The Audience Professed Values Argument

What Values and Why is there an Argument?

The Audience Professed Values Argument

is not a place you want to go unless you go as a friend.

Every group you speak in front of will have an audience professed values argument. They are based on the socio-economic background of the listeners as a whole.

If you’re speaking to a group who consist of people in the lumber industry, a lecture on the need to save some spotted owl will not be a welcome argument. Cutting wood is their livelihood. If you take that away from them, what will they do to provide for their families?

What are the professed values of the audience?

Look at the local industry. Look at the local culture of where you will be speaking. Look at the family life. Look at the available education in the community.

In a college town like Scranton, PA talking about my Alma mater, Excelsior College as being the best way to get a nursing degree was not met with accolades by any of my supervisors, some who were also part time faculty at the local Schools of nursing.

Note…When visiting a car number of car dealers, my wife specified the car and a few details that were important to her. Those details were her professed values. They were not open for argument. The unsuccessful salesmen on the other hand tried to in effect argue about her professed values.

She wanted a sliver or black car with either a limited number of acceptable colors if the interior was cloth or leather. Not only did they not make a sale, she will probably never go back. Interesting that the salesman at the dealership that didn’t try to sell her on what she didn't want is where she went back a second and third time.

Remember, the sooner you help people get what they want the sooner you will get what you want.

The Audience Professed Values Argument needs to consider the...Social and Economic Background of the Audience

People who are barely getting by will not be interested in retirement accounts. However if showed how they could make an extra $5.00 per week that they would not have to pay in taxes if they started a fund you may have started to interest them. What you say has to be relevant to their life experience socially and economically.

A second example. I was speaking in Spanish. I introduced myself as a Nurse. Everyone laughed. I didn't know why but went on. It turns out the word for nurse and the word for sick was very similar. I spoke correctly but because of not being a native speaker, they thought I made a mistake.

So to say I have been a nurse for some time and that is why I am here to talk today had an entirely different meaning. Socially the Mexican and few other Spanish speaking groups were not used to the concept of a male nurse, even though our profession is documented as being around for over 3,000 years. Their value system did not include the thought of a male nurse.

Speak within the audience professed value argument of your audience.

Additional areas you might want to check out about the audience.

Audience Centered Approach includes considering the audience backgrounds. It is a key way of addressing the audience professed values argument.

The Audience Mind is a look at how the human mind in the audience setting processes information.

Perceptual Modes are the different ways people perceive what is being communicated.

Rapport is a vital skill that you can use to connect to your audience.

Young Audiences have unique needs for public speakers to address.

Adult Audience's have a different need to be met.

A Mature Audience has additional needs to be met above and beyond those of an adult audience.

The Audience Home Page All topics public speaking audience reside here.

Speechmastery.come: The Audience Professed Values Argument Website

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