As important as analyzing the audience is assessing (and then preparing for) the setting in which you will give your speech—size of audience; location, time, and length of speech; and rhetorical situation. Planning for these factors will help you further adjust your speech to the actual circumstances in which it will occur.

Size of Audience and Physical Setting

The size of the audience and the physical setting in which a speech occurs can have a significant impact on the outcome of the speech. Some settings are formal, others less so. The atmosphere of a classroom is different from that of a banquet room, an outdoor amphitheater, or a large auditorium. A virtual audience requires unique considerations (see Chapter 28 on online presentations). The larger the group, the less you are likely to interact with the audience—an important factor to consider when planning your delivery. You will also need to plan how to position yourself and adjust your voice, with or without a microphone.

Time and Length of Speech

Both the time at which your speech is scheduled and its length will affect listeners’ receptivity to it. People gathered at breakfast, lunch, or dinner meetings, for example, come to the speech occasion with more than one agenda. They may wish to hear you, but they will also want time to eat and converse with other people. Your boss or fellow employees may expect to receive information quickly so that they can proceed to other business.

In any speaking situation, always find out how long you are expected to speak. Bear in mind that few matters of speech etiquette are as annoying to an audience as a speaker’s apparent disregard for time. Start on time and end well within the time allotted to you. Table 6.2 includes typical lengths for various presentations.

The Rhetorical Situation

Any speech or presentation you deliver will always occur in a particular circumstance and for a particular reason, defined as the “rhetorical situation” (see Chapter 1). You may be the third of six speakers on a panel, for instance. You might precede or follow a speaker who is more dynamic or well known than you are. Listeners may be anxious to hear certain information early in the speech, because it addresses matters vital to them. They may be preoccupied with unusual circumstances—a local sports team just won a championship, extreme weather conditions have disrupted everyday life, the president of the company just resigned, and so forth. By being alert to any of these contingencies, you can address them in your speech.