Once you know something about the individuals who make up your audience, begin to think about how to approach them. You’ll need a strategy to help devise the right message and to choose the most effective method of communication for your audience.

Hitting the right knowledge level

A thorough knowledge of what your audience already knows about your speaking subject is useful in a number of ways. First, it tells you where to begin. Don’t speak down to the audience by explaining fundamentals they already understand. Second, don’t start above their heads. Begin at a point they are comfortable with and move on from there.

Managing emotions

Even more important than what the audience knows about your subject is how they feel about it. What they know about taxation is far less relevant than how they feel about it when they listen to a talk about tax reform. You need to tailor your words carefully to what the emotional response of your audience is likely to be. The greater the degree of ego involvement (or emotional response) to a given topic, the narrower the range of acceptable positions open to you. In other words, people are much more open-minded on topics they are indifferent about than they are on topics they care about passionately. If you misjudge an emotional response, your communication will fail.

Establishing the audience’s role

Your message may need to reach only the audience before you, or you may be relying on those people to pass on the message to others. Think about everyone who might see or hear your message, including:

- Primary audience: These are the people who will receive your written or spoken message directly. Make sure that you understand and address their needs, interests, and concerns.

- Secondary audience: Others might read or hear of your message indirectly. Could the communication be given to a reporter, union organizer, or competitor?

- Gatekeepers: These are the individuals who you have to route your message through, and who might filter or block it. Does someone in particular stand between you and the audience you hope to reach?

- Opinion leaders: These are individuals who have significant influence over members of the audience. Who do they admire or listen to on this subject?

- Key decision-makers: These are people with the power to influence the outcome of the communication.

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