Business Communication: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Study Guide
Week 7: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Overview
Foundational Concept: Public speaking is one of the most significant historical methods of human communication.
The Speaker: The speaker is identified as the primary and first element in every public speech or presentation.
Business Application: It is common practice for business entities to conduct presentations for varied audiences, including: - Consumers. - Shareholders. - Board members. - Staff members.
Illustrative Example: A marketing director presenting a strategic marketing plan to the board members of an organization.
Functional Definitions: - Presentation: A method utilized to inform, inspire, and motivate others. - Public Speaking: An act that impacts modern life increasingly by shaping the perceptions and emotions of an audience toward a specific communication.
Audience Perspective: Effective communication requires examining the message from the viewpoint of the audience, whose priorities often differ from those of the presenter.
Essential Elements of Preparing to Present
Purpose Identification: The first stage of planning involves identifying why the presentation is occurring. Common purposes include: - To Inform: Updating participants on policies, procedures, or organizational changes. - To Teach: Educational sessions such as training or orientation for new staff. - To Persuade: Selling products, promoting ideas, or seeking approval for a specific proposal.
Audience Analysis: This is the process of understanding listeners to prepare a message that gains acceptance for ideas. - Advance Insight: Presenters must determine what listeners know and how they might react. - Pre-event Connection: Contacting attendees prior to the event to inquire about their expectations and knowledge levels. - Operational Categorization: Deciding if the approach should be persuasion, information, education, motivation, or a combination. - Audience Demographics: Determining if the group consists of senior members or colleagues, the size of the audience, and their level of subject awareness. - Predicting Resistance: Assessing whether the audience will be hostile or resistant to the message.
Audience Expectation Checklist: To meet needs effectively, a presenter should ask: - What do they already know? - What are their expectations and preconceived notions? - What do I want them to learn and do with the knowledge? - What specific words will accomplish my goals?
Topic Analysis: This requires thorough research and an in-depth understanding of the subject matter. Once the audience and purpose are known, the presenter collects specific facts to cover the main areas.
Content Management: This involves deciding the volume of information to present based on available time. - Handout Strategy: If a written version or handout is provided, the oral presentation should focus on insights beyond what is already in the written material to avoid redundancy.
Rehearsal: This is the final opportunity to practice with imaginary audiences. - Methods: Practice out loud, record the presentation, and listen to the voice for tone and clarity. - Goal: Preparing so thoroughly that success is inevitable.
Detailed Presentation Delivery Guidelines
Formal Requirements: Presentations in formal settings often require speaking for longer durations. Presenters should request guidance on: - Desired length of the speech. - Specific content requirements. - Context of the material.
Audience Awareness during Delivery: - Focus on why listeners should be interested in the information. - Provide the most relevant data for that specific group.
Specificity and Organization: - Make clear, specific points rather than generalities. - Maintain a list of the most important points to ensure no critical information is omitted and to maintain correct order.
Preferred Content for Listeners: - Extensive facts. - Vivid and descriptive language. - Images and infographics. - Results that are "tried and tested." - Relevant background information.
Transitions: Use chronological or spatial relationships to help listeners follow the logic. - Orienting Words: "First," "second," "third," "next," "thus," "however," "then," "later." - Verbal Fillers: Avoid "interlopers" such as "erm," "ah," and "like."
Structure of a Presentation
The Three-Part Model: Every presentation must have a clear structure consisting of an opening, a body, and a closing.
Introductions: The presenter must introduce themselves. In small groups, the audience members should also introduce themselves.
The Opening: - Significance: You have only one chance for a first impression. People remember the opening second only to the close. - Functions: Grabs attention, establishes credibility, and sets the stage. - Techniques: Asking questions, making a factual statement, telling a relevant story, using a common memory, or sharing an entertaining quote.
The Body (The Core): - Objectives: Communication of message details, maintaining attention, and ensuring message acceptance. - Logic: Use a logical order to link similar aspects of the subject matter. - Visual Interest: Incorporate visual aids and demonstrations. - Objections: Anticipate and address possible audience objections.
The Closing: - Significance: Final words persist longest in memory; do not rush the finish. - Components: Summarize key points or deliver a specific "call to action." - Prohibition: Never introduce new ideas in the closing that cannot be supported.
Non-Verbal Techniques and Personal Conduct
Body Language: - Appearance: Professional dress increases confidence and credibility. - Eye Contact: Essential for establishing rapport. - Posture: Stand upright with shoulders straight (not hunched) and arms loosely at the sides. - Prohibitions: Do not lean on chairs or perch on furniture for support.
Voice and Audio: - Tone: Project the voice and use vocal exercises to strengthen it. - Volume: Use volume variations to grab and keep attention. - Sound Checks: Arrive early for a sound check if using a microphone and public-address (PA) system to account for background noise.
Time Management: Starting and ending exactly on time creates a strong impression of competence.
Presentation Dos and Don’ts
Interactivity Management: Interactivity is an advanced skill that complicates pacing. - Limit Questions: Group questions together or set limits (e.g., "Hold your questions until after this section"). - Direction: Keep questioners on track if they wander from the point. - Control: Do not allow audience members to debate each other or interrupt. Example of assertion: "Susan, I’d like to hear your question, then we’ll turn to the issue Brian is raising."
Presentation Style: - Prohibition: Do not read straight from a paper without looking up at the audience. - Visual Quality: Do not use visuals that are too small or have poor print quality.
Logistics: Arrive early to ensure the room is set up as desired.
Feedback: Talk to attendees after the session to ask for suggestions for future improvements.
Audio-Visual (AV) Aids and Retention Science
Category Definitions: - Audio Aids: Instructional devices heard but not seen (tape records, microphones, earphones, amplifiers). - Visual Aids: Instructional devices seen but not heard (slides, film, chalkboards, posters, exhibits). - Audio-Visual Aids: Combined devices that make learning more realistic and dynamic.
The Impact of Visuals: - Retention Statistics: A study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business found that verbal-only presentations result in approximately retention. Combining verbal and visual messages increases retention by nearly to . - Purpose: Visuals must clarify and illustrate the message, not just exist for decoration. - Common Tools: Slide/digital projectors (PowerPoint, Keynote) and video players.
Best Practices for Slides: - Organization: Slides cannot fix a disorganized presentation; they support points made by the speaker. - Minimalism: Cognitive science suggests audiences cannot absorb visual and verbal info simultaneously at high volumes. Keep text minimal. - Graphic Integrity: If a graphic cannot be understood immediately, simplify it or remove it. Detailed data is better suited for handouts. - Design Consistency: Limit to two font styles and two type sizes. Use consistent colors. Avoid decorative fonts. - Visibility: Show slides only when discussing them; do not leave idle slides up. - Backup Plan: Always have a copy of the presentation on a flash drive in case of hardware failure.
Statistical Tools in Business Communication
Utility: Statistics result from the analysis of raw quantitative data to provide meaning. They highlight ideas difficult to express in words.
Presentation Standards: Data must be in a context explaining its relevance and in a format visible to everyone.
Common Statistical Methods: - Tables: Series of columns and rows for numeric info. Requires a title and short headings for groupings. Keep rows and columns to a minimum as they require careful study by the reader. - Graphs (e.g., Line Graphs): Encode numbers into images; specifically used to show movement of one variable against changes in another. - Bar Charts: Displayed vertically or horizontally (single or multiple bars). Used for comparative values (e.g., comparing numbers of customers across different products). - Pie Charts: Show the relationship of parts to a whole. - Structure: Round pie with segments as slices. - Advice: Avoid using too many segments to maintain impact. - Emphasis: Use shading or separate a segment from the rest of the pie to focus attention. - Pictograms: Represent data using pictures.
Questions & Discussion
Question 1: What are the major advantages of using visual aids in your presentation? - Answer Detail: Key advantages include reinforcing points, capturing attention, and significantly increasing information retention (nearly to better than verbal-only methods according to common research).
Question 2: Provide four crucial elements you must consider in preparing for the presentation. - Answer Detail: The transcript identifies: 1. Purpose Identification; 2. Audience Analysis; 3. Topic Analysis; 4. Content Management (and Rehearsal).