WEEK 2

Speech Goal
&
Audience Analysis

The Challenge of Effective Speaking

Verderber & Verderber
 Determine a
Speech Goal

§ Select a topic from a subject area you

know something about and that is
important to you.
§ Analyze your audience.
§ Consider your setting.
§ Articulate your goal by determining the
response that meets audience needs.
Identifying Topics

§ A subject is a § A topic is some

broad area of specific aspect
knowledge. of a subject.

§ List subjects that:

§ Are important to you
§ You know something about
Brainstorming
§ An uncritical, nonevaluative process of
generating associated ideas
§ The goal is to amass many ideas
§ Provides a variety of choices

Microsoft Photo
Brainstorming Activity
Major or Hobby or Concern or
vocation activity issue

§ Brainstorm a list of twenty related topics for

each column.

§ Check three topics in each column that

attract you or that may be appropriate for
your classroom.
Analyzing the Audience

§ Audience § Audience
analysis is the adaptation is the
study of the active process of
specific developing a
audience for a strategy for
speech. tailoring the
material to your
specific speech
audience.
Ways of Gathering Audience Data
§ Through observation

§ By questioning the person who

scheduled your speech

§ By making intelligent guesses

about audience demographics
How would you adapt your speech to
the audience listening?

White House Photo by Paul Morse

Checklist: Audience Analysis Data

1. The audience education level is___high school

___college___post college.
2. The age range is from___to___. The average age is
about____.
3. The audience is approximately___% male and
___% female.
4. My estimate of the income level of the audience
is___below average___average___above average.
5. The audience is basically___the same race___a
mixture of races.
6. The audience is basically___the same religion___a
mixture of religions.
7. The audience is basically___the same
nationality___a mixture of nationalities.
8. The audience is basically from___the same
state___the same city___the same
neighborhood___different areas.
Considering the Setting
§ How large will the audience be?
§ When will the speech be given?
§ Where in the program does the
speech occur?
§ What is the time limit for the
speech?
§ What are the expectations for the
speech?
§ Where will the speech be given?
§ What equipment is necessary to
give the speech?
Speaking Directly to Members of
the Audience
§ Use personal pronouns.
§ You, us, we, and our tells listeners
that you are talking with them.
§ Ask rhetorical questions.
§ Phrase them to stimulate a mental
response.
§ Share common experiences.
§ Personalize information.
§ Use specific audience references.
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Creating and Maintaining
Audience Interest
§ Demonstrate timeliness of the topic.
§ How can the audience use the
information now?
§ Show proximity of information.
§ How is the information related to their
personal space?
§ Emphasize the seriousness of the
topic.
§ Does the topic have physical, economic,
or psychological impact on them? 12
Adapting to Audience Level of
Understanding
§ Orient the audience by reviewing
information they already know.
§ When presenting new information
ask:
§ Have I defined all key terms
carefully?
§ Have I supported generalizations
with at least one specific example?
§ Have I used more than one means
of development for significant points
I want the audience to remember?
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Adapting to Initial Audience
Attitude toward Your Speech Goal
§ Attitude is a predisposition for or
against people, places, or things
that is expressed as an opinion. If
the audience’s attitude is:
§ Supportive you will not need to worry
about adapting
§ Neutral or unsupportive you will have
to adapt to accommodate them

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Forming a Specific Plan of Adaptation
§ How will I speak directly to the
audience?
§ How will I build and maintain
interest in my speech goal?
§ How will I adapt my material to
this audience’s knowledge level?
§ How will I build and maintain
credibility?
§ How will I adapt my material to my
audience’s initial attitude toward
my speech goal? 15
Speech Goals

§ The general goal is the intent of

your speech.
§ To entertain
§ To inform
§ To persuade
§ The specific goal is a complete
sentence that specifies the exact
response the speaker wants from
the audience.
Phrasing Speech Goals
§ Write a first draft of your speech goal
using a complete sentence that specifies
the response you want from the
audience.
§ Revise the infinitive phrase until it
indicates the audience reaction desired.
§ Make sure the goal statement contains
only one idea.
§ Revise your first draft until the infinitive
phrase articulates the complete
response you want from your audience.
§ Write at least one different version of
the goal statement.
Informative Goals
§ I would like my audience to understand the major
techniques graphologists use to analyze
handwriting.
§ I would like my audience to understand the three
basic forms of mystery stories.

Persuasive Goals
§ I would like my audience to believe that drug
testing by business and industry should be
prohibited.
§ I would like my audience to join Amnesty
International.

Notice how the infinitive phrases (which are in

bold) show what the speaker wants the
audience’s reaction to be.