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In addition to considering situational characteristics, you also need to take demographics into account. Demographics—a term that’s originally from the world of public relations and marketing—refers to certain characteristics of your listeners.² For example, demographics can include age, gender composition, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious orientation, socioeconomic background, and political affiliation. By assessing your audience members’ demographics, you can better anticipate their beliefs about your topic, their willingness to listen to your message, and their likely responses. In this section, we examine demographic characteristics you should consider while developing and delivering a presentation.