Business presentation skills

© 2009 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 1

Designing and Delivering Business Presentations


Planning

Plan a business presentation that accomplishes the speaker’s goals and meets the audience’s needs.

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Preparing an Effective Presentation

• Select a topic of interest to you and your audience.

• Determine the purpose of your message (what you want audience to gain).

• Identify major points and locate supporting information.

• Develop a strong opening and closing.

• Arrange for a proper introduction.

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© 2009 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.4

Identifying Your Purpose

• Say to yourself, “At the ____ of my presentation, the audience will . . .”

• Think about how you want the ________ to summarize your presentation to a __________

• Tell them why they should ____ about the topic

end

audiencecolleague

care

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Knowing Your Audience

Who is the audience and who requested presentation?

Why is topic important to audience? How will the environment affect

presentation?– How many audience members?– Where do I fit into program?– How long is time slot?– What is the room arrangement?

Ask yourself these questions . . .

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Presentation

Organize and develop the three parts of an effective presentation.

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Organizing Your Presentation

IntroductionIntroduction“Tell the audience what you are going to tell them . . .”

“ . . . then tell them . . .”

“ . . . and then tell them what you have told them.”

BodyBody

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion

Source: Dale Carnegie, 1888-19552

© 2009 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved 8

Organizing the Presentation Body

Problem-cause-solution

Inductive reasoning

Contrast & compare3-point

technique

Alphabetical

Chronological

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Writing the Introduction

• Captures audience’s attention

• Establishes rapport with audience

• Presents the purpose and previews major points

An effective introduction . . .

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Crafting an Effective Body• Provide ________ in an easy-to-

understand form

• Provide relevant _________

• Use _______ from prominent people

• Use ______ and _______ appropriately and CAREFULLY

• Use interesting ___________

• Use presentation ________

support

statistics

quotes

jokes humor

anecdotes

visuals

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Attention-Getting Techniques for The Introduction

• A shocking statement or startling statistic

• A quotation by an expert or well-known person

• A rhetorical or open-ended question that generates discussion from the audience

• An appropriate joke or humor

• A demonstration or dramatic presentation aid

• A related story or anecdote

• A personal reference, compliment to the audience, or a reference to the occasion of the presentation

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Crafting an Effective Closing

• Make conclusion creative and memorable

• Tie closing to introduction for unity

• Use transition words to clearly show movement to closing

• Practice close to deliver smoothly

• Smile and accept audience’s applause

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Which of the following is the most effective closing for a presentation?

1. Hire Peterson & Melton Architects to design and oversee your jail because you need our experience.

2. Hire Peterson & Melton to design and oversee construction for the Nixon County jail because we have designed 20 others jails in the rural South with similar design issues. Our experience can work for you.

3. Let Peterson & Melton design your jail and we will do the best job we can.

4. Thank you for your time.

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closing


Presentation visuals

Select, design, and use presentation visuals effectively.

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The Advantages of Presentation Visuals

• Clarifies and emphasizes important points• Increases retention from 14 to 38 percent• Reduces time required to present concepts• Results in a speaker’s achieving goals 34

percent more often than without visuals• Increases group consensus by

21 percent when presentation visuals are used in a meeting

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Types of Presentation VisualsMultimediaUses high-tech equipment to project images and sound from a computer, the Internet, or sound systems

Still projection optionsProjects still (unanimated) image

Board and flipchartEnhances group discussion and helps create an informal environment

Hard copyProvides detailed information to augment visual aids in a specific section of the presentation

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17© 2009 Cengage Learning.

All rights reserved.

Ineffective Slide Content: What Does Not Work

AnalysisAnalysis

Title is not descriptive

Too many points on single slide:

(1) First item is verbal transition, not related to key idea and (2) final bullet belongs on new

slide with tips for using humor

Lack of parallel structure and spelling

error detract from credibility.

Activity 2

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Effective Slide Content: Why It Works

Activity 3

AnalysisAnalysisUses descriptive title to capture

major idea of slide

Omits items unrelated to major idea—value

of humor.

Includes few memorable points

in parallel form

Corrects spelling error to maintain

credibility

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Analysis

Including source note in text detracts from

main idea

Too much “dead” space below bullet; must include more than

one item in a list.

Title is not descriptive

Engaging Conceptual Slide Design: What Does Not Work

Content does not emphasize central

idea

Activity 4

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Moves source note to less prominent position

that adds credibility while keeping focus on

major idea

Selects images that imply central message;

enlarges images for visual appeal and

balance

Analysis

Engaging Conceptual Slide Design: Why It Works

Capture central ideaIn descriptive title

Activity 5

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Copyright Compliance

• Commit to learning copyright law and staying aware of changes

• Assume any pre-existing work is copyrighted and requires permission from owner to use or copy

• Note precautions related to fair use

• Acquire library of multimedia content by purchasing royalty-free multimedia content from reputable companies

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Using Effective Space Design and Typography

• Limit amount of text on slide

• Use graphic devices to direct attention and separate items

• Use appropriate page orientation

• Use left alignment of text

• Capitalize first letter of bullets, eliminate periods, avoid abbreviations

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Presentation skills

Deliver speeches with increasing confidence.

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Achieving Good Vocal Quality

• Breathe properly and relax

• Listen to yourself

• Develop flexibility

• Pay attention to articulation

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Types of Delivery Methods

• Memorized—written first and delivered verbatim

• Manuscript or scripted—written and read to the audience

• Impromptu—not written at all because speaker does not have prior notice

• Extemporaneous—planned, prepared, rehearsed but not written in detail

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Cross cultural business presentations

Discuss strategies for presenting in alternate delivery situations such as culturally diverse audiences, team, and distance presentations.

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Speaking to Culturally Diverse Audiences

• Use simple English and short sentences

• Avoid words that trigger emotion

• Enunciate carefully and speak more slowly

• Use humor and jokes cautiously

• Seek feedback to ensure understanding

• Consider the culture’s preferences for: ─Direct or indirect presentation style─Nonverbal communication, greetings,

farewells─Desired degree of formality and gift giving

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Delivering as a Team

• Select a winning team

• Agree on purpose and schedule

• Plan seamless transitions and build natural bridge between sections

• Deliver and field questions as a team

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Adapting a Presentation for Distance Delivery

• Be certain presentation is appropriate for distance delivery

• Establish rapport with participants prior to presentation

• Gain proficiency in delivering through distance technology

• Develop appropriate high-quality graphics

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• Plan attire carefully, avoiding patterns and bright colors

• Speak in crisp tone, conversational tone

• Pay close attention to body language

• Avoid culturally insensitive gestures

• Practice with a colleague sharpen delivery

Using Videoconferencing Appropriately

Activity 4a, Slide 2

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