3 Types

There are 3 types of readers or audiences whether you are writing a technical document, drafting a research paper, or delivering a public speech: 1) The enthusiasts, the fans, or laypersons; 2) Those looking for practical solutions for their real problems, and 3) The experts and specialists who are seeking conceptual answers to their still unanswered research questions. If you deliver the right content to the right audience, you'll be a much more effective writer.

Example

Imagine you are writing a document or paper If you are addressing a group of technology fans and robot collectors from all kinds of educational backgrounds, it would be appropriate to talk about “The Top 10 Amazing Robots of This Year”.

Or perhaps you can review funny anecdotal stories of what robots can and cannot do. And if you feel like throwing in a review of the latest movie “Revenge of the Robots” that might also be very appropriate for the occasion.

If you are writing for a group of warehouse owners and operators who are looking to invest in robots to maintain and secure their facilities, then talking about “Top 10” robots or funny anecdotes will not serve your audience properly. These are people with a problem and they are seeking a solution to their problem. Thus you need to a constant to them and tell them which robot might be the best for which type of facility; how much it might cost to own, maintain and license the robot; what to expect in terms of 3 or 7 years of service; etc.

If, on the other hand, your audience consists of robotics research scientists who have done a lot of studying and experimenting on all kinds of robots, you really need to be careful with what you say. If to this group you start telling about the “Top 10 Fascinating Robots of the Year” they will be insulted and leave the room right away.

These are people with a theoretical Interset and they are looking for answers to their high-level questions. For this group you should be ready to talk about the mathematics behind robotics, the new research about robotic algorithms, the fallacies of “Fibonacci Approach” to “queue sequencing” [I made this one up!], and similar pure research topics. One thing you should be very careful of is to back up all your claims with hard clear evidence since this group will question your assumptions, premises, and conclusions all the way.

Conclusion

You can become a much better writer by matching your content and delivery to the expectations of your specific audience, as we have tried to illustrate.