Tips It is never a good idea to read from a prepared script because it doesn’t allow you to interact with the audience and they might just as well have watched you on TV! However, what many presenters do, particularly if they are presenting in a foreign language, is put key words on cards. The thing not to forget is firstly, to number the cards in case you drop them on the floor and secondly, mark on your cards the slide number that goes with them. Alternatively, of course, you could print out an overview of your slides and write key words in the notes section. Task 7 Three teams from your company have been asked to organize an event in London lasting for two days for your company and its foreign subsidiaries. You are representing your team and you are going to present your proposal to your boss and several other managers from your company. Have a look at the information below, then a) write out the introduction to your presentation in full and b) write brief notes that you would put on cards/slides for the details of the program. Wednesday: Arrival at Heathrow at 6 o’clock; transfer to Marriott Hotel Knightsbridge; drinks in the bar at eight; dinner in the hotel restaurant at 9. Thursday: welcoming speech by the CEO at nine; presentations by delegates from SE Asia between 9.30 – 11.30; break then for half an hour; then an hour of round-table discussions followed by lunch from1–2pminthehotel restaurant again; then two hours of presentations from delegates from Germany followed by a break for half an hour and after that an hour of round-table discussions. At 7 we all take off for an hour of Urban Golf in Soho and then there’s a medieval banquet at 9.30 at the Tower. Friday: we start with meetings to discuss and agree on next steps from half past nine till half eleven with coffee brought in to the meeting room and we then have a closing speech by the CEO for an hour which finishes at 12.30. Then there’s a lunch at the Gay Hussars in Soho which goes on until 2 and after that a sightseeing tour of London for two hours. At four, for half an hour, there are farewell drinks and then departure to Heathrow. Recycling key information Sometimes we may have to explain a more complex concept or idea to our audience. One way of doing this is to restate the concept/idea in different words. Recycling key information 95 Recycling is achieved through: ᭤ Reformulation (saying something again in different words) “In other words ” “What I mean is ” ᭤ Exemplification (giving clear examples of what you mean) “Let me give you an example ” “For example, ” ᭤ Contextualisation (saying ‘why’ & ‘how’ things work) “The reason for doing X is ” “How do we do this? The answer is easy. We ” The Q&A session To inform or persuade through a presentation, you will need to deal effectively with the Q&A session. You can use the following expressions to ensure you understand what your questioner says. Asking for repetition (you didn’t hear) I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said/ Could you repeat the question, please? Asking for repetition (you didn’t understand) I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure I understood the question/ Could you repeat the question, please? Ensuring you understood the question correctly So what you’re asking is right?/ If I understand you correctly, you said Ensuring you answered the question I hope that answers your question/ Does that answer your question? 96 Giving presentations with impact Example You’ve just been asked to explain the meaning of ‘Schadenfreude’ (originally a German word which has been assimilated into the English language) to an international audience. You could say: “What I mean by ‘Schadenfreude’ is finding humour in the misfortune of others. Let me give you a real-life example: Virgin tried to leverage its brand into the soft drinks market with Virgin Cola. The reason for entering the market was that, as you know, up until then Virgin had been successful in all of its businesses e.g., music and airline, and had a strong share of the ‘cool’ youth market and so there was no reason why it should fail with its Cola. However, it did – after initial success its popularity soon waned and is now only sold in cheap shops or on Virgin planes and trains. In the UK, we found it rather amusing that Virgin got it so very wrong. So, to sum up, ‘Schadenfreude’ means to find humour in someone else’s misfortune.” Delivery How you say it is as important as what you say. Speak clearly – don’t shout and don’t whisper either. Don’t speak too quickly or too slowly – pause at key points and stress key words to highlight the important information (have a look at chapter 4 to help you). If you are nervous about giving a presentation, here are some voice warmers to help you to warm up your vocal chords and avoid that dreaded squeak. Voice warmers You can use the following exercises to build power and to warm up your voice before making a presentation: ᭤ the siren – hum back and forth between the top and the bottom of your vocal range, like a siren. This will help you to vary your key and tone, making your voice sound more interesting and emphatic. ᭤ the hum – to keep your voice from cracking unexpectedly during a presentation, warm up by humming a few bars of a song. Hum a sustained note for a count of 10, increase the volume for a count of 5 and, then, decrease it for a count of 5. This warms up your vocal cords. ᭤ say this verse out aloud, focusing on precision and crisp consonants. This will help you to vary your rhythm and speed. Delivery 97 From The Night Mail by W H Auden Letters of thanks, letters from banks Letters of joy from girl and boy Receipted bills and invitations To inspect new stock or to visit relations, And applications for situations, And timid lovers’ declarations, And gossip, gossip from all the nations, News circumstantial, news financial, Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in, Letters for uncles, cousins, and aunts Letters to Scotland from the South of France, Letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands, Notes from overseas to the Hebrides; Written on paper of every hue, The pink, the violet, the white and the blue, The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring The cold and official and the heart’s outpouring, Clever, stupid, short and long, The typed, the printed and the spelt all wrong. Final tips Remember, most people are nervous before giving a presentation – let alone if it’s in a foreign language. Try to avoid jokes – they simply don’t travel. Use body language judiciously – don’t wave your hands around too much and don’t, whatever you do, put your hands in your pockets. Further, do look at your audience but don’t focus on only one individual – it can be very intimidating for that person. Finally, before you give a presentation – practise, practise, and practise again. Ask your friends/colleagues to listen to you and give you some feedback. If you feel it’s valuable, take it on board. 98 Giving presentations with impact 11 Team building and giving/receiving feedback Building effective teams across cultures involves taking on board and adapting to others’ preferred working styles. You not only need to acquire strategies for dealing with different kinds of team players but you also need to be sensitive particularly when giving negative feedback. Team roles What is a team role? According to Belbin, a leading guru on team building, it is a “tendency to behave, contribute, and interrelate with others in a particular way.” The value of Belbin’s theory lies in gaining insight into how a team works and identifying its strengths and weaknesses. There are 3 action-oriented roles: shaper, implementer, and complete finisher; 3 people-oriented roles: coordinator, teamworker, and resource investigator; and 3 cerebral roles: plant, monitor evaluator, and specialist. The team roles are summarised in the table on the next page. Task 1 Read the table which analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the roles and then find words in the table below that mean: 1. tend to 2. negative challenge 3. scrupulous 4. controlling someone or something to your own advantage 5. gets rid of 6. avoids 7. less important details 8. clear-sighted 9. spends too much time on . you on TV! However, what many presenters do, particularly if they are presenting in a foreign language, is put key words on cards. The thing not to forget is firstly, to number the cards in case. teams from your company have been asked to organize an event in London lasting for two days for your company and its foreign subsidiaries. You are representing your team and you are going to present. presentations from delegates from Germany followed by a break for half an hour and after that an hour of round-table discussions. At 7 we all take off for an hour of Urban Golf in Soho and then there’s