Advertisers are shrewd analysts of people’s needs and wants. They extensively research our buying habits and lifestyle choices to identify what motivates us; only then, when their investigation is complete, do they craft the actual advertisement. In at least one sense, to make a successful speech or presentation, you too, must function like an advertiser. To spark interest and sustain the audience’s involvement in your message, you also must investigate and appeal to your audience.

Audience analysis is the process of gathering and analyzing information about audience members’ attributes and motivations with the explicit aim of preparing your speech in ways that will be meaningful to them. This is the single most critical aspect of preparing for any speech. What are your listeners’ attitudes with respect to your topic? What might they need or want to know? How will their values influence their response to your presentation? How much do audience members have in common with one another?

Assuming an audience-centered perspective throughout the entire speech preparation process—from selection and treatment of the speech topic to making decisions about how you will organize, word, and deliver it—will help you prepare a presentation that your audience will want to hear.