Practice
Analysing an audience for public speaking
Before you write slides or practice your opening, decide who needs to understand your message. A useful speech changes when the listeners have different knowledge, responsibilities, or reasons for attending.
Plan a public-speaking message for a specific audience by identifying listeners' knowledge, needs, expectations, and likely questions.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
audience analysis /ˈɔːdiəns əˈnæləsɪs/
The short answer
Ask what the audience already knows, what it needs from you, and what it may do after the speech. Then choose examples, explanations, and a level of detail that fit those answers.
For new volunteers, I will explain the check-in process before I discuss the monthly report.
Why it works: New volunteers need the practical process before they need a detailed account of recent results.
5 more examples
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This workshop is for new supervisors who need to give clear feedback during their first month.
The description identifies both the audience and the situation that shapes the workshop.
Not this:This workshop is for
everyonewho wants to improve. What changes: The audience is too broad, so the speaker cannot easily choose the right examples or level of detail. -
The group knows the policy, but it needs a worked example of how to use the new form.
The speaker does not repeat information the group already knows and instead focuses on the missing practical step.
Not this:I will read the
entire policyaloud before showing the form. What changes: Reading every detail may delay the part that the audience needs to do its work. -
After the presentation, the committee must choose whether to fund the pilot project.
A stated decision helps the speaker select evidence that the committee can use.
Not this:After the presentation, the committee will
know moreabout the project. What changes: Knowing more is vague and does not tell the speaker what the talk should enable. -
Several participants asked about cost, so I will explain the estimate before describing optional features.
Questions from the group give the speaker usable evidence about what deserves attention.
Not this:I will spend most of the talk on
my favorite feature. What changes: The choice reflects the speaker's interest rather than the listeners' stated concern. -
I will define the abbreviation the first time because visitors may not use it in their daily work.
Defining a necessary term lets listeners with different levels of experience follow the next point.
Not this:
Everyone herealready knows our internal abbreviations. What changes: The speaker assumes shared knowledge without checking whether it is true.
Read the full guide
A manager presenting to experienced staff can begin with the decision that needs to be made. The same manager may need to explain basic terms to a new team. Neither version is more intelligent or more honest. Each version gives the listeners the information they need to follow the point.
Start with the audience's reason for listening
Find out why the group is attending. A speech for people who chose to learn a skill needs a different opening from a required update at work. The reason for listening tells you how directly to state the benefit, decision, or problem.
The staff meeting needs a decision about the schedule, so I will state the two options in the opening.
The opening gives listeners a reason to pay attention because it names the decision they will discuss.
What are your listeners expected to understand, decide, or do after your speech?
Write one practical outcome. It will help you decide what information belongs in the talk.
Check what the group already knows
Knowledge level affects pace and explanation. If listeners already know the background, give a short reminder and move to the new information. If they are new to the topic, define essential terms and use one concrete example before asking them to apply an idea.
Because the audience has not used the software, I will show one completed task before I explain the settings.
A completed task gives beginners a clear picture of the result before they meet technical details.
Which terms would confuse a first-time listener if you did not define them?
Keep only necessary terms, define each one in plain language, and show how it matters in the current situation.
Use evidence from the group, not assumptions
An event organizer, a registration form, earlier audience questions, and a short pre-talk survey can all tell you something useful. Mark uncertain information as uncertain. When you cannot ask the group in advance, prepare a clear explanation and plan a moment for questions.
The registration answers show that many participants want examples they can use with customers.
Registration answers are more useful than a guess because they come from people who plan to attend.
Where can you find one reliable detail about this audience before you speak?
Ask the organizer, review participant questions, or use a short survey when it is appropriate for the event.
Choose examples that fit the listeners' work
A good example makes an abstract point easier to picture. Choose a familiar task, decision, or problem from the audience's setting. You can change names and details to protect privacy, but the example should still show the same kind of decision that listeners may face.
For a group of clinic receptionists, I will use an example about explaining a delayed appointment.
The example connects the speaking skill to a situation the group may recognize at work.
Which ordinary situation could show your main point without needing specialist knowledge?
Choose a situation that your listeners can picture, then explain the decision or result that matters.
Prepare for questions and adjust during the talk
Before you speak, list two questions that a careful listener might ask. Prepare a short answer, a source, or a clear statement of what you do not know. During the talk, watch for puzzled expressions, requests for clarification, or repeated questions. Slow down or give another example when those signals show that the explanation needs work.
If the group asks twice about the deadline, I will repeat the date and show where the schedule is posted.
A repeated question is evidence that the earlier explanation did not yet answer the group's concern.
What will you do if several listeners ask for the same missing detail?
State the detail again in simpler language and connect it to the point you are making.
Before you go
Remember this
Plan for the people who will hear the speech. Identify their purpose, current knowledge, practical needs, and likely questions. Keep the facts accurate, explain terms that may be new, and choose examples that help the group use your message.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Analysing an audience for public speaking"
What is audience analysis in public speaking?
Audience analysis is the process of learning enough about the listeners to make useful choices about a speech. Consider why they are attending, what they already know, what they need to understand, and what question they may ask. Use that information to choose the level of detail, examples, and explanation.
This workshop is for new supervisors who need to give clear feedback during their first month.
How can I learn about an audience before a speech?
Ask the organizer about the group's role and purpose. You can also review registration information, earlier questions, or a short survey when one is appropriate. Separate confirmed information from assumptions. If you do not know much about the group, use clear language, define necessary terms, and leave time for questions.
This workshop is for everyone who wants to improve.
Should I change my facts for a different audience?
Keep the facts accurate. Change the order, level of explanation, and examples so that listeners can follow the facts and use them. An experienced group may need a short background reminder, while a new group may need a definition and a practical example before it can evaluate the same information.
The group knows the policy, but it needs a worked example of how to use the new form.
What should I avoid when analyzing an audience?
Avoid treating a broad label as proof of what every listener knows or prefers. Age, nationality, appearance, or job title may not tell you what a person needs from the speech. Use information connected to the event, such as the group's stated purpose, responsibilities, previous experience, and questions.
I will read the entire policy aloud before showing the form.
How do I adjust a speech while I am speaking?
Pay attention to questions, repeated requests for clarification, and signs that the group has lost the thread. Slow down, define an essential term, or add one relevant example. If you do not know an answer, say what you can confirm and explain how the listeners can find the missing information.
After the presentation, the committee must choose whether to fund the pilot project.