Soft Skills for a Digital Workplace: Verbal Communication Unit E: Making Formal Presentations

Objectives Plan effective presentations Develop presentation content Rehearse a presentation Deliver a presentation

Objectives Build rapport Manage anxiety Use appropriate visuals Manage questions and answers

Planning Effective Presentations It’s important to carefully plan and prepare for an oral presentation. Guidelines for public speaking:   Refine your message   Anticipate your audience   Ask what your manager wants   Budget enough planning time   Anticipate the extras

Improving Informal Communication Use informal communication opportunities to:   Develop and strengthen personal relationships   Promote yourself   Further your ideas and goals When communicating informally:   Be professional   Emphasize the positive   Overcome obstacles

Developing Presentation Content The three parts of a presentation are:   Introduction   Body   Conclusion

Developing Presentation Content Guidelines for developing presentation content:   Include the three major parts of a speech   Show your organization to the audience   Create a storyboard of your presentation   Write for the ear   Include attention-getters

Developing Presentation Content Attention-getting devices   Show pictures or photos   Play a video or video clip   Tell a story   Lead an activity

Rehearsing a Presentation Remember that it takes a lot of preparation to sound spontaneous. Effective speakers know that the more they practice a speech, the more naturally they will deliver it. When you master the content of the speech, you will feel more comfortable adjusting your rate of speech, adding pauses, and including suitable gestures and movements.

Rehearsing a Presentation Do’s and Don’ts for rehearsing a presentation:   Practice as though you are delivering your speech   Record yourself (audio)   Record yourself (video)   Ask someone to critique you   Use visualization   Rehearse a dry run

Rehearsing a Presentation Steps in a successful rehearsal

Delivering a Presentation Remember that a speech is partly a performance. The way you speak, move, and interact with the audience influences how people react to what you say.

Delivering a Presentation Do’s and Don’ts for delivering a presentation:   Gesture appropriately   Use the power of pauses   Speak naturally – don’t read your speech   Use a sound system or public address system   Walk as you talk   Have a backup plan

Delivering a Presentation Using pauses effectively

Building Rapport Rapport is mutual trust, emotional similarity, and natural personal attraction. When you establish rapport with the audience, they become your allies, are more cooperative, and will be interested in what you have to say.

Building Rapport Guidelines for building rapport:   Interact before the meeting starts   Follow the three-second rule   Minimize the distance   Illuminate your face   Make your examples personal

Building Rapport

Managing Anxiety Performance anxiety, or stage fright, is a psychological reaction to a person’s fear of public embarrassment. Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and is the most common of all human phobias. Most stage fright arises while you are anticipating the performance. Once you start to speak, much of the fear quickly goes away.

Managing Anxiety Strategies for managing anxiety:   Be well prepared   Loosen up before you speak   Remember to breathe   Keep some water handy   Don’t apologize   Remember the audience wants you to succeed

Using Appropriate Visuals Prepare visual aids that reinforce your major ideas, stimulate the audience, and work well in the physical setting of your presentation. People learn more readily and retain more information when learning is reinforced by visualization. Popular visual aids include:   Flip charts   Overhead transparencies   Slides   Video clips

Using Appropriate Visuals Visual aids that are poorly done distract from a presentation. Well-designed visuals can significantly enhance your presentation.

Using Appropriate Visuals Do’s and Don’ts for using visuals:   Include one message per visual   Let your audience read or listen (not both)   Keep the effects simple   Manage your colors   Use minimalist backgrounds   Proofread carefully

Using Appropriate Visuals Examples of effective visuals:

Managing Questions and Answers After the presentation, you are expected to respond to audience questions. You can request questions during the presentation or in a period at the end of the presentation. Handling questions with authority is part of making a successful presentation and one you should prepare for and rehearse.

Managing Questions and Answers Guidelines for managing questions and answers:   Establish the ground rules   Kick start the questions   Listen to the entire questions   Repeat each question   Answer to the entire audience   Don’t answer if you don’t know

Presentation Software You use presentation software to create and deliver electronic slide shows. Presentation software has become the standard way to make and give business presentations. Although Microsoft PowerPoint is the most well-established presentation software, there are others available.

Presentation Software The top five programs designed for business presentations:   Microsoft Office PowerPoint   Adobe Flash   Google Docs   Apple Keynote   OpenOffice Impress

Presentation Software Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

Summary Time spent preparing and planning a presentation is critical to its success. Speeches include three major parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Remember to rehearse the presentation. Follow the guidelines for delivering a presentation.

Summary Build rapport with the audience. Use strategies for managing anxiety before a presentation. Use appropriate visuals. Confidently managing questions and answers is key to a successful presentation.