A student once told us an interesting story about audience analysis. At a church service the Sunday after Thanksgiving, her pastor preached on the religious meaning of Christmas (likely in response to the shopping binges known to take place the weekend after many of us eat a little too much stuffing and apple pie). He was hoping to persuade his audience to avoid getting caught up in commercialism, present swapping, and credit card debt. “He was passionate about the topic, and his points were right on,” the student said, “but the congregation already agreed with him. It almost felt like he was angry with us or something. It was uncomfortable.”

As this story shows, it is crucial to know your audience before developing your speech, as this knowledge will help you tailor your organization, research, and supporting points. It will even help you determine your specific purpose—whether to try to change or to reaffirm the audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. This was the mistake of our student’s pastor. He would have benefited from thoroughly understanding his listeners’ disposition and needs as well as what is most relevant to them.