After going over chapter 5, it struck me, not all of us have the luxury of knowing our audience first hand by which we can conduct demographic information. Diverse audiences, how values change in different ethnic groups, but honestly if i knew the values of the audience i was talking about, now i mean individual values; I would jump on that kind of information like a mouse on cheese. Now what most of us non politicians, activists, professors, environmentalist and non CEO's , we have to make decisions THERE and THEN.
As a speaker we don't exactly have a target audience were particularly trying to sell our speech to, our audience is in play as a whole if you will. If you don't have psycho graphic information nice and ready three hours prior to your speech, you have to be a practical and smart. As a "big headed" species, your brain is there a reason, so you might as well use it more often than not.
If you walk in to a room full of men 65 and older, don't go off talking about how the "old people" are putting a strain in U.S. spending. Analyze and think, a walk to you podium should be more than you hearing your heart beat; take a look around at the people your addressing your speech to. If people are smiling, work with it, you may not be the greatest joker or best orator, but you have to work off your audience, don't fight your audience if you will.
Eye contact and making an audience feel Incorporated into the speech should be a priority, because as we all read ch. 5, and i quote here, "Speakers succeed only to the degree they effectively connect with their audience."
Most importantly, the definition of audience used is what wraps up what every speaker must understand and come to use as a advantage when conducting and leading his or her speech. "Audience originally referred to a group of people who share a common interest and physically gather together."
Seriously, if your up at the podium, boring your self, scared to your shins trying to just get off,
your more often than not boring your audience to death. Think about it, you rather not be in a speech were the speaker sets and presents a weak body language, where your eying the exits every 7.9 seconds, so why put others through it?
You stay classy San Diego
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Hi Adam! I think the question is more importantly, who is YOUR audience for this first speech and how are you going to try and connect with them during a formal presentation? What type of information can you safely assume about your present audience as a whole?
ReplyDeleteHey there Adam!
ReplyDeleteI like how you said the whole don't be talking about how the "old people" are putting a strain in U.S. spending. It's pretty funny but true. Not true about them putting a strain in U.S. spending, but true on the fact about not going off on that topic and truly looking around to see what kind of an audience the speaker has.
I also agree with you that we should make eye contact one of our priorities. That is really important, we don't want the audience to think that we just want to leave n what not.
I can tell that you feel pretty confident for your first speech and I think yours will be quite interesting. :)
Adam!!
ReplyDeletePlease excuse me here but I am going to kind of stray away from a response to your post and say:
I feel like you and I can really relate to each other and it sounds like we would make good friends. I really look forward to your speeches.
Real quick question. Are you the responsible student or the crazy thursday night drinker??
Because I honestly get the impression for your posts that you are a responsible student!
LOL
Anyways, I agree with your about speeches. You must be confident in order to keep your audience from dying from boredom. Prepare ahead of time, work out the kinks, get lots of sleep and dont drink the night before!! ;)