Audience Analysis

Waving
Lamb's information inquiry element, waving, pertains to communicating with the audience. Before I can properly organize my presentation, I must know who I am addressing. I must determine what my audience knows and what they need to know about my topic. Callison outlines a series of questions that deal with issues in communicating with an audience. He begins by asking, “What is the relationship of the author to the audience and how will this impact the formality of the communication or other considerations? To what extent do you want to inform or educate your audience? What is the most important message for this specific audience so that key ideas are emphasized in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion”(The Blue Book, p. 287)?

These questions cause me to assess my relationships with principals, school board members, preschool and elementary teachers, and community leaders. I do not have friendships with these people that would lend to a relaxed and casual exchange of information. This information is also not light weight material. Therefore, I believe this message will be formal.

The Style
Another factor is the style of presentation delivery. The presentation will change based on audience needs or specific purpose for the message. For instance, Jan Youga (1998) of Gordon College, notes that, “as our relationship to be audience becomes more distant, we begin to change the tone of voice we use, the amount and kind of information we provide, and the mechanical features of style such as punctuation and spelling” (The Blue Book, p. 289). Although I have concluded that my presentation will be more reserved, how can I maintain the interest of the audience, interject visuals, provide personal connection, and allow for audience participation?