Identify the Disposition of the Audience

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Where your target audience stands in relation to your topic will significantly affect how they will respond to your persuasive appeals. Are they likely to be receptive to your claims? Critical of them? Persuasion scholar Herbert Simon describes four types of potential audiences and suggests various reasoning strategies and possible organizational patterns for each.22

AUDIENCE TYPE PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES
Hostile audience or those that strongly disagree
  • Stress areas of agreement.
  • Address opposing views.
  • Don’t expect major change in attitudes.
  • Wait until the end before asking the audience to act, if at all.
  • Reason inductively: start with evidence, leaving conclusion until last (“tuition should be raised”).
  • Consider the refutation pattern.
Critical and conflicted
  • Present strong arguments and evidence.
  • Address opposing views, perhaps by using the refutation pattern.
Sympathetic audience
  • Use motivational stories and emotional appeals to reinforce positive attitudes.
  • Stress your commonality with listeners.
  • Clearly tell the audience what you want them to think or do.
  • Consider the narrative (storytelling) pattern.
Uninformed, less-educated, or apathetic audience
  • Focus on capturing their attention.
  • Stress personal credibility and “likeability.”
  • Stress the topic’s relevance to listeners.