© 2007 Thomson South-Western Instructor Only Version CHAPTER 12 Making Effective and Professional Oral Presentations

© 2007 Thomson South-Western

Instructor Only Version

CHAPTER 12CHAPTER 12

MakingEffective and

Professional Oral Presentations

Chapter 12, Slide 2Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e

Identifyyour

purpose

Understandyour

audience

Organizethe

conclusion

Organizethe

body

Organizethe

introduction

Getting ReadyGetting Readyfor an Oralfor an Oral

PresentationPresentation


Identify Your PurposeIdentify Your Purpose

What do you want your audience to believe, remember, or do when you finish?

Aim all parts of your talk toward your purpose.


Understand Your AudienceUnderstand Your Audience

Friendly, neutral, uninterested, hostile?

How to gain credibility? How to relate this information to

their needs? How to make them remember your

main points?


Succeeding With Succeeding With Four Audience TypesFour Audience Types

Friendly Neutral Uninterested Hostile

Click icon for more details. Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Document


Organize the IntroductionOrganize the Introduction

Capture listeners’ attention and get them involved.


A Promise“By the end of my talk,

you will . . . .”

Drama—tell a moving story; describe a problem.

Eye contact—command attention by making eye contact with as many people as possible.

Ten Techniques for Getting Ten Techniques for Getting Your Audience’s AttentionYour Audience’s Attention


Movement—leave the lectern area. Move toward the audience.

Questions—ask for a show of hands. Use a rhetorical question.

Demonstrations—include a member of the audience.

Samples, gimmicks—award prizes to volunteer participants; pass out samples.


Visuals—use graphics and other visual aids.

Dress —professional dress helps you look more competent and qualified

Appeal to the audience’s self-interest —audience members want to know, “What's in it for me?”


Organize the IntroductionOrganize the Introduction

Capture listeners’ attention and get them involved.

Identify yourself and establish your credibility.

Preview your main points.


Organize the BodyOrganize the Body

Develop two to four main points. Streamline your topic and summarize its

principal parts. Arrange the points logically by a specific

pattern.

Patterns for Organizing the Body of Your Presentation

Pattern ExampleChronology Describe the history of a problem,

organized from the first sign of trouble to the present.

Geography/ space

Arrange a discussion of the changing demographics of the workforce by regions, such as East Coast, West Coast, and so forth.

Topic/function/ conventional grouping

Organize a report discussing mishandled airline baggage by the names of airlines.


Pattern ExampleComparison/ contrast (pro/con)

Compare organic farming methods with those of modern industrial farming.

Journalism pattern

Explain how identity thieves ruin your good name by discussing who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Value/size Arrange a report describing fluctuations in housing costs by house value groups (houses that cost $100,000, $200,000, and so forth).

Importance Organize from most important to least important the reasons a company should move its headquarters to a specific city.


Pattern ExampleProblem/ solution

Discuss a problem followed by possible solutions.

Simple/ complex

Organize a report explaining genetic modification of plants by discussing simple seed production progressing to complex gene introduction.

Best case/ worst case

Analyze whether two companies should merge by presenting the best case result (improved market share, profitability, employee morale) opposed to the worse case result (devalued stock, lost market share, employee malaise).


Develop two to four main points. Streamline your topic and summarize its principal parts.

Arrange the points logically by a specific pattern.

Prepare transitions to guide the audience.



Using Verbal Signposts to Transition

SwitchingDirections I've just discussed three reasons

for X. Now I want to move on to Y.

Up to this point, I've concentratedon . . .; now let's look at another significant factor . . .

As you can see, we have twoprimary reasons explaining . . .

Summarizing

Previewing

Now let's look at three reasonsfor . . .

My next major point focuses on . . .

Let me review the two major factors I've just covered. . .


Develop two to four main points. Streamline your topic and summarize its principal parts.

Arrange the points logically by a specific pattern.

Prepare transitions to guide the audience. Have extra material ready. Be prepared

with more information and visuals if needed.



Organize the ConclusionOrganize the Conclusion

Summarize the main themes of the presentation.

Provide a final action-oriented focus. Explain how listeners can use this information or what you want them to do.

Include a final statement that leaves a lasting impression.


Sending Positive Sending Positive Nonverbal MessagesNonverbal Messages

Look professional. Animate your body. Punctuate your words. Use appropriate eye

contact. Get out from behind

the podium. Vary your facial

expression.


Create anappropriate

template

Buildbulletpoints

Addmultimediaand other

effects

Designing an ImpressiveDesigning an ImpressiveMultimedia PresentationMultimedia Presentation


Create an Appropriate Template Create an Appropriate Template

Combine harmonious colors, borders, bullet styles, and fonts.

Avoid visual clichés. Use light text on dark background for

darkened rooms. Use dark text on light background for

lighted rooms Alter layouts by repositioning, resizing, or

changing fonts in placeholder slides.


Selecting a Slide Template

You may choose from a variety of predesigned templates or design your own.

Darker backgrounds are better in lighted rooms.

Lighter backgrounds are better in darkened rooms.


Build Bullet Points Build Bullet Points

Focus on major concepts only. Use concise phrases balanced

grammatically. Add graphics to illustrate and add

interest. Avoid using too many transition

effects.


Revising Slide to Improve BulletPoints and Add Illustration

Improves wording and includes an illustration

for added punch.

Does not use parallel wording.


Add Multimedia and Other Effects Add Multimedia and Other Effects

Consider adding sound, animation, and video.

Include hyperlinks ("hot spots" on the screen) to jump to sources outside your presentation.

Avoid too many "bells and whistles."


Converting a Bulleted List to an Animated Diagram


Using a Bar Chart to Illustrate a Concept


Avoid Being Upstaged Avoid Being Upstaged by Your Slidesby Your Slides

Perfect your handling of the visual aids and the operation of any equipment or remote controls you may be using.

Make sure your computer projects!!! Use your slides only to summarize

important points. Look at the audience, not the screen. Do not read from a slide. Paraphrase.


Memorize significant parts such as the introduction, conclusion, or a meaningful quotation.

Talk to the audience conversationally.


Overcoming Stage FrightOvercoming Stage Fright

Just before you begin to talk, take some deep breaths.

Convert your fear into anticipation and enthusiasm.

Select a familiar, relevant topic. Prepare 150 percent. Use positive self-talk.


Shift the focus from yourself to your visual aids.

Ignore stumbles; keep going. Don't apologize.

Don't admit you're nervous. Feel proud when you finish. Reward yourself.


Eight Serious Eight Serious Presentation Blunders*Presentation Blunders*

Being dull. Relying on only one or two illustrations to make your points.

Not repeating your main point often enough.

Not answering the audience's most pressing question: “What's in it for me?”

Failing to use signal phrases to focus on main points.

*Supplementary lecture. Not included in textbook.


Neglecting to practice and time your presentation out loud.

Forgetting to check your visual aids for readability.

Answering hypothetical questions after your presentation.

Getting distracted just before you speak.


Putting It All Together

During your

presentation

Beforeyour

presentation

After your

presentation


During After

Prepare thoroughly. Rehearse repeatedly. Time yourself. Request a lectern. Check the room. Greet members of the audience. Practice stress reduction.

Before


After Before

Dress professionally. Begin with a pause. Present your first sentence from memory. Maintain eye contact. Control your voice and vocabulary. Show enthusiasm. Put the brakes on.

During


Move naturally. Use visual aids

effectively. Avoid

digressions. Summarize your

main points.


During Before

Distribute handouts. Encourage questions. Repeat questions. Reinforce your main points. Keep control. Avoid Yes, but answers. End with a summary and appreciation.

After

Documents

© 2007 Thomson South-Western Instructor Only Version CHAPTER 12 Making Effective and Professional Oral Presentations