

Eminent scientist and Nobel Prize Laureate, Albert Einstein was once asked to explain the significance of his research at a conference. Most people expected an answer filled with scientific jargon. But, when Einstein went on stage he put up a fascinating show of simple explanations vis-à-vis daily happenings that wowed the audience.
The organizers were no less dumbfounded. They confronted the maestro backstage after the show. How Einstein managed to avoid scientific gibberish was beyond them. But this is why he was so special. He summed up the situation nicely: "If you can’t explain it to a five-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
That day, Albert Einstein taught the world another lesson, this time in communication. He banked on the idea of Audience Analysis and used it to good effect.
He knew what his audience was, what its expectation and educational background were, and how he should convey his scientific findings to it.
As per this note released by the University of Pittsburgh, Audience Analysis refers to the mental process of identifying the audience and adapting your speech to their interests, level of understanding, attitudes, and beliefs. It is a significant factor in making communication more effective and helps the speaker propagate his views more elaborately.
It also works the other way around. Violating the audience’s experience or expectations could have catastrophic implications for the speaker and even tarnish his reputation. People might prefer to avoid such a speaker who pays no heed to their expectations. This can quickly create a downward spiral of rejection and frigid indifference in certain cases.
Here’s why it happens.Every person arrives at the discussion table with preconceived beliefs formed from their experiences. They also bring their expectations regarding the occasion, topic, result, and the environment in which the speaker is supposed to speak. Since we all have different personal experiences, our reception of the speaker would also be different even for the same message. A speaker should always be mindful of this fact.This is why Einstein was careful and sensitive enough to his audience’s expectations. This also explains why the world remembers him not as a boring scientist but as a playful genius.
Audience analysis is a dedicated science. One usually needs a bit of time and patience (and possibly some luck) to be a winner at it. However, some salient factors can help you have a better experience. We are listing them ahead:
It is easy to get distracted when the results are not in your favor. Nowhere is this truer than in official communications, when your co-workers may easily sense your lack of preparation or poor speaking skills and make you feel uneasy. The following pointers would help you have a better experience in those challenging times:
Being able to put your point across is a skill that can be learned over time. If you are a working professional and are not too comfortable speaking in English, it could become difficult for you to stay relevant. This issue could translate into lower self-esteem and make your bosses ignore you for better opportunities.This is also where we come in. You may opt for our 1:1, online, and in-person training sessions for delivering business speeches and presentations. You can sign up for our online course called Presentation Skills, wherein you may connect with our mentor to learn the fundamentals of delivering speeches.We would take you through designing, contrasting, and creating impactful opening and closing techniques. You would also learn advanced aspects like voice modulation and non-verbal communication to help you speak more clearly. This course would span about ten to fourteen weeks, after which you would see a marked improvement in your oratory skills.