Same message, different audience
How a carefully crafted speech can flop if you don't know who you’re talking to—and a fun classroom-ready exercise to fix it fast.
What are you talking about and what aspects of it change depending on who you’re speaking to?
Today I’m taking a break from preparing the bundle of resources for getting over public speaking anxiety I’ve been focusing on in the last couple of newsletters. (More on that later.)
Instead, we’re going to have a look at shaping a topic - how to take the same core message and adapt it to suit different audiences by adjusting language, tone, examples and persuasive appeals. It’s a lesson, many, including myself, need refreshers on over and over again.
Here’s the exercise. It’s fun, fits tidily into a single lesson slot and is readily adaptable for middle school upward. I’ve included a couple of printables to make it easier to use: one of different types of audiences, and another of speech topics. You’ll find those at the foot of the newsletter.
Same Message, New Audience
The topic I’ve chosen to illustrate the exercise is: “The Importance of Mental Well-being” (It’s a beautifully broad subject - one with ample room to accommodate multiple audiences fittingly.)
The audiences we are going to adapt our message to suit include:
Fellow students
Employers (e.g., in a job interview or workplace)
Parents/care givers
Friends
Grandparents or older adults
A community group: (e.g., Rotary, Church group, neighborhood committee)
Social media: (e.g., Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram…)
Younger children
There are twelve distinct groups in the printable.
The starting point: establishing why we need to vary how we treat a subject for different audiences
And now, drum roll, please…
Here are three wonderfully awful examples to illustrate the point.
In the first example my audience are young children, and this is what I say as if they’re a bunch of corporate executives.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in today’s volatile and unpredictable emotional landscape, implementing proactive self-care strategies will yield long-term cognitive ROI.”
For my second, I’m addressing the School Board, and I give them a mouthful straight out of TikTok.
“Okay fam, mental health is straight-up bussin’* when you get those good vibes flowing, y’know? No cap*, we’re vibing our way to emotional resilience.”
*bussin’ - Really good, excellent
*No cap - Not lying or exaggerating
In the last, I’m sharing with a group of friends, and I sound like I’m writing an academic paper.
“I propose that emotional dysregulation among adolescents can be mitigated by the consistent application of introspective routines and therapeutic journaling, as evidenced by current psychological frameworks.”
All three comprehensively fail to connect with their intended audiences which makes them a great starting place for discussing these questions with your students:
Why is it important to adapt your message for different audiences?
What changes when you're talking to your friends vs. your grandparents, or any other distinct group of people? Have you ever got it completely wrong?
What things do you need to consider to make your message appealing and easy for the audience to listen to and understand (e.g., age, values, language, concerns)?
Group their answers on the board under these categories:
Language
Tone
Interests
Cultural references
Having established what needs to change and why you’re ready to introduce the main activity.
Audience Mix & Match
Step 1: Create a Core Message
As a class, brainstorm and agree on 2–3 key points about why mental well-being is important.
Example:
Mental health affects every aspect of our lives including academic/work performance.
It’s okay to ask for help.
Daily habits (diet, sleep, exercise, connection with others) help maintain well-being.
Step 2: Assign Audiences
Break the class into small groups (2–4 students). Each group draws or is assigned an Audience Card from the printable file below. Their task is to deliver the same key message, adapted to that specific audience.
Step 3: Prepare a 1–2 Minute Speech
Each group rewrites or reworks the message to suit their audience:
What tone will they use? (e.g., informal, respectful, motivational)
What examples or references will connect?
What words or jargon should be avoided or explained?
Step 4: Deliver & Debrief
Each group presents their adapted message.
After each speech, do a quick “What worked?” debrief/ feedback round with the class:
What did they do that fit the audience well?
How did it differ from other groups?
Could anything have been clearer?
Grab the printables
12 different audiences - print, laminate and cut out to keep
That’s it. If you use it, I’d love to hear how it goes. You can tell us in the comments, reply to this email or click the CLICK HERE button below to use the contact form on my website.
Testers needed!
As you know I’ve been busy compiling a collection of resources to help combat public speaking anxiety. I want it to be effective, comprehensive and easy to use. So that’s ‘what-tos’ with ‘how-tos’ supported by printables which include scripts for a couple of the exercises. I’d welcome your in-put. What worked? What didn’t? What’s missing?
If you’re interested, please do get in touch. You can either click the link below or simply reply to this email.
What do you get in return for your time? My gratitude, your very own virtual bucketful of unadulterated 100% pure organic New Zealand sunshine from my hometown beach infused with the salty tang of a bracing Pacific breeze, and a bundle of teaching materials you didn’t have to pay for.☺
Aroha nui, *(The link goes to the NZ Maori Dictionary. You’ll find the definition: ‘much love, with deep affection’, and an audio clip of the words.)
Susan
PS. Thank you for being here. ❤️