Audience Communication

Audience Communication

In this paper the subject to address is a person's ability to understand his or her audience to present quarterly sales information for a company. In any organization, groups such as stakeholders, managers, salespersons, and customers are the forefront as they are the reason the business is running successfully. A person must consider the characteristics of the audience, what communicating channels are appropriate and what considerations to keep in mind when addressing the diversity of the audience. Some organizations know the importance of including diversity in their workforce (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). Also when communicating with a group setting a person must ensure that the message is effective and meets the standards to grab the audience's attention.

Audience Characteristics

The most important tools in audience analysis are common sense and empathy (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). When addressing a group, an individual needs to place himself or herself in that seat, and come up with alternatives that was also interest that individual. The company's exercising empathy for employees and customers believe their customer service helps set him or her apart from other organizations (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). The vocabulary and an individual's expertise regarding the subject matter will grasp the audience, as he or she is familiar with the subject at hand. In reference to the characteristics of the audience one must consider the primary audience, the secondary audience, the auxiliary audience, the gatekeeper, and the watchdog audience. Behavior, attitude, and an individual's beliefs shape how the audience will perceive the message.

Communication Channels

Several communication channels that many companies use are nonverbal, such as body language, eye contact, and gestures, to name a few. Learning about nonverbal language can help one project the image an individual wants to present and make all parties more aware of the signals we are interpreting (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). However with areas of communicating with different cultures these signs can be easily misunderstood, as one can deliver the wrong message without even realizing it. Depending on the audience, your purposes, and the situation, one channel may be better than another (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). Before one begins to speak, shaking an individual's hand and making eye contact can show the audience that he or she is appreciated and welcomed. Last, we need to think about to whom we are speaking and choose an approach that is appropriate for that person, whether an employee, peer, or boss (Dwyer, 2005).

The ability to articulate the point across by means of graphs, spreadsheets, diagrams, and any information that will make the audience understand the concept at hand, will increase productivity. Even in the office, you will have to decide if your message will be more effective as an e-mail, phone call, visit, or sticky note posted on a colleague's computer (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). Any form of communication must be thorough as there is one goal in mind, to reach the audience with different techniques, observations, and drive.

Diversity

Learning about different cultures is important for understanding the different kinds of people we work with (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). The first step in understanding the audience is to comprehend what concerns are in mind given the possibility of the diversities of the audience. Each culture brings in their own language, perception, and opinions toward the company's growth. This diversity affects how business communication is conceived, planned, sent, received and interpreted in the workplace (Dutta, 2008). Ethnicity, sex, age, social class, education, religion, geographic origin, political outlook, heritage, and cultural influence are examples of diversity. Bias-free language does not discriminate against people on the basis of sex, physical condition, race, age, religion, or any other category (Locker & Kienzler, 2008).

Values