48 Analyzing The Audience of Your Report

As with any professional writing, knowing your audience is essential when preparing a formal business report. Your readers’ level of familiarity with the topic, their professional background, and their expectations will all influence the content and tone of your report.

If your audience is already familiar with the background information related to your topic, avoid repeating details they already know. Instead, focus on presenting new or specialized information that is relevant to their role or perspective. On the other hand, if your audience has limited or no prior knowledge of your topic, you’ll need to provide more context and background to ensure clarity and understanding.

Avoid using technical language or jargon when writing for a general or non-specialist audience. Instead, explain key terms in plain language or provide definitions where necessary. These decisions help ensure that your message is accessible and understandable.

Educational Level and Subject Knowledge

While most workplace audiences consist of adults, their educational background and level of subject knowledge can vary widely. If you are writing for someone outside your area of expertise, consider how much technical language and specialized detail is appropriate.

For example, if you work in the automotive industry and are writing on behalf of mechanical engineers to an audience of business professionals, don’t assume readers will be familiar with the components of an engine. Instead, use clear, accessible language and explain unfamiliar terms as needed. In some cases, including a glossary of terms in the report’s back matter may be helpful.

Audience Expectations and Research

Before you begin writing, consider what your audience expects to gain from your report. Are they looking for a summary of findings? A recommendation? An in-depth analysis?

You also need to clarify what kind of research is expected. Will your audience expect scholarly sources? Data from field research? Industry reports? Whatever the case, ensure your research is credible, relevant, and properly documented using the appropriate citation format (e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago). Pay attention to your tone and voice—use confident, professional language reflecting your authority.

Questions to Guide Audience Analysis 

Use the following questions to help tailor your report to your audience:

• What does your audience expect to learn from the report?

• What level of expertise or authority (ethos) should you establish?

• How much and what kind of research does your audience expect?

• How recent should your sources be?

• What sources are most appropriate (e.g., academic, professional, industry-specific)?

• What is the age range of your audience?

• What is their educational background?

• How much background information do they need?

• Which technical terms should be defined?

• What terms will your audience already be familiar with?

• What is the cultural background of your audience, and how might this influence their expectations or interpretations?

Carefully considering these factors will help ensure that your report is well-received, effective, and tailored to your readers’ needs.

Attribution:

This section contains material from Chapter 11.5 “Analyzing the Audience” in Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

References are at the end of this chapter.