Business Communication Lecturer: Gareth Jones Class 9: Presentations 3

Today’s Class How to be a better presenter Body language Stances Speech Practising the presentation Conquering Nerves Presentations summary Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Be Animated! Feet close together and your weight evenly distributed between them Do not grow roots - don't stand in one position! Inject movement as you speak Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

…but not too animated Don’t walk around too much or the audience will find it distracting and annoying Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Be Aware of the Image You Portray How do you look to your audience? How do you come across to your audience? Why is this important? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Arms Usually you don’t notice what you do with your arms… BUT in a formal presentation you are constantly aware of them. The key point about arms is to ignore them. Moving your arms away from your body and showing open palms to your audience can also be a good tactic.. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Bad Stances Negative passive stance Negative aggressive stance Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Negative Passive Stance This stance involves an unbalanced position Leaning on one leg Arms may be crossed low in front of the body in a protective way. Often be accompanied by inappropriate eye contact and a nervous vocal style. Portrays a lack of confidence Audience may see this as a sign that you don’t believe in your words. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Negative Aggressive Stance Standing with hands on hips Constantly intruding into the public zone Fixing on one or two members of the audience: Dominant gaze Unsmiling face. Arrogant, closed-minded and domineering attitude. May be used by someone in authority in order to intimidate their audience. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Ideal Presentation Stance There are further aspects of posture that you should be aware of - as they can easily communicate subconscious messages; some of which you will want to avoid: Forward sloping Backward sloping Bent stance Upright stance Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Forward Sloping Stance Indicates a wish to dominate others, often it is accompanied by an over-stressed point. Impose a concept or point of view on their audience. Made worse by aggressive or intrusive behaviour – Entering the public zone or the use of hostile gestures. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Backward Sloping Stance A Indicates a presenter who is not happy with their situation. This defensive or submissive stance tends to indicate that they: Lack confidence in what they are saying Would rather not be there. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Bent Stance Indicative of a person who is saying something without conviction. Saying one thing whilst meaning another: salesperson giving an exaggerated sales pitch customer who wants to say no but has been placed in an awkward position. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

The Upright Stance Demonstrates adult, assertive behaviour with no hidden meaning or manipulations in the communication. Indicates that the person has conviction and confidence in what they are saying. This is the posture you should practice and use when presenting. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Think About Your Hand Gestures One of the most obvious forms of conscious body language communication is the hand gesture. Be careful with your hand gestures Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Think About Your Hand Gestures Be aware of the standard interpretations associated with them Avoid any with a strong negative meaning - such as a threatening gesture. When you rehearse you may want to: Include some pre-planned hand movements but let others occur in a natural and spontaneous way. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Eye Contact Where should your eyes by looking? Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Eye contact Try to address the whole audience throughout the presentation Avoid looking at the floor Avoid looking to the back Avoid looking at one person Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Vocal Quality What do we mean by vocal quality? Vocal variety Rate Articulation Volume. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Pauses Effectively uses pauses throughout the speech to signal that a new point is about to be made. Pauses can also be used to create tension, or Emphasise key points Create emotion Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Method of Delivery Don’t read from a script. Don’t recite the whole presentation Use a few note cards if you need to but using the visual cues from your PPT’s is better. Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Practising your presentation You need to ask your self some questions… Such as? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Practising your presentation Can I present my material naturally? Your audience wants you to talk not read to them! Is the equipment working and can I work it? Do you know how to set everything up? Is my timing good? Practise your entire presentation in front of your friends. Can I pronounce all the words I intend to use? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Practising your presentation Can you effectively introduce slides? Can you introduce the slide before you show it? Do you know what questions the audience might have? Put yourself in the audiences shoes Cultural adaptations Appearance, mannerisms and language Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Prepare more material than you need Practise Combined with a genuine interest in your topic Practise The more familiar you are with your material, the better Visualise your success Imagine yourself in front of your audience before you start feeling confident and prepared Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Take a few deep breaths Be ready The audience want you to succeed too! Be ready You don’t need to and shouldn’t memorise the presentation BUT Have the first sentence ready! Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Think positively Be comfortable If you think you are professional, the audience will too Be comfortable Dress appropriately Drink water before hand Bring some water with you if necessary Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Don’t PANIC!!! If you feel you are losing your audience pull them back by involving them with some questions Ask for their opinions Take some deep breaths Concentrate on your message and your audience, not on yourself You forget your fears when thinking about the audience and your topic Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Maintain eye contact Be careful to ensure you maintain eye contact with the audience Shift your gaze periodically around the room Looking at your listeners will make you appear sincere and trustworthy Also provides a great non-verbal cue Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Overcoming nerves Second language problems Keep going! If English isn’t your first language don’t worry about small mistakes you make Brush any mistakes aside and move on Let your confidence carry you Keep going! Things get better as you move along, each successful minute giving you more confidence Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Structure Summary Communication Strategies What type of presentation am I giving? Who are my audience? What is my message? What communication channel choices do I have? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Structure Summary Research Do I know my topic? If no, what more do I need to know? How do I interpret responses? Why are responses important? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Structure Summary Organisation Introduction Body Conclusion Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Introduction Attention/opener Preview Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Attention Start by getting the audiences attention Choose the best method by analysing your audience before hand Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Attention Get them interested Tell a story – “四川 earthquake, how people were rescued…” Show a picture Show an impressive statistic- “7.9 on the Richter scale” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Attention Benefits Open by telling your audience how you and your presentation can help them Benefits to both the heart and the mind Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Attention Credibility Make your audiences interested by making your audience trust you Are you going to cheat them? Will you deliver your promises? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Attention Humour (be careful) Some presentations work by opening with a joke Be careful as some topics or audiences will be angry at the use of humour! Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Preview Before discussing your main points, give a preview of your presentation Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Preview Types: Outline Agenda List of main points Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure “In the next 5 minutes, I will discuss construction projects in three cities: Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen.” “In the course of this presentation I will discuss the importance of idols in today’s society.” “During this press conference I will appeal to the audience to help the people of SiChuan” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body State Main points clearly Should be organised and easy to follow Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body Limit your main points Don’t try to say too much. Better to talk for longer on just a few key points Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body Use explicit and long transitions “Let’s move on to the next region” “The second thing I’m going to discuss is..” Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body Use internal summaries at the end of each section “Now that we have looked at the parts of the introduction: attention/opener and preview, let’s discuss the body.” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body Keep audience interest high Use stories and situations your audience can relate to Why does this work? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Body (summary) State main points clearly Limit main points Use long transitions Use internal summaries Keep audience interest high Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Conclusion Make sure to have a strong conclusion as your audience will remember the last things you say Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Conclusion Begin with a strong transition such as “in conclusion” or “to summarise” The use one or more of the following techniques… Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Conclusion Give a summary Good for explaining or instructing Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Conclusion Refer to your opening If you began with a story, go back to the story you used in the introduction Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Planning and Structure Conclusion End with action steps For a persuasive report, make sure to tell your audience what to do at the end Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids and Questions Summary Final aspect of the presentation Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Agenda Slide: Begin your presentation with a list of your main points All other slides should relate to one of these main points Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Titles: Use effective and large titles so that the audience knows what you are talking about Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Transitions Have effective transitions between sections in your presentation. Example: return to agenda slide Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Number of slides In general, one slide should be at least one minute of talking. There may be exceptions to this rule (short presentations and lectures) Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Graphics are used to: Wake the audience Emphasise a point Show impressive data Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids They should not be used too often. They must also: Be large Be clear Contain only relevant information Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Rule of 6 Try not to put more than 6 words on 6 lines on each slide Not always possible Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Visual Aids Avoid centering text Remember indentation! Check for errors Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions When to take questions How to take questions What to say if you don`t know the answer How to answer difficult questions Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Inform your audience at the beginning of the presentation, when you will take questions: “Please hold your questions until the end” “Please ask questions as they come up” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions At the end Good because you: Control the schedule Maintain flow in your presentation Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions At the end Bad because: You may lose audience attention and comprehension if they can’t ask questions It may be uncomfortable if important audience members ask questions after you told them not to Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions If you do questions at the end, finalise the presentation with a very brief summary after questions have been answered Why? Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions During the presentation Good because: Provides quick feedback Encourages active listening Questions will be more meaningful Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions During the presentation Bad because: Change your schedule/agenda Waste your time Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions If you do questions during the presentation: Allow enough time Don’t get off topic (don’t digress) Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Prepare in advance Show your understanding Stick to your objective Keep everyone involved Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Prepare Guess what questions may be asked Bring extra information Get a friend to ask possible questions while practicing Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Show understanding Ask audience to repeat questions Repeat or paraphrase questions if you are dealing with large audiences Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions “Someone just asked how much this plan will cost, so I will now tell you.” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Stick to your objective When answering the question, stick to main ideas If they ask a question you plan on discussing later, tell them you will discuss it later Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Keep everyone involved When answering one person’s question, keep eye contact with entire audience Don’t turn the presentation into a conversation Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions If you don’t know the answer... Say “I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question” Even better, say “I can look it up and let you know after the presentation” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Only guess if you make it clear its a guess. “I believe the company started in 1983, but I might be wrong.” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions If you need time to think... Do something to buy yourself some time. Such as… Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Repeat Turn it around Ask the audience Reflect “You’re wondering how to fix that?” Turn it around “How would you fix that?” Ask the audience “How would the rest of you fix that?” Reflect “Good question. Let’s think for a second” Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Confusing questions Ask the person to repeat or rephrase their question Paraphrase the question to make it more relevant Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Controlling Questions Do not feel like you have to answer Thank them and continue with the presentation Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Answering Questions Angry Questions Look for common ground Identify their anger and answer in a non-personal way Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Summary Get your structure right Know your topic Use effective visuals and text Use good body language Speak with confidence Conquer your nerves! Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018

Next Week We will be covering referencing, report writing and business messages Have a good weekend! Business Communication (BUS-101) 22/11/2018