Perspectives on Persuasion
Prompt
Chapter 3 deals with understanding audience and context. In this discussion I am interested in what types of audiences one might write for? What are some of the problems with “audience?” How can we know our audience and what difference does this make when it comes to being successful at persuasion? Any personal anecdotes when it comes to audiene and context? Is an audience one might write for different from an audience you might sing for? Plan a menu for? Design a course for?
Response
Any salesman can tell you the importance of knowing your customer. You wouldn’t sell the same pitch to a neurosurgeon and mechanical engineer. The same can be said of scientists, technologists, and researchers of all kinds. Generally, each topic has at least two different presentations: one for a technical audience of their peers, and one for the people funding their research.
As some of you may know, I’m the Vice President of the Drexel Smart House (DSH). Although I’ve come from a largely technical background, I frequently converse with entrepreneurs, University administrators, designers, engineers, architects, etc.. When speaking with an entrepreneur, I will describe the DSH as a incubator company of sorts, a platform for students to launch their own startups. While talking with an engineer, I will detail the myriad research projects conducted by the students involved with the DSH, and then launch into the technical specifics to provide validity to my “marketing” claims. On the other hand, architects like to hear about the house itself, its innovative design, the proposed construction process, and where we’re obtaining LEED certification points. When pitching the University administrators, I tell them of the multidisciplinary nature of the project involving students from all colleges at Drexel, the high student involvement as the DSH is entirely student-run, the public relations and networking opportunities from our contacts outside the University, and how we can put Drexel at the forefront of sustainability research.
As you can see, the pitch varies greatly depending upon my audience. An argument must be tailored to the target audience in order for them to see your focus (product, project, etc) in the same light as you see it. Persuasive marketing is akin to speaking different languages.
I remember a time in which I believed anyone who didn’t understand what I was saying to them was ignorant; now I’ve discovered first-hand that different sects of people have authored their own dialects, terminology, and cultural meems. At some level, management and administration are merely interpreters between these various sub-cultures. If you can speak the listener’s language, they will better understand you and are more likely to be persuaded in your direction.
It is the duty of a persuasive speaker to translate one’s argument into the language of the listener, adopt the mindset of one’s audience, and tailor one’s message to the audience’s interests.
