Technical Communication: Oral Presentations Prof. Q

What we will look at today: Things to consider Audience and Purpose Types of presentations Key elements Structure Style Visuals

Things to Consider Who is the audience? How can you make your presentation interesting to a specific audience? What kind of research do you need? How deep should the research be? What is the primary purpose of the presentation? Is it informative, instructive, or persuasive? If it’s persuasive, what kind of claim are you making? (Action, Stance, Purchase) Is the purpose clear? Do you catch the audience’s attention? Are your transitions clear? Is the conclusion clear?

Audience and Purpose Who will be attending your presentation? What are their roles? What are their attitudes towards your topic? What information does your audience need? What information does your audience have? What is your purpose?

Types of Presentations

Informative When they work: Be impartial Conferences Product Update Meetings Briefings Class Lectures Be impartial Keep the title clear and factual Be clear about your sources

Training When it works: Use a title that includes training purposes On the job training How-to’s Use a title that includes training purposes Provide an overview of learning outcomes Create reference materials

Persuasive Where they work: Conferences Political events Policy planning Be clear and state that you are promoting a point of view Use research and visual data Consider and address counter arguments

Action Plan Where they work: Be clear about your purpose Rallies Corporate / staff meetings Be clear about your purpose Present research to back up your idea Show that you have considered other plans Conclude with a re-statement of the action plan

Sales Let the facts tell the story Use examples Know your product and the competition Display interest in needs of customers Provide plenty of time for questions

Developing Your Style: Key Elements Be impartial Keep the title clear and factual Be clear about your sources Use a title that includes training purposes Provide an overview of learning outcomes Create reference materials Be clear and state that you are promoting a point of view Use research and visual data Consider and address counter arguments Be clear about your purpose Present research to back up your idea Show that you have considered other plans Conclude with a re-statement of the action plan Let the facts tell the story Use examples Know your product and the competition Display interest in needs of customers Provide plenty of time for questions

Presentation Structure Introduction Capture the audience Establish credibility Preview your presentation Body Structure into small sections Use transitions Conclusion Remind audience of the big picture Re-state purpose

Delivery Styles

Using Visuals Power Point Apple Keynote Open Office Corel Office Prezi Google Docs

Template for Visuals Cover Page: Title and Presenter’s Name Overview Slides correspond to overview points Visuals are non-intrusive Graphs are clear Key points highlighted Information is sourced

Tips for Visuals Have a back up plan for cases when technology fails Find a balance between text and visuals Avoid too many slides Avoid too much flash Do more than read off the slides Have a conclusion or questions slide

Additional Reading Researching and Connecting to the Topic – P. 413 Creating an Outline – P. 414

Questions

In Class Team Application, P. 425 Create groups of 3 – 4 people Discuss a broad topic you would like to address and work on Discuss how, as a team, you would approach research, planning, and presentation Assign positions Present your corporation to the group