2.3 PYCCME Analysis Worksheet

Purpose

• Why are you communicating?
  • What do you want to accomplish by communicating?
  • What problem(s) are you trying to solve by communicating?
  • What thoughts, behaviours or attitudes do you want to change by communicating?
  • What image do you want to project of yourself and/or your organization?

You and Your Audience

• Who are you as a communicator? 

• • What perceptual and cognitive biases might influence communication?
  • How are you the same and different from your audience? How will you adjust your strategy to account for important differences between you and your audience?
  • What blind spots might you have when communicating?
  • What is your relationship with your audience?
  • What do you know about your topic?

• Who is your primary audience? 

• • What do you know about your audience’s demographics (age, gender, profession, income, etc.)?
  • What do you know about your audience’s psychographics (thoughts, behaviours, attitudes)?
  • Where can you reach your primary audience, online or in person?
  • How do you think your audience will react to your messages?
  • What are the audience’s expectations in these types of communication situations?
  • How much does your audience know about your topic?

• Who is your secondary audience? 

• • Is there a gatekeeper audience? If yes, what do you know about this audience?
  • Is there a hidden audience? If yes, what do you know about this audience?

Context

• What external factors might influence your success in communicating?

• • What is the local environment in which your messages will be received? Are you communicating within your organization or externally?
  • Do you need to consider your audience’s morale?
  • Do you need to consider your organization’s reputation, internally or externally?
  • What overall constraints should you consider when communicating? (For instance, is there a word count?)
  • Do you need to consider the local or national economy?
  • Are there current events that might impact the reception of your message?
  • Is the timing of your message appropriate and effective? For instance, will your message be ignored or perceived negatively due to holidays?

Channel

• Which channel should you use to communicate with your audience?

• • Should you communicate in writing, orally, or visually, or use a combination of different modes?
  • What medium should you use to communicate? Should you communicate in a print publication, an oral broadcast, an in-person meeting, etc.?
  • What genre(s) does your audience expect you to use? For instance, should you write an email, conduct a selection interview, or create a video?
  • How will you get your primary communication tool to your audience? For instance, if you create a YouTube video, how will you make sure that your primary audience knows to go watch the video?

Messages

• What does your audience need to know to change their thoughts, attitudes or behaviours?

• • What information does the audience need to act on your message?
  • Why should your audience believe you? In other words, why are you a credible source of information?
  • What’s in it for the audience? What benefits can you emphasize for your audience?
  • What objections might your audience have to your messages? What elements of your message do you need to de-emphasize?

• How should you craft your messages to improve their effectiveness?

• • Is your overall message positive or negative? Could you structure your message directly or indirectly to improve its reception?
  • Can you order your messages in a way to improve their effectiveness?
  • What is the audience’s reading level?
  • What type of language will the audience expect (formal, informal, professional jargon)?

Evaluation

• How can you tell if you have been successful in communicating?

• • How will you evaluate your communication?
  • How will you follow up with your audience?