Making Presentations Jennifer Powers IST 499w

10 Steps for Powerful Presentations Know your listeners Identify your purpose Organize your presentation Speak clearly Control nervousness From: Powerful Presentation Skills, Becker and Becker, 1994 Highly recommend this book For this class and for other situations Even though it is recommended for this class, you should get it and refer to it Bring it to class next week

10 Steps for Powerful Presentations Choose language Control nonverbal behavior Use visuals Handle questions The final touch

1. Know your listeners Why? Streamline presentation Simplify preparation Customize materials Feel more comfortable Reduce anxiety Don’t want to waste their time or your time The more prepared you are, the better

1. Know your listeners How? Listeners checklist (pp. 2–4) Why am I speaking? Why are they listening? What are their attitudes/behaviors likely to be? What relationship do we have? What relationship do they have with each other? Book as detailed answers for each questions These will help you focus your presentation Let’s answer these for our class…

Know your listeners Why, continued What do they know about this topic? What would they like to know? How will they use this information? What are they doing before and after I speak? What are the logistics of the speaking situation?

2. Identify your purpose Five purposes Persuading Informing Motivating Entertaining Inspiring Business presentations usually involve only the first three This class will really focus only on the first two Entertaining/inspiring = giving toast or eulogy--the the kind of thing we do everyday

2. Identify your purpose Supporting techniques Persuading through ethos (reputation/credibility) Persuading through pathos (emotions) Persuading through logos (logic) Must decide which is best technique according to the situation. If you use the wrong technique, your message will be lost or confused. Ethos--if someone introduces you, will give your credentials Even if someone else does not give your credentials, you can give them yourself Be brief Be direct Chose examples most related to your topic Pathos--appeal to the listeners’ emotions Choosing right words, wearing right colors, displaying emotions, changing sound of voice Pathos-building factors: 1. Smiling 2. Humor 3. Religion 4. Reward 5. Fear of needless expense 6. Loud voice and broad gestures 7. References to emotional incidents 8. Visuals with appealing graphics 9. Colorful language 10. Fear of job loss 11. Joy of accomplishment 12. Charged symbols, ie. Flags 13. Emotional music Logos--research data, statistics, numbers Can be expressed with numbers, facts and through speaker’s appearance and communication style

2. Identify your purpose Supporting techniques, continued Informing through telling Informing through teaching Informing through training Telling--emphasis on accuracy Not trying to persuade, influence, change or interpret Telling = reporting Teaching = teaching without persuading OR test listener’s comprehension Use demonstration, role playing, interactive techniques Training = combines telling, teaching and demonstration Be clear--be aware of exactly what you want listeners to know Be concise--use only as many examples as necessary to make your point Be consistent--language and vocabulary

2. Identify your purpose Supporting techniques, continued The motivation matrix Motivated by Ethos Pathos Logos Motivated for Accomplishment Recognition Power Accomplishment--some listeners want successful completion of task Recognition--some listeners want to know that someone recognizes/appreciates their work Power--potential power gained through completing a task

2. Identify your purpose Accomplishment Recognition Power Ethos (credibility) Pathos (emotion) Logos (logic) motivation matrix

3. Organize your presentation Inductive organization Deductive organization The four-step outline Numerical transition Inductive Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Conclusion Deductive General conclusion Four-step outline Tell listeners what you’re going to tell them Tell why they should listen Tell your message Tell them what you told them Numerical transition Number the topics in your presentation Can be used with other topics

4. Speak clearly Assimilation Plosive sounds Rate of speed Pace Articulation Inflection Assimilation Want to vs. wanna For instance vs. frinstance Give me vs. gimme This smile vs. this mile This weather vs. this sweater A weak cough vs. a week off Plosive sounds--build up air pressure in the mouth and then explode the sound B as in boy D as in dog G as in girl J as in jump P as in put T as in toy K as in kite Ch as in child Are usually imploded instead Rate of speed--number of words per minute 175-190 words per minute Pace--speed at which topics are presented Very familiar topics = 1 second Familiar topics = 2 seconds New topics = 3 seconds Very new topics = 4 seconds Articulation--production of individual sounds (not pronunciation) Exercises Open mouth wide and close it (5 times) Round your lips and protrude them as far as you can, say “oo” (5 times) Spread your lips back in a big smile, say “e” (5 times) and “e-o” (10 times) Trust your upper lip forward. Thrust your lower lip forward (5 times) Stretch your upper lip down. Stretch your bottom lip up (5 times) Raise the right side of your mouth. Repeat with left side. Use all the muscles in your face (5 times) Protrude your tongue without touching lips. Will help with “th” (10 times) Point tip of tongue up and touch top lip, then right corner, then left, then down towards chin (10 times) Rotate your tongue around inside your mouth, over your teeth (10 times) Raise tip of tongue and touch gumline behind front teeth then slowly back to soft palate (10 times) Let tip of tongue touch roof of mouth and flap it “la la la, fa fa fa” (10 times) Practive A-E-I-O-U, opening mouth as wide as you can (10 times) Inflection--placed on words to create meaning Straight = factual Up = question Down = emphatic

5. Control nervousness ABCs of fear Diaphragmatic breathing 10-second relaxer A = activates fear B = belief of what will happen because of A C = consequence of fear Identify your As Debate your Bs Develop speaking techniques to control each A Practice each technique Diaphragmatic breathing--3 levels of breath Clavicular = heavy panting Diaphragmatic = natural method of body at ease, will calm your body Upper thoracic = shallow 10-second relaxer Point chin toward chest, watch midsection move in and out Tightly squeeze thumb and index finger on each hand On inhale, say “I am in control” On slow exhale, say “and I am relaxed and ready” Repeat 3 times as you visualize yourself successfully completing your presentation

6. Choose language Be clear Be colorful Be concrete Be concise Be consistent Be correct Clear = Keep language simple Colorful = keep it interesting Concrete = specific language, express your ideas directly Concise = speaking vs reading is very different--don’t be wordy Consistent = use same language throughout Correct = no slang or profanity, agreement in number, use of “like”, mispronunciation

7. Control nonverbal behavior 2 golden rules Be yourself Don’t do anything that draws attention to itself Be natural Don’t draw attention to your nervous habits

7. Control nonverbal behavior Supporting techniques Dress Facial expression Eye contact Body movement Hand and arm gestures Conditions affecting behavior Dress--be comfortable --be respectful --be careful, simpler is safer Facial expression--smile Eye contact--hold eye contact for no more than 4-5 seconds and move to next person Body movement--stand or sit erect, not slouching --move slowly --control nervous behavior Hand and arm gestures--gesture at or above waist --keep fingers straight and pointed upwar --gesture to emphasize your point Conditions affecting behavior--size of room, temperature, seating arrangements, type of furniture, etc

8. Use visuals Synchronization Introduction Set-up Talk and do You are not a human aid. The aid is there to aid you, not the other way around Synchronization One point per visual Introduction Prepare listeners for what they are about to see Set-up Point them in the right direction of the visual that you are using to make your point Talk and do Make sure you are comfortable with the visual

9. Handle questions When you don’t want questions… Submitted in writing Answered privately Asked later

9. Handle questions When you do want questions… Encouraging questions Listening to questions Responding to questions How to say “I don’t know” Don’t say “please interrupt me when you have a question”--interrupting is rude Get ready to listen, pay attention, control biases, separate fact from feeling, don’t interrupt the questioner Don’t be defensive Tell the truth

10. The final touch Clothing Diet and fitness Using notes Openings Practicing Appearance should represent tone of your presentation What you do during day can make you more comfortable during presentation What you eat can affect your presentation Notes should be short and simple, easy to see Each notation should prompt at least 30 seconds of speaking time Appropriateness is the key to effectiveness for opening Practice out loud, to tape recorder/video camera, practice with a friend, practice questions

Making presentations Be prepared Practice Relax c

Questions? Refer to Powerful Presentation Skills for more on all of these topics