Adapting Your Message to Your Audience

1. Chapter 2 Adapting Your Message to Your Audience CPS Slide Set Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

2. 1. Who is the primary audience? Mary works in the marketing department of a company that sells and services consumer appliances. She has prepared an ad for air conditioners. • Mary’s boss • People reading or hearing the ad • The CEO of Mary’s company • People who need new air conditioners Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

3. 1. Who is the primary audience? • Mary’s boss • Mary’s boss will likely review her work before it is shown to anyone else but her work is not targeted to him • People reading or hearing the ad • This is the primary audience • The CEO of Mary’s company • We do not know whether the CEO will take any particular notice of Mary’s ad • People who need new air conditioners • These are members of the primary audience who will be more likely to take action (if Mary’s ad is effective) Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

4. 2. Who is the gatekeeper? Mary works in the marketing department of a company that sells and services consumer appliances. She has prepared an ad for air conditioners. • The head of marketing, who reviews all ads • Mary’s boss • The head of sales, who decides which items will go on sale and when • People reading or hearing the ad who decide to visit the store and learn more Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

5. 2. Who is the gatekeeper? • The head of marketing, who reviews all ads • By reviewing all ads, this person is a gatekeeper. • Mary’s boss • Mary’s boss will likely review her work before it is shown to anyone else but her work is not targeted to him • The head of sales, who decides which items will go on sale and when • This role determines only that an ad will be needed • People reading or hearing the ad who decide to visit the store and learn more Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

6. 3. Who is the auxiliary audience? ABC company distributed flyers to all of its long-standing clients about the change of CEO to the organization. • Workers of ABC • The head of legal, who reviews all ads • Long-standing clients of ABC • Friends or family of long-standing clients who happen to see the flyer Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

7. 3. Who is the auxiliary audience? • Workers of ABC • Workers may read the document but they are not its intended audience. • The head of legal, who reviews all ads • The legal department would be the gatekeeper in this situation. • Long-standing clients of ABC • Clients would be the primary audience • Friends or family of long-standing clients who happen to see the flyer • This audience may encounter the message but will not have to interact with it. They are “read-only” people Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

8. 4. How would you best persuade a sensing type (Myers-Briggs)? • Use logic, not emotion, to persuade • Present the big picture first • Present your reasoning step by step • Show that you’ve considered all the alternatives Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

9. 4. How would you best persuade a sensing type (Myers-Briggs)? • Use logic, not emotion, to persuade • This persuades a thinking type • Present the big picture first • This persuades an intuitive type • Present your reasoning step by step • Yes, this is a good approach for a sensing type • Show that you’ve considered all the alternatives • This is most effective with a perceiving type Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

10. 5. What interest might these audiences have in common? • Stressed-out people who want to relax • Business people who want to stay in touch with the office, even on vacation • Parents with small children • Weekend athletes who want to have fun • Tourists who like to sightsee and absorb the local culture (see next slide for choices) Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

11. 5. What interest might these audiences have in common? • Becoming more physically fit • Getting advice about interior decorating • Vacationing at a luxury hotel • Gardening • Getting advice on investment strategies Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

12. 5. What interest might these audiences have in common? • Becoming more physically fit • Probably not the business people, parents, and tourists • Getting advice about interior decorating • Probably not parents, tourists, and weekend athletes • Vacationing at a luxury hotel • All groups could have their likely needs met • Gardening • Probably not parents and tourists • Getting advice on investment strategies • Probably not weekend athletes and stressed-out people Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

13. 6. What would be least attractive to this audience? Consumers who enjoy cooking and fine food, are more likely to cook for fun, and have relatively high incomes • Recipes • New product information • Coupons • Wide selection of products in store Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

14. 6. What would be least attractive to this audience? • Recipes • This audience would enjoy trying new foods • New product information • This audience is probably interested in new cooking techniques and special ingredients • Coupons • Saving money is not a primary motivator for this audience • Wide selection of products in store • Even at a relatively high price, this audience would be interested in items they can’t find elsewhere Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

15. 7. Which of the following is a less effective channel? For reaching people willing to work part-time in computer sales • Place an ad in the Help Wanted section of the paper • Put signs up on the local college campus • Put on listserv or blog • Place an ad on an online job site Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

16. 7. Which of the following is a less effective channel? For reaching people willing to work part-time in computer sales • Place an ad in the Help Wanted section of the paper • This is probably least effective, since many people with technical skills look online first • Put signs up on the local college campus • Many younger people have technical skills and want to work part time • Put on listserv or blog • Many people who use listservs or blogs have technical skills • Place an ad on an online job site • This would probably be highly effective Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

17. 8. How would you adapt your message… To an audience who has negative feelings about your organization • Keep the message as long as possible • Allow the audience to save face • Develop logic and reader benefits fully • Preface information with “As you know…” Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

18. 8. How would you adapt your message… • Keep the message as long as possible • Usually want to keep message short • Allow the audience to save face • Not relevant here • Develop logic and reader benefits fully • This audience will be quick to find fault with what you say, so be logical and go step by step • Preface information with “As you know…” • Not relevant here Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

19. 9. Which of these is not important… To an audience who will oppose what you have to say • Start with any areas of agreement • Show how the audience will benefit • Make your message as clear and unambiguous as possible • Show that your solution is the best one currently available Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

20. 9. Which of these is not important… • Start with any areas of agreement • Show how the audience will benefit • This is more relevant when your audience is reluctant to change • Make your message as clear and unambiguous as possible • Show that your solution is the best one currently available Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

21. 10. Which of the following is not as important… When preparing a document that contains detailed instructions • Use lots of adjectives • Put steps in chronological order • Group steps into sub-processes if there are many individual steps • Provide check-off boxes Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

22. 10. Which of the following is not as important… • Use lots of adjectives • While this may help somewhat, you want to keep instructions short and concise • Put steps in chronological order • After writing the document, check step order carefully • Group steps into sub-processes if there are many individual steps • Provide check-off boxes • This allows readers to see where they are in the process Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

23. 11. Which feature would attract this audience to eat lunch at your restaurant? People who work outside the home • Variety in both food and décor • Low-carb and vegetarian food • Late hours • A quick and relaxing place to dine Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

24. 11. Which feature would attract this audience to eat lunch at your restaurant? • Variety in both food and décor • Not essential for this audience • Low-carb and vegetarian food • Only for people on special diets • Late hours • You need to define “late;” most people go back to work mid-afternoon so this is not an issue • A quick and relaxing place to dine • People who work outside the home generally eat lunch out – they want to relax yet get back quickly Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

25. 12. Which of the following is a more effective audience benefit? • You get quick service here • We have the lowest prices in town • You’ll save money using ABC Co.’s shop-at-home service • At ABC Co., you get the best deal in town Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

26. 12. Which of the following is a more effective audience benefit? • You get quick service here • Not specific • We have the lowest prices in town • Lacks you-attitude! • You’ll save money using ABC Co.’s shop-at-home service • Not enough detail; many audiences are not familiar or comfortable with this concept • At ABC Cars, you get the best deal in town • Uses you-attitude; clear since audiences understand deals and cars Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

27. 13. Which is most important? …for multiple audiences with different needs • Provide an overview or executive summary • Use headings and a table of contents • Meet the needs of gatekeepers and decision makers first • Appeal to shared common ground Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

28. 13. Which is most important? All are important, but C stands out: • Provide an overview or executive summary • Use headings and a table of contents • Meet the needs of gatekeepers and decision makers first • It is rarely possible to meet everyone’s needs, so be sure to meet these needs • Appeal to shared common ground Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

29. 14. Which is least effective in helping identify and develop audience benefits? • Provide enough details to make the benefit vivid • Link features to audience needs • Make your audience benefits specific • Talk to audiences both inside and outside the organization Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

30. 14. Which is least effective in helping identify and develop audience benefits? • Provide enough details to make each benefit vivid • Link features to audience needs • Make your audience benefits specific • Talk to audiences both inside and outside the organization • This may not always be feasible or relevant Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

31. 15. All of the following are reasons why audience benefits work except: • Appeal to common ground among audiences • Remind audiences that success will be rewarded • Tell audiences that they can do the job • Improve the attitudes and behavior of audiences Business and Administrative Communication, 8e

32. 15. All of the following are reasons why audience benefits work except: • Appeal to common ground among audiences • Common ground among readers is not necessary for reader benefits to work • Remind audiences that success will be rewarded • Tell audiences that they can do the job • Improve the attitudes and behavior of audiences Business and Administrative Communication, 8e