Business Communications
Oral Presentations
Please watch the Doub Jeffery video about presentation skills. Killer Presentation Skills.
J. Douglas Jeffery's "Killer Presentation Skills," YouTube Video, 7:18, posted by "Publicspeakingskills.com," Oct. 23, 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTwjG4ZIJg
As mentioned on the introductory video, public speaking is a fear for many. However, there are benefits to breaking through the fear and doing public speaking.
Many people have a phobia of public speaking. Jerry Seinfeld put it this way: "According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. "Even though public speaking can be scary, it is possible to succeed in spite of these fears--with preparation and practice.
Public speaking is quite the self-esteem booster. Overcoming the fears and insecurities that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore, connecting with audience scan be a great reminder that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world.
It can be very satisfying to share something that matters to you with people outside your usual social circle.
The process of writing a speech will exercise and strengthen your critical thinking skills, from the research to the actual speech-drafting.
Preparing a speech will force you to reevaluate the way you communicate and re-examine your speaking habits.
When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best organizational framework, persuasive, and language to communicate your message to the audience. This type of thinking can help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life.
Public speaking engagements are great places to meet other people who share your interests.
Success in public speaking indicates creativity, critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and professionalism--qualities which are very valuable for the job market.
Public speaking is a great way to bring your message to a wider audience.
Public speaking can bring like-minded professionals together to share ideas. These engagements are great networking opportunities!
If you establish a good reputation as a public speaker, your public persona will set you apart from the sea of faceless resumes and cover letters.
Public speaking has a long history as a catalyst for nonviolent activism and political change. It is a powerful way to unite people under a common cause and motivate them to take action.
Source: Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/introduction-to-public-speaking-1/what-you-can-accomplish-with-public-speaking-20/summary-of-the-benefits-of-public-speaking-90-10786/
Please complete the following activity.
Preparation is the key to giving an effective presentation and to controlling your nervousness. Know your topic well. You will be the expert on the topic in the classroom. Good preparation and the realization that you are the expert will boost your self-confidence. After your research, you will find that you know much more about your topic than you will have time to present. That is a good thing. It will allow you to compose a good introduction, to distill out the main, most important points that need to be made, and to finish with a strong conclusion.
Please complete the following activity.
The use of visual aids in a presentation are important, especially for those who learn best with visuals. Here are some Do's when using visual aids.
Presentation aids must be accessible for every audience member. If those in the back of the room cannot see, hear, or otherwise experience a presentation aid, then it is counterproductive to use it. Graphic elements in presentation aids must be large enough to read, and audio must be loud enough to hear.
You should be able to carry your presentation aids into the room by yourself. In addition, you should be skilled in using the presentation equipment. Your presentation aids should not distract you from the delivery of your speech.
The design of your presentation should not detract from the content of your speech. Keep your presentation simple so people can focus on the content rather than on the animation or colors. The decisions you make in designing your visuals should be dictated by the content of your speech. If you use color, use it for a clear reason. If you use a border, keep it simple. Whatever you do, make sure your presentation aids will be perceived as carefully planned and executed elements of your speech.
If your PowerPoint slides or handouts have to extraneous information, then the audience may not be able to understand the takeaway message of the presentation. A way to test if your visual aids are addressing the key point is to ask someone who is unfamiliar with your presentation if they can understand what the key point is. If they cannot determine the key point, it may be a good idea to revise your visual aids to include less non-essential information.
Visual aids are useful to help the audience better understand your topic if they are used as a supplement to, and not a replacement for, your presentation. For example, a visual aid that replaces a presentation could be a PowerPoint that includes big blocks of text that the presenter reads verbatim. While this will be an accurate presentation, it will likely bore the audience members who will not gain much from the presentation. However, if the visual aid acts as a supplement, it will enhance the audience member's understanding through diagrams, graphs, charts, and summaries.
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Source: Boundless. "The Do's of Using Visual Aids." Boundless Communications. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 08 Jun. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/preparing-and-using-visual-aids-16/presenting-with-sensory-enhancements-84/the-do-s-of-using-visual-aids-321-10676/
Please watch the following video Design Effective Video Aids for Presentations.
"Design Effective Visual Aids for Presentations" YouTube video: 8:26 posted by "WKU Department of Communication," November 7, 2012, http://youtu.be/GGjacTn_9ts
Please read the article, How Do Audio/Visual Aids Help in Business Communication?
McKay, Matt, "How Do Audio/Visual Aids Help in Business Communication?" Houston Chronicle, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/audio-visual-aids-business-communication-694.html
Please complete the following activity.
Handouts provide structure. They can provide supplemental material, references, a glossary of terms, and serve as a record of the presentation. The handout should be attractively laid out and inviting to read. Leave enough white space on the handout for the listener to take notes.
At minimum, a handout should be 1-2 pages long and consist of:
Please read the following article for tips on creating effective handouts. Tips for Using Effective Handouts in a Presentation.
Lombardo, Jennifer, "Tips for Using Effective Handouts in a Presentation." Study.com. http://study.com/academy/lesson/tips-for-using-effective-handouts-in-a-presentation.html
Please complete the following activity.
Practice giving your presentation to yourself. Speak out loud and time yourself. Practice using your visual aids. It is absolutely important that you adhere to your time limit. Your professor knows that you know more about your topic than you will have time to share. Your goal is to inform, not overwhelm. In this case, less can be more.
Please complete the following activity.
The delivery of your message may be just as important as the words you speak. There are a number of factors to consider when delivering your speech that can help or hinder your efforts to an effective overall presentation.
You may have heard the phrase, "Dress to impress." This couldn't be more true when getting up to deliver a speech. While some speech venue and settings might be more casual, chances are, you should be dressed in business attire. While fashion may change as quickly as the seasons, some basic tips regarding business professional or business formal attire hold true:
For men: A suit is a good staple for any business professional wardrobe. When in doubt as to just how formal or professional, stick with button-down shirts and add the tie (as cumbersome as it might be). If you can swing a blazer or suit coat, do it. If not, the tie is a good business formal backup. Hair should be neat and faces clean-shaven.
For women: What constitutes business casual versus business professional or formal is always changing, but a good rule of thumb is to keep your shoulders covered and skirts knee-length or longer. Dress and pant suits are usually acceptable as well as single-piece dresses. Avoid any plunging necklines. Keep the makeup to only what's necessary and hair should be neat. If you're comfortable in tall heels, go for it. Otherwise, choose a pair of shoes in which you are confident you can be sturdy when entering and exiting the stage as well as standing for the duration of your speech.
The actual words that you say certainly influence your presentation. Make sure that you rehearse often so that the words feel comfortable in your mouth as you speak them aloud. Be on the lookout for phrases that might trip you up or leave you tongue-tied. Practice your speech in front of another person or small group of people: ask them if what you're saying--from the ideas to which you're trying to get across to your phrasing, tone and style--make sense to them.
Your non-verbal communication is equally as important as the words you have to say. Your body stance and posture and your eye contact (or lack thereof) can be crucial in making yourself relatable to your audience. You'll want to keep an assertive body posture: stand up straight and maintain eye contact when you can (if you're not reading from prepared remarks). Be mindful of gesture: don't overdo it, but don't stand there rigidly, either. Gesture and movement build visual interest for your audience. If you're able to get out from behind a podium or lectern, do so.
Source: Boundless. "Feedback: Visual and Verbal Cues." Boundless Communications. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 08 Jun. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/introduction-to-public-speaking-1/elements-of-speech-communication-21/feedback-visual-and-verbal-cues-100-10670/
To deliver your presentation you will have to overcome your nervousness and deal with room conditions. Good preparation should allay most of your nervousness; realizing that everyone feels nervous before a presentation should also help. Your presentation will never go exactly as you think it will fortunately, they usually go better than you expect. However, if you are using any kind of technology (overhead projector or PowerPoint) be prepared for something to go wrong and have a backup plan.
Here is an example of a great speech/presentation delivery from the late great Martin Luther King I Have a Dream.
"Martin Luther King - I have a Dream Speech," YouTube video, 16:43, posted by "Martin Junior" on January 11, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRIF4_WzU1w
Please complete the following activity.
Presentations involve both a speaker and the audience. People in the audience play a role in how well a presentation goes. People in the audience have an obligation to:
Verbal and visual clues refer to those sounds and reactions you may hear and see made by your audience. If you tell a joke or a funny anecdote, you expect laughter as your feedback. One good way to tell if your joke bombed--no laughter. And, as awkward as it can be in the moment, you get that instant feedback on how you may need to correct course and potentially deviate from your scripted approach in order to make that connection with your audience.
Visual cues can also include making eye contact. As you scan the room, are people returning your gaze? If so, you have an engaged audience, attentively listening to your speech. If you see half-closed or closed eyes, try adjusting your tone and volume: you just might need to wake your audience up a little bit.
And of course, depending on your speech topic, the lack of a smile or a chuckle doesn't mean your audience is connecting to your words. Tears can indicate that your words have an incredibly powerful effect on your audience if you're talking about a particularly moving or emotional subject.
The key takeaway is to remember that this feedback loop of immediate audience reaction plays out in real time as you speak, so it's up to you to be observant and think two to three steps ahead if you need to correct course based on your audience's feedback.
Source: Boundless. "Feedback: Visual and Verbal Cues." Boundless Communications. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 08 Jun. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/introduction-to-public-speaking-1/elements-of-speech-communication-21/feedback-visual-and-verbal-cues-100-10670/
Please complete the following activity.
Write a short speech (4-5 paragraphs) on a business topic of your choice.
In this module, we discussed the benefits of presentation and helpful tips on preparation, visual aids, practice, delivery and the role of the audience.
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