Business Communication: Successful Oral Presentations

Business Communication: Successful Oral Presentations

Susan H. IronsBusiness Communication

Kenan-Flagler Business School

Susan H. Irons Successful Oral Presentations

Your Goal

To develop strategies and skills for delivering effective and professional business presentations


For a successful presentation: Analyze the situation Organize your ideas Develop effective delivery

techniques


Analyze the Situation

Speaker: What is your relationship to your audience?

Purpose: What is your goal? (To inform? To persuade? To entertain?)

Audience: Who are they? What do they know? How will they react?


For a successful presentation: Analyze the situation Organize your ideas Develop effective delivery Develop effective delivery

techniquestechniques


Organize Your Ideas

Opening Purpose Preview of main ideas Development of main points Review/summary Closing


Organize Your Ideas: Opening Gain attention (unusual fact) Give bottom line Show benefit(s) to listeners Introduce yourself Show your qualifications Clarify topic


Organize Your Ideas: Purpose Develop a purpose slide

Explain your purpose orally


Organize Your Ideas: Preview Offer a table of contents, an

agenda, an outline

Make this preview slide your “moving blueprint” for the presentation


Organize Your Ideas: Main PointsEach point needs an oral signpost

Now that I’ve discussed the salary increase, I want to move on to health care options.

The last point I want to make involves implementing the flex-time policy.


Organize Your Ideas: Main PointsEach point needs development Support your generalizations with

specific information

Use logically persuasive tools to shape opinions (such as facts, history, analogy, appeals to needs and values)


Organize Your Ideas: ConclusionProvide an oral signpost

“In conclusion . . .”

“To summarize . . .”


Organize Your Ideas: ConclusionReview/summarize your main points

Then-- Refer to opening

or End with actions steps

or Refer to audience benefits


Organize Your Ideas

Why so much repetition?


Organize Your Ideas

PowerPoint Presentations Font Design: 6X6 rule Visuals

Handouts

Remember: YOU are the presentation!


Organize Your Ideas

Use visuals that enhance your message

Visuals should relate to your message help make your point be consistent


Organize Your Ideas

Effective PowerPoint slides are simple uncluttered consistent


Organize Your Ideas

Audiences understand your point an average of 25% faster when communicated via a graphic representation than a text version.


For a successful presentation: Analyze the situationAnalyze the situation Organize your ideasOrganize your ideas Develop effective delivery

techniques


Develop Effective Delivery Techniques Eye Contact Non-verbal communication Speaking voice Notes Handling questions Team Presentations


Eye Contact

Effective eye communication 5 seconds x and z patterns

Avoid:Eye dart Gazing out the

windowSlow blink Lighthouse scan


Non-verbal Communication: Posture

Upper body posture

Lower body posture


Non-verbal Communication: Movement

Eliminate barriers

Do the 2-step


Non-verbal Communication: Gestures Use appropriate hand and arm

gestures

Be natural and open

Avoid these pitfalls:Figleaf Sisters of MercyParade Rest Jangler


Non-verbal Communication: Facial Expressions

Look pleasant

Smile whenever appropriate


Non-verbal Communication: Energy Start strong

Show enthusiasm

End with high energy


Speaking Voice: Inflection

Affects Meaning

Effective communication is essential to organizational success.


Speaking Voice: Pace

The most effective rate of speed for a

presentation is between 175 and 190

words per minute.


Speaking Voice: Volume and Clarity Articulate well

Don’t swallow ends of sentences

Don’t drop voice at end of presentation


Speaking Voice: Verbal Clutter Uh Ummmmmm Er You know Like Okay


Notes

Format

Appearance

Do not use the screen as your notes!


Handling questions

Acknowledge audience members explicitly. Why?

Repeat the questions. Why? When answering, don’t look just at

questioner. What if you don’t know the

answer?


Team Presentations

Transitions and cues

Handling technology

Handling questions


Remember Basic Logistics!

Check out your presentation space Confirm the presentation time length Ask about the size of your audience Prepare a back-up plan Practice! Arrive early


For a successful presentation: Analyze the situation Organize your ideas Develop effective delivery

techniques

Business Communication: Successful Oral Presentations

Documents

Transcript of Business Communication: Successful Oral Presentations