•  
  •  

Analyzing and Adapting to Your Audience

• Preliminary Purpose: To provide information on growing tomatoes.
*Using these questions, you can revise your purpose.*
• Who are they?
o Example- They are twenty women and eight men who belong to the local
garden club. All but three are over forty. They have known one another
for many years.
• Why are they here?
o Example- They are attending a monthly club meeting at which they
discuss group-selected topics. Many attend for social reasons, too.
• What do they know?
o Example- They already know a lot about growing tomatoes but want to
improve the health and output of their plants.
• What are their interests?
o Example- They are very interested in plants of all kinds, but a few may be
more interested in growing flowers than in growing tomatoes.
Fortunately, the group picked the topic, a factor indicating their high level
of interest.
• What are their attitudes?
o Example- They are avid gardeners, but they may be a bit wary about my
ability to tell them something new and interesting about tomatoes.
• What are their values?
o Example- They probably value independence and hard work given the
personal dedication it takes to be a successful gardener and an active
member of the garden club. Given the diversity of club members, they
probably embrace equality.
• Revised Purpose: To share knowledge of the latest and best research on
improving the health and output of a tomato plant in this growing region.

Isa Engleberg and John Daly. Presentations In Everyday Life. Houghton-Mifflin (2005).
UNCG University Speaking Center, 256-1346, speakingcenter.uncg.edu