PROFESSIONAL ORAL PRESENTATIONS “There is perhaps no greater skill that can help you build your career or business better than effective public speaking. (…) Knowing how to persuasively present your point of view can make the difference between merely surviving or thriving in a vastly competitive environment.” (Slutsky & Aun, authors of The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking, 1997)1

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 2 PRESENTATIONS BLUEPRINT  Identify workplace presentations  Preview preparation steps  Select delivery style

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 3 Types of Workplace Presentations Informative: to increase the level of knowledge and understanding among listeners by instructing describing explaining Persuasive: to influence audience beliefs, opinions, or behaviours by  convincing  reinforcing  actuating

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 4 Preparation Steps  Determine general purpose  Analyze the audience  Determine specific purpose  Identify central idea  Identify main points  Gather supporting material  Organize outline  Rehearse presentation

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 5 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Analyze audience Demographic features: age, race, gender, occupation, education, etc. Non-demographic factors: Why is the audience there? How much do they know about my subject? What are their attitudes about that subject?

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 6 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Determine specific purpose Speaker: What do I want the audience to have achieved once my speech is over? Audience: What’s in this message for me?  Phrase your specific purpose like: “At the end of my instructions, you will be able to complete the monthly inventory online in less than two hours.”

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 7 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Identify central idea State in a single sentence the essence of the speech - clearly, concisely and focused on the audience! Ex: “The online monthly inventory can be completed in half the time by following four simple steps.”

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 8 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Identify main points Main points should  be stated in sentence form  contain only one idea per point  be expressed in a uniform grammatical structure  establish a direct connection with central idea  be limited to 3-5.

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 9 Preparation Steps Identify main points (cont’d) Central idea: “Quality customer service includes three primary goals.” Main point 1: “Quality customer service includes treating the customer with respect.” Main point 2: “Quality customer service includes listening to customer needs.” Main point 3: “Quality customer service includes providing customer satisfaction.”

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 10 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Gather supporting material Develop the main points with factual info and evidence from own experience co-workers’ experience company resources (annual reports, product catalogs, etc.) library and Internet sources. Include visual aids to enhance verbal supporting materials!

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 11 Preparation Steps (cont’d) Organize outline Put your info together in a logical sequence! Introduction: Capture audience’s attention, identify nature and purpose of presentation! Body: Provide verbal and visual supporting info and evidence! Conclusion: Provide a summary and closing remarks!

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 12 Delivery Style Manuscript: read word-for-word Memorized: free of dependence on notes Extemporaneous: conversational style with little reliance on notes Impromptu: off-the cuff

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 13 PRESENTATION TOOLS  State central ideas  Select supporting materials  Construct outlines  Rehearse delivery

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 14 State Central Ideas Central ideas must be expressed in a sentence contain one key idea contain a subject (Who/what the speech is about) and a focus (what is emphasized about the subject) be neither too general nor too specific be stated in both introduction and conclusion.

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 15 Select Supporting Materials Verbal supports: ♣ explanations ♣ examples ♣ statistics ♣ illustrations ♣ testimony ♣ comparisons

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 16 Select Supporting Materials (cont’d) Guidelines for effective use of visuals: oMake sure the visual is large enough. oKeep the visual simple. oCreate “eye appeal”. oHave a definite purpose in mind for using the visual.

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 17 Construct Outline The introduction A preview for the remainder of speech: 1)Capture audience’s interest. 2)Show some tangible gain for audience. 3)State central idea/thesis. 4)Preview main points to be developed in the body.

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 18 Construct Outlines (cont’d) The body Speaker’s choice of main points along with necessary verbal supports Patterns of organization of main points:  Chronological  Topical  Spatial  Cause/Effect  Problem/Solution Vary the choice of verbal supports!

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 19 Construct Outlines (cont’d) The conclusion A review of key information - 3 parts:  summary of main points  restatement of central idea  appropriate closing remarks Guidelines: Be brief and to the point. Don’t introduce new info. Close presentation memorably!

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 20 Rehearse Delivery Guidelines for an extemporaneous presentation: ♣ Develop a speaking outline. ♣ Practice out loud. ♣ Practice in front of an audience. ♣ Pay attention to your voice. ♣ Pay attention to your body. ♣ Cope with nervousness.

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 21 CONCLUSION Skeletal outline form I. Introduction A. Attention getter B. Need for info C. Central idea D. Preview of main points II. Body A. First main point 1. Verbal support 2. Verbal support 3. Verbal support B. Second main point ( ) C. Third main point ( ) III. Conclusion A. Review main points B. Restate central idea C. Close memorably

Emilia Placintar - Professional Oral Presentations 22 Bibliography  Bovée, C. L. and J. T. Thill., Business Communication Today, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1992 (pp ).  Cheesebro, T., L. O’Connors, F, Rios. Communication Skills. Preparing for Carreer Success. Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2006 (pp ).