checklist to analyze your reading audience.

Answer the questions in relation to a business document you need to write.

  1. Who are my readers?
  2. How big is my reading audience?
  3. What gender am I writing for?
  4. How much do my readers already know about the subject?
  5. What knowledge do they bring to the document?
  6. What attitudes will they have about my document?
  7. Is this a topic of interest to my readers?
  8. What is the most important information I need my readers to know?
  9. How will my readers benefit from my message?
  10. Are some readers more important than others?
  11. Do my intentions differ from those of my readers?
  12. What do I want my readers to do in response to my message?
  13. What do I want to achieve by writing this document?