Giving a speech without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it to whom it may concern.
~Ken Haemer
Use this worksheet to deepen your understanding of the audiences important to you and your idea. Learn how to connect with them, and then tailor your idea in a way that will resonate most.
Use a different worksheet for each audience or individual you want to reach.
Your Big Idea
In less than a dozen words, state your Big Idea.
Who is your audience?
What is one key audience you want to reach?
Who is one individual within that audience? Describe them, including their name, job, age, gender, background, where they live, and any other details you can think of or find.
What does their day-to-day life look like? Do they commute? Do they have a family? What things are they interested in outside of work?
Where do they consume information? News, blogs, podcasts, etc.
What things do you have in common with them? Shared interests, hobbies, background, sports teams, Twitter follows/followers, etc.
What challenges do they face?
What personal beliefs do they hold? (Political, religious, scientific, family)
What is your audience interested in?
What ideas do they think about?
What values do they hold?
What are their goals?
What is their current perspective on your idea? If you don’t know and are unable to find any hints, describe 2-3 different perspectives that they might have. Use terms that someone who does hold that perspective would agree with.
What are 2-3 ways that you can give status and validation to this person and their perspective?
Tailor Your Message
What aspect of your Big Idea will appeal most to this audience?
What stories or examples will resonate most with this audience?
What do you want your audience to do?
What traps are you likely to fall into? (Jargon, technicalities, tangents, disparaging comments)
How can you front-load an idea or story that will immediately hook the listeners you just identified?
How can you help your listeners achieve their goal(s) while also achieving your own?
Start drafting a version of your big idea, proverb, analogy, or story that will most resonate with your identified audience.
