AUDIENCE ANALYSIS WORKSHOP

PAGE 8: USING YOUR AUDIENCE ANALYSIS RESULTS
Based on the audience analysis on the page7, evaluate the writer's decisions. Think about what you would do differently and why.
Based on the audience analysis on the page7, evaluate the writer's decisions. Think about what you would do differently and why.
Audience Analysis Summary

For my resume and cover letter (paper, hand-delivered, each one side single sheet, quality high, white for professional look): single person audience, Steve Cantenberry (store manager, interviewer, friend-of-a-friend who recommended me for the job of software manager). Possible secondary audience, store regional supervisor. Cantenberry needs a reliable person in the job and will be starting from a skeptical position because he's had so many recent problems with bad employees. I'll address this by including in the cover letter an example of problem solving that also shows that I understand and share his concern about employee theft. He knows the software business so jargon will be expected as a sign that I know it, too. I still need to know: (1) Do he and David (one of my references) know each other? (2) If so, has David told Steve of my experience exposing an employee-theft ring (so I know where to start when I describe that experience)? (3) Will he read my application materials before interviewing me or just file them? I will assume that he will read them first, and I'll be prepared to present the information orally if he doesn't.
Document Plan

Documents require planning. Here is an example of a document plan based on the audience analysis example.
Document purpose
(What will the reader be able to do or be expected to do after reading this document?)
Resume: to provide my educational and employment history and my references. The reader will be able to quickly scan the resume, easily locate all the information that interests him, and find contact information for verifying the information I provide.
Cover Letter: to introduce myself, to show that I know what they are looking for, and to show that I am what they are looking for: responsible software department manager, knowledgeable about software for different platforms, user of the more popular games than this store sells, good at customer relations, good at problem solving, and detailed person to manage pos procedures and store paperwork. Main thing to get across strongly, but not with overkill, is that I'm honest!
Document types and media
Resume and cover letter: paper documents, hand delivered (each single sheet, one sided, quality bond, white)
Resume Plan
Section 1: Title, contact info--all the usual
Section 2: Job experience--because he wants someone with steady work track record--include reasons for leaving jobs, highlight length of time in each--those two things need to stand out to illustrate that I am who he wants
Section 3: Skills--after solid track record, he will want to know what I can do
Section 4: Education--back up information to the above
Section 5: References
Cover Letter Plan
Standard business letter format
Para 1: Responding to Steve's invitation to apply, demonstrated reliability, and skills (note 1 each retail and software)
Para 2 & 3: Demo that I know the company and that he needs someone who can be team player for the store, reliable, and honest (use in para 4 --save for last to emphasize it--briefly summarize theft bust as example of managerial skill and understanding of the way stores like to handle such situations ).
Para 4: standard closing para with thanks for invitation to interview (leave out contact times) & sig block
Document purpose
(What will the reader be able to do or be expected to do after reading this document?)
Resume: to provide my educational and employment history and my references. The reader will be able to quickly scan the resume, easily locate all the information that interests him, and find contact information for verifying the information I provide.
Cover Letter: to introduce myself, to show that I know what they are looking for, and to show that I am what they are looking for: responsible software department manager, knowledgeable about software for different platforms, user of the more popular games than this store sells, good at customer relations, good at problem solving, and detailed person to manage pos procedures and store paperwork. Main thing to get across strongly, but not with overkill, is that I'm honest!
Document types and media
Resume and cover letter: paper documents, hand delivered (each single sheet, one sided, quality bond, white)
Resume Plan
Section 1: Title, contact info--all the usual
Section 2: Job experience--because he wants someone with steady work track record--include reasons for leaving jobs, highlight length of time in each--those two things need to stand out to illustrate that I am who he wants
Section 3: Skills--after solid track record, he will want to know what I can do
Section 4: Education--back up information to the above
Section 5: References
Cover Letter Plan
Standard business letter format
Para 1: Responding to Steve's invitation to apply, demonstrated reliability, and skills (note 1 each retail and software)
Para 2 & 3: Demo that I know the company and that he needs someone who can be team player for the store, reliable, and honest (use in para 4 --save for last to emphasize it--briefly summarize theft bust as example of managerial skill and understanding of the way stores like to handle such situations ).
Para 4: standard closing para with thanks for invitation to interview (leave out contact times) & sig block
Suggested readings for more about audience analysis and what to do with the information once you have it.

Dombrowski, P. (2000). Ethics in Technical Communication. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Dragga, S. & Gong, G. (1989). Editing: The Design of Rhetoric. Amityville: Baywood.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Boston: Pitman Publishing, Inc.
Lannon, J. M. (1994). Technical Writing. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers.
Lay, M.M. et al. (1995). Technical Communication. Chicago: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.
Schriver, K.A. (1997). Dynamics in Document Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sims, B.R. (1998). Technical Writing for Readers and Writers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Rodgers' Writing Tips by tips.rhettime.net is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Copyright Ida L. Rodgers, 2004
Updated January 16, 2012
Updated January 16, 2012