Informative Presentations: Plan Research, Organize, and Deliver Chapter 11 Communicating for...

Informative Presentations: Plan Research, Organize, and

Deliver

Chapter 11

Communicating for Results, 10th edition

• Plan your presentation by contrasting informative and persuasive presentations

• Research your topic• Organize your presentation to best

communicate clear content• Deliver your speech in a natural,

enthusiastic, and confident manner

Chapter 11 Objectives


• The higher you advance in your career past the entry level, the greater the chance that you will need to be skilled in giving presentations

• When you first begin working in an organization, most of your oral presentations will be done in-house unless you are in sales

Informative Presentations


• Informative presentations promote understanding of an idea, concept, problem, event, procedure, person, thing, place, or body of related facts

• Persuasive presentations influence behaviors or opinions

• Although persuasive presentations inform, as well as persuade, the two types require different approaches

Informative Versus Persuasive Presentations


• Oral briefing– Designed to present summary of facts in

short period of time•Briefing may be given to an individual,

to a small group, or to an entire department

•Many briefings are informal•Other briefings are more formal•Longer presentations require visuals

Types of Informative Presentations


• Oral report– Designed to present complete details

and is longer than a briefing– Usually more formal– Often decision-making teams are

required to prepare both written and oral reports on a problem and their recommendations for solving it

Types of Informative Presentations


• Knowing your audience is critical to giving a successful presentation– Business audiences not always the same– You must be able to relate your

presentation to their interests and needs

Audience Analysis


• How many people will be present?• Are they coming by choice?• Who are they?• What do they know about your topic?• Do they know you?• Any negative biases they have?

Audience Characteristics


• Identify them as one of four basic types:– Friendly– Neutral– Uninterested– Hostile

Audience Types


• The general topic is usually predetermined• If you are asked to select your own topic,

be sure to pick a topic that fits your audience, that highlights your knowledge, and that is of real interest to you

Topic Selection


• You are ready to narrow your topic by focusing on a specific goal or objective– Objective should answer three

questions:•What do you want to accomplish?•What do you want your audience to

take away?•What do you want your audience to

do with the information?– Write exact purpose statement

Topic Selection


• To find new information• To add to personal credibility• To prepare for Q&A• To find content to support main points

Why and What to Research


• What to search for– New ideas, new authors, and newly

published or posted information– Novel ways to present important but

older information– Charts, graphs, pictures, and photos you

can use or adopt– Materials that add interest, clarify, and

prove

Why and What to Research?


• Where to research– Inexperienced speakers often make one of two

mistakes:•Do too little research because they plan to

rely on their personal knowledge and experience

•Use only the Internet to do their research• You need to present research from additional

sources– Using information from other respected sources

shows you are an objective and informed speaker

Why and What to Research?


• Must keep three facts in mind:– Not all information on the web is

authoritative– Unless you know where to look, it is

possible to spend hours on the Internet without finding the information you need

– Many valuable sources are not available on the web

The Internet


• Before going online– Do your homework

•Prepare a rough-draft outline of the main points and supporting points you think you might use in your speech

•When you visit the library looking for print materials and electronic databases, make a list of keywords and phrases ahead of time

•Search one or more electronic databases

The Internet


• Searching with Boolean operators– Keyword searches will be more effective

if you link your search terms with Boolean operators•The number of hits a search produces

is important, quality of hits is most important

The Internet


• Electronic databases include books, magazines and journal articles, government documents, and more– Keep in mind that commercial

databases give you the option of avoiding general interest magazines

– Databases also make available back issues at no charge

Licensed Electronic Databases


• If you are relatively unfamiliar with your topic, it’s a good idea to begin your search for information with the following print materials:– Books– Magazines/journals– Refereed journal articles– Newspapers– Specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias– Other library resources

Printed Materials


• Blogs or weblogs – Personal opinion journals posted on Internet

• Tweets– Messages of 140 characters or less posted on

Twitter.com• Blogs and tweets can be used by speakers in

various ways:– As attention-getting narratives in introduction– As supporting examples during speech– As clarification of pro and con arguments

• Be careful how this information is used – much of it is opinion

• Remember to cite sources

Blogs and Tweets


• After you decide on likely candidates, you should plan your questions and conduct interview following these steps:– Introduction– Body– Conclusion

• Use results of interview carefully• Be sure to keep all matters confidential

that you agreed not to reveal

Personal Interviews


• Plagiarism is using the ideas of someone else without giving credit– Even if you only paraphrase the content

– you are plagiarizing•Don’t be tempted to buy a speech

from a website or from a friend–You will be on dangerous ethical

ground

How to Avoid Plagiarism When Researching


• There are many reasons to avoid using someone else’s speech:– It’s unethical– The consequences can be severe and

long-lasting– You won’t learn the successful speech

skills needed for business success– It’s very difficult to deliver a speech you

didn't write

How to Avoid Plagiarism When Researching


• Speakers should definitely be concerned with organization for several reasons:– Organized information is easier for listeners

to comprehend, to remember, to take notes from, and more likely to keep their attention

– Organized information causes listeners to judge speakers as being more credible

– Organized information is easier for the speaker to remember

– Organized information gives the speaker confidence

Informative Presentations: Organizing


• The basic organization of an oral briefing or report is basically the same:– Introduction– Body– Conclusion

• When preparing a presentation, the body is usually planned first, then the conclusion, and finally the introduction

Informative Presentations: Organizing


• You have three main tasks:– Finalize your main points– Select the best pattern for organizing

those main points– Expand your main ideas into an outline

Organizing the Body of the Presentation


• Finalize your main points– Most speakers cover three main points

•If you include more than five, you may lose listeners

–Research on memory suggests that five bits of information is about all the average person can remember with accuracy

Organizing the Body of the Presentation


• Main points can be organized in a variety of ways– Topical pattern– Spatial/geographical pattern– Chronological/time pattern– Causal pattern

• In order to tell which pattern will be best for your topic, make four mini-outlines with a purpose and main points – one for each pattern

Select the Best Pattern for Organizing Your Main Points


• Do not write out the speech word for word– It is much faster and easier to work with

a simple sentence or keyword outline•An outline tells you at a glance how

the main points are organized

Expand Your Main Ideas into an Outline


• The introduction has four important steps:– Capture the attention of your audience– Motivate them to listen by showing your

presentation's benefit to them– Convince them that you are qualified to

speak on the subject– Make your purpose and main points

clear in a thesis statement

Organizing the Introduction of the Presentation


• Capture audience attention– Reveal one or more startling facts– Ask a question– Tell a joke or humorous story– Briefly cite two or three specific

incidents or examples– Refer to the specific occasion– Quote or paraphrase– Briefly demonstrate the item or skill you

will be discussing



• Although humor can be effective in a presentation, self-disparaging humor can have a negative effect

• Humor directed at one’s occupation or profession does not harm a speaker’s image



• Motivate the audience to keep them listening– The purpose of step 2 in the introduction

is to keep their attention•Convince them that the presentation

will help them satisfy personal or job-related needs



• Make your purpose and main points clear– A good thesis statement has two parts:

general statement of purpose and a preview of the main points to be covered•The average listener finds it much

easier to follow and remember the ideas contained in your presentation when your introduction previews key points



• Many business speakers suggest you start your presentation with your recommendations or conclusions– This direct method helps you keep the

attention of the typically rushed, tired, and stressed-out business audience

– If your conclusion is bad news, sensitive information, or a controversial proposal, it would be better to use the indirect method and report background data and events before stating your conclusion



• The conclusion has two steps:– Provide a final summary of your purpose

and main idea– End with a memorable closing thought

to refocus audience attention

Organizing the Conclusion of the Presentation


• Final summary– Can be general or specific

•The intent is to clarify for the listeners any confusion about the purpose and main points of your presentation and to refocus them on what they have learned



• Closing thoughts– Serves as a final attention-getter

•Purpose is to give audience a thought or challenge that will keep them thinking about your presentation long after it is completed

–Any attention-getters that can be effective in your introduction can also be used successfully to conclude your presentation

»One method is to refer back to your opening remarks



• Transition is word, phrase, or brief sentence used to link ideas, main points, or major parts of a speech– They add polish and flow to

presentation, highlight main points, add interest, and create anticipation

Adding Transitions to the Presentation


• Speaking extemporaneously with or without notes– This is preferred method of delivery for most

business speeches• Speaking using visual aids

– Instead of using note cards, speakers use their PowerPoint slides as a memory device

• Speaking from memory– Business and professional speaker seldom use

this method•Takes a great deal of time to memorize•Makes it difficult to react to listener

feedback

Methods of Delivery


• Speaking from a manuscript– Much more difficult for most people

•Must read a prepared presentation word for word but make it sound conversational and personal

– There are advantages•When speaker is given very strict time limit•Allows upper management to read and okay

the presentation before it is given•Protects speaker from saying something

unintentionally and from blatant misinterpretation

Methods of Delivery


• Speaking without prior preparation and without notes or manuscript– When asked to speak impromptu, try the

following:•Appear confident•Decide on your conclusion first•Begin with a general statement•Introduce your supporting reasons with

the word because •Answer the question directly and

honestly

Impromptu Speaking


• Look confident and relaxed– Look directly at your listeners and smile

occasionally– Dress in a professional manner– Use natural gestures– Add occasional movement

Characteristics of Effective Delivery


• Sound conversational, natural, and enthusiastic– Vary your volume– Vary your pitch– Vary your emphasis– Vary your rate



• Use language that is informal, vivid, and specific– One of the most serious mistakes a

speaker can make is to try to impress listeners by using long or extremely technical words or jargon



• Several suggestions professional speakers follow:– Don’t overlook the importance of

practice– Videotape a practice session when

possible– Don’t apologize – Prepare speaking notes

Maintaining a Confident Delivery


Informative Presentations: Plan Research, Organize, and Deliver Chapter 11 Communicating for...

Documents

Transcript of Informative Presentations: Plan Research, Organize, and Deliver Chapter 11 Communicating for...