On completion of this chapter students will know how to: identify the most appropriate presentation style use strategies to engage and interact with an audience, prepare effective slides, use knowledge about non-verbal factors to improve a presentation, appreciate the value of preparation, understand the importance of voice in presenting effectively.
Chapter Oral presentation skills Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-1 Learning objectives On completion of this chapter students will know how to: • identify the most appropriate presentation style • use strategies to engage and interact with an audience • prepare effective slides • use knowledge about non-verbal factors to improve a presentation • appreciate the value of preparation • understand the importance of voice in presenting effectively Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-2 Public speaking • Public speaking skills are increasingly important given a greater focus on information-related skills • In many universities public and professional speaking skills is considered to be an important graduate quality • The good news is that effective public speaking can be learned! Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-3 Overcoming fear • Anxiety can be offset by: – visualising a successful presentation – practising thoroughly – ‘acting’ positive and confident, as an audience will ‘mirror’ your approach Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-4 Activities and • Complete Activities and on p 194–195 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-5 Preparing for a presentation • Even short, informal speeches require preparation • Never agree to a presentation and then just turn up, hoping that the ideas will come to you as you speak! • Videoing a practice speech provides an opportunity to gain slightly more objectivity by seeing yourself as others Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-6 Windschuttle & Elliott • Windschuttle & Elliott (1999, p 356) suggest that preparation will be rewarded in several ways: – Audiences appreciate well prepared speakers – Prepared speakers are more persuasive – Well prepared speakers are more likely to satisfy audience expectations – Prepared presenters gain confidence for next time Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-7 Activities 3–5 • Complete Activities 3, and on pp 195– 198 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-8 Group presentations • Practice is even more important for group presentations Coordinating with a group of other speakers requires commitment and teamwork • Decide which speakers will be responsible for which parts of the presentation and convey this information to the audience • Work out the sequence of speakers Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9-9 Group presentations (cont.) • There should be a consistent style running through all the slides as this helps the audience to follow your presentation • Be very familiar with each other’s presentations In a business situation, if one person is absent the other speakers will have to take responsibility for that part of the presentation Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10 9-10 Structure and presentation • An oral presentation usually has an introduction, a body and a conclusion Introduction • A short outline/summary of the whole presentation • Gains the attention of your audience quickly According to Ober (2007, p 283), a speaker has 90 seconds to capture the interest of the audience! Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 28 9-28 Structure and presentation (cont.) Body • Make your main points in the body • Don’t try to give too much information but offer to provide additional information after the presentation • Each point is like a paragraph in an essay and will require a topic sentence • Use transitional devices that include connecting words such as ‘in addition’, ‘furthermore’ or phrases that refer forward and back in the text to show the connection between ideas Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 29 9-29 Structure and presentation (cont.) Conclusion • Should take up 10 per cent of your speaking time • Summarise and re-emphasise the main points • ‘Signpost’ the fact that the presentation is almost over • Use suitable endings such as ‘in conclusion’, ‘to sum up’, ‘finally’, ‘as I have demonstrated’ • Never finish a presentation by saying ‘that’s all I have to say’ or ‘that’s it’ The only acceptable way to conclude your presentation is to say ‘thank you’ Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 30 9-30 Physical factors influencing a presentation • Body language conveys a powerful message that is even more important than words • To express confidence stand straight and pull your shoulders back a little • Some movement is natural but avoid pacing or swaying from side to side • Do not fold your arms: it can look defensive • Do not keep hands in pockets: it can seem furtive or too informal Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 31 9-31 Physical factors influencing a presentation (cont.) • Avoid habitual movements such as scratching and ‘praying gestures’ • Ask a friend to observe or video you practising to reveal any movements you need to avoid • Many speakers say ‘ugh’ quite frequently Locker (2006, p 481) suggests these sounds can be reduced with practice • Smiling usually helps to develop a positive relationship between a presenter and the audience Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 32 9-32 Physical factors influencing a presentation (cont.) • Practise making eye contact with each member of the audience for a moment, but avoid focusing on one person for longer than a second or two According to a study cited by Locker (2006, p 479), eye contact with the audience creates an impression of being better informed, friendlier, more honest and more experienced • Never stare at the back of the room or out the window! Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 33 9-33 Physical factors influencing a presentation (cont.) • Confirm that everyone in the audience can hear you • Vary your volume, pitch (‘music’ of the voice) and pace to add interest • A higher pitch indicates excitement and a lower one is used for emphasis • Pace refers to how quickly you speak (Taylor 2005, p 387) • Try saying the same things using different pitches to see if any are more effective than others Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 34 9-34 Physical factors influencing a presentation (cont.) • Decisions about what to wear for a presentation depend on your audience and the situation (e.g formal presentations require formal clothing) • Taylor (2005, p 385) suggests dressing more formally than an audience because it helps you feel more confident and professional • Wearing long sleeves also projects authority and professionalism Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 35 9-35 Interacting with your audience • Interactive presentations can be fun and interesting • Some ways of interacting with an audience include: – – – – using questions and answers asking for volunteers asking people to respond by raising hands asking members of an audience to discuss their own experience in relation to the topic Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 36 9-36 Activity 10 • Complete Activity 10 on p 205 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 37 9-37 Answering questions • If you need more time to answer a difficult question a useful tactic is to ask the speaker to repeat it (Locker 2006, p 482) • It is also acceptable to ask individuals to rephrase a question if you not understand it • However irritating, always answer questions even if they have already been covered in the presentation • Avoid embarrassing anyone when responding to a question Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 38 9-38 Answering questions (cont.) • Locker (2006, p 482) also cautions presenters against responding to individuals with comments such as ‘That’s a very good question’, since it suggests other questions were less useful • Anticipate some questions beforehand in order to develop confidence and appear informed • If an individual is rude, keep your cool and maintain a professional approach Ultimately, someone else’s rudeness will reflect badly on them rather than you Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 39 9-39 Summary • Practising helps you to keep within your time limit and contributes to a smooth, coherent presentation It will also reduce your anxiety • Structure your presentation into an introduction, body and conclusion • Use a variety of quality visuals to enhance audience interest Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 40 9-40 Summary (cont.) • In group presentations the following needs to be discussed beforehand: – order of the presentation – transitions from one member of the group to another – becoming familiar with each other’s work and how questions will be responded to • There are different kinds of speeches Those that are read, those that are rehearsed and memorised, the extemporaneous speech and the impromptu speech The purpose of a speech also varies Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 41 9-41 Summary (cont.) • Research the venue and the audience thoroughly • Find ways to interact with the audience • Stylistic devices can be used to influence an audience These include asking rhetorical questions, using quotes, sharing anecdotes and providing personal testimonies • Pay attention to physical aspects of your presentation, such as posture, gestures, personal mannerisms, facial expressions, eye contact, clothing and voice Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 42 9-42 ... Copyright 20 09 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 13 9- 13 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 198 – 199 of your textbook Copyright 20 09 McGraw-Hill... 20 09 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 9- 4 Activities and • Complete Activities and on p 194 – 195 of your textbook Copyright 20 09 McGraw-Hill... Copyright 20 09 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 15 9- 15 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 199 –200 of your textbook Copyright 20 09 McGraw-Hill