions
regarding themselves, desire structure in
workplace

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Demographics, Values, and Beliefs
Generation
Culture
Knowledge, Interests, Attitudes, Concerns

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Uncertainty
Avoidance
Power
Distance
Institutional
Collectivism
In-Group
Collectivism
Gender
Egalitarianism
Assertiveness
Future
Orientation
Performance
Orientation
Humane
Orientation
GLOBE Study Cultural Dimensions

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Power
Distance
Individualism/
Collectivism
Masculine/
Feminine
Uncertainty
Avoidance
Long/Short
Term
Orientation
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

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Demographics, Values, and Beliefs
Generation
Culture
Knowledge, Interests, Attitudes, Concerns

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Knowledge and Concerns
What does your audience know about the topic
of your message?
Are you providing the right level of information
to match what your audience already knows?
Have you considered the questions and
concerns of your audience?
Did you anticipate and address these concerns,
questions, or objections in your presentation?

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Interests and Attitudes
COMMON
GROUND
Establish early on in
presentation
Reduce resistance and
retain attention

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Types of Business Audiences
Managers
• Require big picture, key information, have limited time to make decisions
Non-Experts
• Require details and context, examples and illustrations make complex concepts
more clear
Experts
• Require less context and explanation, but utilize specialized language, and
appreciate clear presentation of data
International or Multicultural Audiences
• Require simple and short sentences, slang and colloquialisms may not translate
Mixed Audiences
• Have varied requirements, provide a written message to accompany verbal and
“democratize” message so it is accessible to all audiences

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I’ve Analyzed My Audience, Now
What?
Translate your self-centered message into
audience-centered communication
• Ensure the main point is at the beginning of the presentation1.
• Eliminate irrelevant information2.
• Organize remaining points into a logical order3.
• Elaborate points that need additional information4.
• Proofread for correctness5.

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Communicate Responsibly
Avoid Saying:
Man or men when speaking
about people in general
Businessman
“Man and wife” or “Men and
Ladies”
Instead Use:
Person, individual, human
being in expressions
Business owner, manager,
executive
“Husband and wife” or “Men
and women”