Oral Communications Professional Practice 2001 David C. Coll, Ph.D., P.Eng. Professor Emeritus Department of Systems and Computer Engineering

Professional Practice Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen My name is David Coll, and it is my intention here in the next forty minutes, or so, to provide some hints and pointers based on my vast and extensive experience to assist you to improve your oral communication skills. communication skills.

Professional Practice Why Do You Need to Know Anything About Oral Presentations? According to Berg and Gilman,According to Berg and Gilman, –“Face-to-face verbal presentations are the most effective way to make your point to others”. They also point out that:They also point out that: –“Presentation skills are a requirement for success in business, vital to anyone who ever has to sell, persuade, motivate, inform, or represent.”

Professional Practice We recently received a memo from senior management saying: "This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above.We recently received a memo from senior management saying: "This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above. sms.htm

Professional Practice The bad news according to Berg and Gilman is … The typical listener will forget 40% of what he or she heard with half an hour.The typical listener will forget 40% of what he or she heard with half an hour. By the end of the day, 60% will be gone. By the end of the day, 60% will be gone. A week later only 10% is retained. A week later only 10% is retained.

Professional Practice Preparation: Why, Who, What Why are you making this presentation?Why are you making this presentation? Who is the audience? Who is the audience? What are you trying to say? What are you trying to say?

Professional Practice How do you organize your talk?

Professional Practice The Edward R. Murrow rules for verbal communications Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘emTell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em Tell ‘em Tell ‘em Tell ‘em what you told ‘em. Tell ‘em what you told ‘em.

Professional Practice Basic Rules of Strong Presentations (Berg & Gilman) Know your audience; anticipate their needsKnow your audience; anticipate their needs Know your bottom line message and say it earlyKnow your bottom line message and say it early Anticipate listeners’ questions and answer themAnticipate listeners’ questions and answer them Make your key point again in a summary statementMake your key point again in a summary statement

Professional Practice Grab the audience early.Grab the audience early. Make it clear that they are going to hear something of interest.Make it clear that they are going to hear something of interest. The trouble with engineers is that there are NO funny jokes about them. Some humour might help. Some humour might help.

Professional Practice Visual Aids

Professional Practice Visual Aids - Slides Keep slides simple & unclutteredKeep slides simple & uncluttered 6 – 6 Rule6 – 6 Rule –6 items per slide –6 words per item Use large font sizes Use large font sizes

Professional Practice Visual Aids - Multimedia

Professional Practice Visual Aids – On-Line

Professional Practice Making the Presentation

Professional Practice Appearance How you look, move and speak can affect the effect of your presentation.How you look, move and speak can affect the effect of your presentation.

Professional Practice Delivery Tips Have confidence in yourselfHave confidence in yourself Dress wellDress well Stand up – Speak outStand up – Speak out Look at audienceLook at audience Use your hands for emphasisUse your hands for emphasis Don’t rushDon’t rush End on timeEnd on time

Professional Practice Delivery Do not memorize your talkDo not memorize your talk –Talk from notes or to the slides Do not read the slides to the audienceDo not read the slides to the audience –Give them time to absorb the contents

Professional Practice Rehearsal – Practice Makes Perfect Rehearse your talkRehearse your talk –In front of friends –Solicit comments on content and delivery –Revise – re-write

Professional Practice Rehearse Three Times The first time is not too badThe first time is not too bad –Timing off –Forget your place –Awkward Second time is a disasterSecond time is a disaster –Overconfident Third time is greatThird time is great

Professional Practice Challenge Put together a three minute presentation of your essayPut together a three minute presentation of your essay Why? Because it is hard to be concise. Because it is hard to be concise. The technique will allow you to construct a talk of any length. The technique will allow you to construct a talk of any length.

Professional Practice The Berg and Gilman Technique Step 1Step 1 –State your conclusion Make a short statement of your message, the bottom line of your presentationMake a short statement of your message, the bottom line of your presentation Step 2Step 2 –List all the points that support your conclusion Step 3Step 3 –Add the Opening

Professional Practice The Opening – Your chance to get the audience listening State your messageState your message Outline the argumentOutline the argument Prepare listeners for detailed discussionPrepare listeners for detailed discussion

Professional Practice References Berg, K., and A. Gilman. Get to the Point: How to Say What You Mean and Get What You Want. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1989.Berg, K., and A. Gilman. Get to the Point: How to Say What You Mean and Get What You Want. Toronto: Bantam Books, Markel, M., Writing in Technical Fields: A Step-by-Step Guide for Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians. New York: IEEE Press, 1994.Markel, M., Writing in Technical Fields: A Step-by-Step Guide for Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians. New York: IEEE Press, Pfeiffer, W.S., Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. Toronto: Macmillan, 1991.Pfeiffer, W.S., Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. Toronto: Macmillan, Mathes, J.C., and D.W. Stevenson. Designing Technical Reports: Writing for Audiences in Organizations, 2 nd Edition. Toronto: Collier Macmillan, 1991.Mathes, J.C., and D.W. Stevenson. Designing Technical Reports: Writing for Audiences in Organizations, 2 nd Edition. Toronto: Collier Macmillan, Poe, R. W., The McGraw-Hill Guide to Effective Business Reports. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1982.Poe, R. W., The McGraw-Hill Guide to Effective Business Reports. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1982.

Professional Practice Three engineers and three accountants are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the three accountants each buy a ticket and watch as the three engineers only buy one ticket. "How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asks an accountant. "Watch and you'll see," answered an engineer. They all board the train. The accountants take their respective seats but all three engineers cram into a rest room and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, "Tickets, please!" The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on. The accountants see this and agree it is a clever idea. So after the conference, the accountants decide to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money. When they get to the station, they buy one ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers don't buy a ticket at all. "How are you going to travel without a ticket?" says one perplexed accountant. "Watch and you'll see," answered an engineer. When they board the train all three accountants cram into a restroom and the three engineers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the accountants are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, "Tickets, please!"

Professional Practice A group of managers were given the assignment to measure the height of a flagpole. They got their ladders and tape measures and went out to the flagpole. However, the measurement job had turned out to be a much more difficult task than any of them had imagined, with some of them falling off the ladders, some dropping their tape measures and so on, and the whole thing had just turned into a total mess. After a while, an engineer happened along and saw what they were attempting to do. She walked over, pulled the flagpole out of the ground, and laid it flat on the ground. She measured it from end to end, gave the measurement to one of the managers and then walked away without saying a word. After the engineer had gone, one manager turned to another and laughed as he's shaking his head. 'Now that's just like an engineer! We're looking for the height and she gives us the length!'

Professional Practice