The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

PLANNING YOUR APPROACH / 245

GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

It’s all too easy to stereotype an audience,

especially when you are working against

the clock. Make sure you have collected

all the information available about

your audience, and refer to the key

characteristics as you prepare

your speech or document.

Tip

MESSAGE

What should your message contain? How should your message

impart the information? Should your message be broad

or detailed?

MEDIUM

What’s the best way to send this message? Is one medium quicker or

cheaper than another? Will one offer a better opportunity for feedback

or carry more detail?

CODE

Will your audience understand the words you’ve used? Will the words and

images mean the same thing to the audience as they mean to you? Do

these words and images have multiple meanings for various audiences?

FEEDBACK

How will you know if you’ve communicated successfully?

Will the audience response be delayed? Will it be filtered

through another source?

NOISE

How many other senders and messages are out there? Whose message

traffic are you competing with? Will others try to deflect, distort, or

disable your communication attempts?

Who will receive the

message? What is

your relationship

to them? What do

they need to know?

What action do you

want them to take?

US_244-245_Planning_Your_Approach.indd 245 30/05/16 3:04 pm