Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Chapter 16 Developing Oral and Online Presentations

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  1. Explain the importance of oral and online presentations in your career success and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to oral presentations.

· Feeling nervous is perfectly normal when you are faced with an oral presentation; the good news is there are positive steps you can take to reduce your anxiety.

· While you don’t usually write your oral presentations word for word, the three-step writing process is easily adaptable to oral presentation.

· The purpose of most business presentations is to inform or persuade; you may also give presentations designed primarily to collaborate with others.

· Knowing your audience’s state of mind will help you adjust both your message and your delivery.

· Try to learn as much as you can about the setting and circumstances of your presentation, from the size of the audience to potential interreption.

· If you can’t express your main idea in a sigle sentence, you probably have not defined it clearly enough.

  1. Identify the two primary reasons that limiting your scope is especially important for oral presentations.

    • Limiting you scope is important for two reasons: to ensure that your presentation fits the allotted time and to make sure you respect your audience members’ time and attention.
    • The only sure way to measure the length of your presentation is to complete a practice run.
    • Organize a short presentation the same way you would a brief written message; organize a longer presentations as you would a report.
    • Simplicity is critical in the organization of oral and online presentations.
    • In addition to planning your speech, a presentation outline helps you plan your speaking notes as well.
    • You may find it helpful to create a simpler speaking outline from planning outline.
    • Adapting to your audience address a number of issues, from speaking style to technology choices.

  1. Discuss the three functions of an effective introduction.

An effective introduction arouses audience interest in your topic, builds your credibility, and gives your audience a preview of your message. If your topic doesn’t naturally interest the audience, you need to work extra hard in your introdluction (and thoughout the presentation ) to relate the material to the audience in as personal a manner as possible. Speaker credibility is a crucial aspect of any presentation because audience are most likely to pay attention to messages coming from someone they perceive to be an expert in the subject area. If you can’t demonstrate credibility in your subject area, you can “borrow” credibility from recognized experts by incorporating their insights and opinions into your presentation (giving proper credit, of course). Previewing your message in the introduction helps the audience members recognize the importance of your material and gives them a chance to prepare for it by understanding how you plan to present it.

  1. Identify six ways to get your audience’s attention and six ways to hold it.

    • Use the preview to help your audience understand the importance, structure, and content of your message.
    • Use transitions to repeat key ideas and help the audience follow along, particularly in longer presentations.
    • The most important way to hold audience members’ attention is to show how your message relates to their individual needs and concerns.
    • Plan your close carefully so that your audience leaves with your main idea fresh in their minds.
    • If you need to have the audience makes a decision or agree to take action, make sure the responsibilities for doing so are clear.
    • Plan your final statement carefully so you can end on a strong, positive note.
    • Speaking from carefully prepared notes is the easiest and most effective delivery mode for most presenters.
    • If possible , visit the speaking venue ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the facilities and the equipment.

  1. Describe the techniques you can use to feel more confident, in front of an audience

    • Preparation is the best antidote for anxiety.
    • Nonverbal signals tell the audience how you are feeling, so pay attention to the signals you send.
    • Don’t leave the question-and-answer period to chance: anticipate likely questions and think through your answers.

  1. List six steps you can take to handle questions during a presentation.

    • Maintaining control during the question-and-answer session can be challenging, particularly if any audience members outrank you in the corporate hierarchy.
    • If you ever face hostile questions, don’t duck; respond honestly and directly whole keeping your cool.
    • No matter how the presentation has gone, conclude in a strong, confident manner.
Reference:

1. Online Technical Writing: Oral Presentations

http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/oral.html

2. Presenting Yourself in Person and Online

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c7_p4.html

3. Making An Oral Presentation

http://www.educationatlas.com/making-an-oral-presentation.html








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