An intro to Audience Awareness

Several years ago, I was just about to purchase my very first new car. I had chosen the make and model, I had negotiated in a way that would make my dad proud, and I was ready to close the deal. We were half-way through the paperwork when we hit a snag. I had my heart on a champagne color car, but the dealership had none in stock. The salesman became nervous, realizing that the deal was about to fall through. He couldn’t find my color anywhere, and he was determined to save the sale. He finally became frustrated with me and insisted that I buy a blue car that was in stock. I became frustrated, too, and asked him why I should consider the blue car. His answer? “Because blue is MY favorite color.”

Umm, really? The salesman apparently had decided that my needs were less important than his sale. Unfortunately for him, I didn’t feel the same.

My experience is a great example of one of the most important considerations in communicating: audience awareness.

Over the years, my English students have heard me utter that phrase countless times. And for good reason.

Understanding our audience is vital to communication if you hope to have your message received successfully.  Specifically, what is it that they need to hear/understand and HOW does it need to be delivered it in order for you to accomplish your objective? That understanding should inform every step you take in the communication process, from brainstorming to delivery and follow-up. Everything.

Yet it can be the most difficult thing to understand. If we are communicating with others, we think that what we need to say is the important thing. We yearn to tell our listeners what is on our mind. We think they should buy the blue car because it is our favorite color.

But that rarely works.

Think about this especially when you are writing a resume. We often make the mistake of thinking that we need to create resumes that tell the reader what we’ve done, but I would argue that doing so is a huge mistake.

Instead, write with the potential employer in mind. Read the job announcement carefully. Analyze it. Usually, you can see a theme emerge that reveals the skills, experiences, or qualities that the employer thinks are the most important, so tailor the resume to address those needs. What can you do for the employer? That’s what he or she wants to know.

As a photography studio owner, I interviewed a lot of applicants. I also wrote the job opening announcements, and I always emphasized that artistry and client service were the most important skills, even more so than photography knowledge. I knew that we could teach someone the basics of photography, but artistry can’t be taught, and I had neither time nor inclination to teach someone how to treat people with respect.

Yet, I routinely got resumes that started with a listing of the equipment the person could use. They tried to impress me with what they felt was important instead of trying to understand what I indicated was necessary.

If you’re lucky enough to get an interview, make sure you continue being aware of audience and focus on the needs of the employer. Try to answer questions in a way that lets them know that your participation would help the business succeed and grow instead of furthering your own needs.

During an interview, once, I asked an applicant why she wanted to work for us.

What she said: I want to learn how to run a studio so that I can open my own studio some day.

What I heard: I want you to train your future competition.

Once again, I felt like I was being coerced into buy a blue car when what I really wanted was the champagne one.

Both the job applicant and the car salesman learned hard lessons about the need for audience awareness in their careers. Had they understood my needs/wants, the relationships might have ended successfully for all of us. Instead, I declined both the car and the applicant.

I ended up hiring an amazing woman whose photographic eye was magic, even though she had never taken a picture professionally. And her customer service was unmatched. Our clients loved her, and she contributed tremendously to the growth of the studio. She stayed with us for several years, and she is still a dear friend.

I left the car dealership without a new car. I visited a competitor a few days later, and they listened carefully to what I was saying. They never tried to convince me that I needed something else; instead, they were able to find the car for me out of state, and they arranged to have it delivered to me. I left that dealership a very happy customer, and I drove my little champagne Corolla for over 10 years.

Developing the ability to understand your audience will serve you well in personal and professional relationships. The message and the delivery have to fulfill the needs of the listener. We need to remember that it really isn’t about us, after all.