Introduction

Once, just before I was to speak to an audience of seventy people, an acquaintance approached me with a question, “How can you be so confident with all those people judging you and finding fault with you?” I was surprised at his presupposition about the nature of audiences. “I can be confident,” I answered, “because I don’t think of my audience in that way. I assume my audiences are friendly and supportive. I assume they are interested in what I have to say. I love my audiences and I assume they love me.” You get back what you give out—and nowhere is this adage more true than in public speaking. If you want your audiences to like you, you have to like them first.

— Judith Pearson ¹

Now that you have faced your fear and you understand that you don’t have to be perfect, you need to think about your audience. In this Independent Study course, I will be your instructor and audience. I want you to know that I will be open and receptive to your speeches. I understand that some of you may have had many opportunities for public speaking. For others, this may be the first time you have written and presented speeches. It doesn’t matter where you are in your public speaking skills—I will assess each of you as an individual. I look forward to being your audience and listening to your speeches.

Lesson Objectives

1. Analyze your audience.
2. Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of an audience.
3. Differentiate between hearing and listening.
4. Develop good listening skills.