Audience Analysis and Reception Essay

Question: You are preparing to write a formal report to be presented to management at your workplace. What are some potential needs for this audience you should be aware of when writing the report? What are the risks of not considering the audience’s needs? As explained in week five (The University of Phoenix, 2014). Writing a Proper Report Writing a formal report to management can be difficult as well as time-consuming. You must know who your audience is and what important topics your management team wants to hear. It is very easy to get off track and present data that is not relevant to the audience that you are directing the report to. You must know your audience. There are several things the author writing the report needs to know, in order to ensure that the management team will understand. The first thing that should be considered is, knowing who your audience is. It is important to know who the managers reading this report are. This makes a difference because you want to capture an audience by the job they have. If the report is a descriptive report about product design, you will not want to write a report about sales revenue. The report must fit the audience. Another important factor the writer should know is, knowing the audiences special interests or prejudices they may have about the information you are going to present. It is important to write the report around the facts and to not try to put in too much feeling. Facts are the only things that should be considered. Let the audience think for themselves and make their minds up based on the data that is being presented. Be prepared and have charts or other supporting documentation ready and available, so that the report can be backed up to support the report. Always pay attention to grammar and watch for any syntax errors in your writing. It is crucial that the audience sees that the report is  credible, properly written and that it flows well so that the audience can understand the report. Formal reports are more detailed and have a lot more detail than a non-formal report. Paragraphing the formal report will be easy for the audience to read. There are a lot of risks involved if these guidelines are not met. The audience has particular needs that they will be looking for, and making certain that these measures are there will lead to success. In conclusion, it is crucial that writers understand who the audience is. A formal report should always have the information in it that fits the audience. You might lose your audience, and the report may be seen as non-credible if the facts are not presented the way they should be. References The University of Phoenix. (2014). Week Five: Audience Analysis and Reception. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix, XBCOM/275 website. Educational Psychologist. (2010). Writing for whom? Cognition, motivation, and a writer’s audience.. Retrieved from Educational Psychologist, XB/COM 275Communication Process Model website.