1. COMM 4170-01: Applied Organizational Communication Instructor: Dan Lair Day Twenty Three: Reports and Presentations November 15, 2005

2. Today’s Agenda Quiz Discussion of General Business Communication Principles Writing Reports Doing Presentations Discussion of Providing Feedback

3. Communicating with Business Audiences: General Considerations Get to the point Keep it simple Talk to the appropriate level Show, don’t tell Know when to use active/passive voice Use non-discriminatory language

4. Communicating with Business Audiences: Developing a Professional Ethos To trust you, your readers must believe you are a competent person, a professional Make sure you get the information down correctly – The data – The names – The spelling – The grammar

5. Writing the Report: General Considerations Use Headings and Subheadings Avoid Overload: – Short paragraphs (7 lines) – Bulleted and numbered lists Use a Consistent Style Add Visual Appeal Don’t Overdo It

6. Writing the Report: Structure/Template Front matter: – Cover memo – Title Page – Table of Contents Main Report: – Executive Summary – Body: Introduction Methodology Findings Recommendations Back Matter: – Works Cited – Any relevant appendices

7. Keys to Successful Business Presentations (adapted from Fast Company, Feb/Mar 1997) Keep a persuasive element Know your audience First and last impressions count Keep it simple Make it a performance Have a backup plan Be prepared for conflict PRACTICE!

8. Highlighting DeWine’s Recommendations: Negative feedback is understood less Positive feedback needs to be specific Feedback should be impersonal Tailor feedback to the person Use humor, if appropriate Subtlety is often the best policy

9. Discussion: Anticipating Difficult Feedback Issues in Group Projects.