Reflection report communication in business

Lecture8OralCommunicationandPresentationSkills7.ppt

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Oral Communication

And Presentation Skills

Lecture 8

The lecture material contains content owned by KOI and other materials copyrighted by Eunson, B. (2016) Communicating in the 21st century, 4th edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, Milton, Qld

Learning objectives

List at least three types of oral communication that are important in your personal and professional lives
Explain the differences between communicating a message in speech and in writing
Recommend different strategies for communicating orally with different types of audiences
Identify approaches to planning and structuring oral communication exercises

Learning objectives continued

Discuss at least five different approaches to managing stress in oral communication situations
Describe nonverbal communication associated with effective speaking
Describe effective voice production factors
Recommend appropriate audiovisual aids to support oral communication performances
Apply an evaluation model to effectiveness in oral communication performance.

Speaking out:
Different public situations

Impromptu Speech	Wedding speech
Work presentation	Sermon
Sport pep talk	Work briefing
Lift pitch

Refer to Table 11.1 for more details

Audiences

Public speakers have audiences from 1 to many.

Audiences, or specific audience members, may:

Be friendly, neutral, or hostile
Prefer lots of audiovisuals, or none at all
refer to hear the big picture, or want lots of detail
have the power to make things happen, or have none at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHX-xnP_G5s

As a public speaker, you may encounter audiences of one to 10 000 (or even more!)

It is useful to try to find out as much as possible about your audience beforehand. What are their preferences, shared values, likely prejudices and blind spots? How much technical background do they have? Will they understand the technical or specialised language or concepts you might use?

All these considerations need to be considered when preparing a written document too, and all of them need to be taken seriously.

Audiences:
Persuasion and audience analysis

Distinguish audience dynamics:

Authority
Influence
Assess the audience types:
Decision-makers
Influencers
Collectors
Socials
Develop a power map

A common oral communication situation is making a presentation or pitch to a small audience, group, meeting or panel. Perhaps you have never met the audience members before, or perhaps it is a group you are familiar with.

Consider small audiences - for example, audiences of 5-20 in size. Consider situations in which you are primarily concerned with persuasion rather than information or entertainment (although it may not be possible to persuade without informing).

Activity

Watch this video and in pairs discuss:

one aspect of presentation preparation that you believe is the most important for a good presentation

And one aspect of preparation that you have found very surprising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCXQUwVcuVU

Audiences:
Dealing with ‘problem’ audiences

You may experience fear and stress with public speaking
You may be unsure of the audience
Generally speaking, most members of an audience want you to succeed
How do you manage a hostile audience?

Much of the fear and stress associated with public speaking comes from apprehension about the audience and its motives and behaviour
Generally speaking, most members of an audience want you to succeed, because:
Most people tend to be ethical and well-meaning
Even when people are neither ethical nor well-meaning, they don’t want to have their time wasted by disruptions, and they want to hear what you have to say
Most people are fairly easily embarrassed and would prefer to avoid the embarrassment that might arise if you perform badly or if some members of the audience make things hard for you

Before using any of them, however, you should bear in mind that some of them may in certain circumstances be unethical or counterproductive.

Even if you choose to use none of them, however, you will still be in a better position to recognise them when used by others.

Audiences:
Dealing with ‘problem’ audiences

Use the grapevine

Find out about individuals before the meeting
Use official channels as well as the grapevine

Know your stuff

Research the topic well in advance of the event
Present in a calm and modest manner

Use the grapevine: The most common cause of audience hostility is the feeling that no-one is paying any attention to them (and they are often right to feel this).

The real question is how to handle the first wave of antagonism, and then how to deflect the negative energy towards its real target.

Know your stuff: The more effortless your command of the material, the more likely it is that that any attackers will be won over.

Audiences:
Dealing with ‘problem’ audiences

Multiple questioners

Identify the order of questioners
Keep questions and answers brief
Offer to speak later to persistent questioners

Tell the truth

Assess if an audience has a reason to be hostile
Do not lie; the audience will know

What to Do If You're Losing the Audience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8azWc9TKcaY

Multiple questioners - During question time, say you will take a question from this person with the green tie here, this person with the clipboard here, and this person with the red pen here. Strictly speaking, it doesn’t do anything to help bail you out, but it does reinforce your authority as ringmaster, the person in control.

Also, if one questioner insists on turning the encounter into a dialogue, you can simply say that some good points have been raised here, but the next speaker deserves to have a turn also.

Tell the truth- Before you face a hostile audience, it is vital that you honestly consider whether they have reason to be hostile. It doesn’t matter how slick your words are or how glossy your delivery is, your audience will catch you out if you lie. You have to look in the mirror each day, and if you do not believe what you are saying, then you should seriously reconsider your position.

TEACHER NOTE – refer to pages 347-350 for other suggestions

Planning

What do you want to say?
How can you best say it?
What does the audience want to hear?
What does the audience not want to hear?
What does the audience need to hear?
How do you ensure your presentation is effective?

Just what is it you want to say, and how can you best say it? What is it the audience wants to hear and not hear? What, in your judgement, does it need to hear? How can you make your message effective, standing out from other messages?

Planning:
Time planning

Planning a presentation:

Planning and preparation: 10 times the planned speaking time
Rehearsal: 2 times the planned speaking time

For example: a 1 hour presentation requires:

8 - 10 hours for planning and preparation
2 hours to practise speaking during rehearsal

Time is the best ally you can have, and haste your worst enemy, in any speaking situation — even those that are nominally spontaneous or impromptu. Take your time in planning and rehearsal.

Planning:
Time planning illustration

Planning:
Content planning

Pattern of exposition

What are you going to present?

Content quantity

How much can you say in the time you have?

Focus

What will be your unique message?

Spice

How will you vary the content to maintain audience interest?

TEACHER NOTE: Refer to Pages 351 for details.

Planning the content of any communication is a demanding yet rewarding task. You need to consider the following factors.

Planning:
Content planning

The multiple audiences problem

How can you best cater for sub-audiences?

The multi-channel problem

How can you best reinforce the spoken message?

Balance

Have you been even-handed in considering opposing viewpoints?

Balance: Have you been even-handed in considering opposing viewpoints? Do you have any blind spots or biases in your perspective that opponents or audience members will be able to point out? Have you buttressed your opinions with facts, or merely taken your prejudices for a walk?

Planning:
Presentation structure

Three-part presentation structure:

Opening or introduction
Body or main section (3-5 main points)
Conclusion or closing

Colloquially:

Tell them what you are going to tell them
Tell them
Tell them what you have just told them

TEACHER NOTE: Refer to Figure 11.4 Think of your oral communication as having a three-part talk structure, like an essay or report.

Planning:
Presentation structure

Fourth part of the presentation structure:

A questions segment or phase
Hold back new material
Release new material when answering questions

It can reduce pressure on you to cover everything in the presentation; reduce stress when you think about question time, you still have new material to engage the audience at question time.

Planning:
Introduction and body

Tell your audience what you are going to tell them

Consider a graphic of your presentation
Use transitional words and phrases
Use verbal headlining to flag topic shifts
For example:
‘At this point you can see that, on current figures, you are not going to make it. So what can you do?’

Let your audience in on your master plan by telling them what you are going to tell them.

Use transitional words and phrases, rhetorical questions and verbal headlining to cue your audience to topic shifts, changes in perspective and summing-up sections:‘ So much for your wholesaling operations. Let’s now look at retail …’‘What, however, can you offer your younger players who are hungry for experience in high-level games?’‘I’ll come back to these figures, but I want to turn now to the pay claim situation’.

Planning:
Introduction and body

Use repetition to drive points home
Build to a climax
Increase the information density and rhetorical momentum to the end of the body section
Try to avoid a dull recitation of facts
Create variety in content, delivery, pacing

Use repetition to drive points home; You can repeat one section once or several times for rhetorical effect, or you can rephrase it in a later setting

Planning:
Conclusion

Recapitulate material from introduction and body
Reinforce your argument
Create a pleasing integrated structure
Consider a dramatic finish or a low-key finish
Consider whether to deliver a punch line

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCpkRv-Aj8

Consider also whether you want to deliver a punch line or ‘takeaway point’, a single word or phrase for your audience to recall 24 hours later.

Rehearsal/practice

For a formal presentation rehearse:

The full text of your presentation
Dressed and groomed as for the presentation
In the venue as for the presentation
Using the audiovisual aids as for the presentation
Using video to record, play back and analyse your performance
In front of a select audience

Rehearsal is essential because it helps you determine what material works and what doesn’t; it is also a vital stress management strategy for you.
Rehearsal may, however, be more complicated and time-consuming than it first appears. Take care to allow enough time.

Negative non-verbal cues

Jerky movements
Pacing
Body scratching
Fiddling
Reading the script

Rehearsal is essential because it helps you determine what material works and what doesn’t; it is also a vital stress management strategy for you.
Rehearsal may, however, be more complicated and time-consuming than it first appears. Take care to allow enough time.

Positive non-verbal cues

Relaxed, easy posture.
Meaningful and functional gestures:
descriptive gestures
emphatic gestures
enumerative gestures
pointing gestures
Appropriate attire, grooming, objects and equipment.

Rehearsal is essential because it helps you determine what material works and what doesn’t; it is also a vital stress management strategy for you.
Rehearsal may, however, be more complicated and time-consuming than it first appears. Take care to allow enough time.

Activity: How many errors can you find in this presentation?

Watch the video and in pairs discuss all the mistakes (give a number) that the presenter made 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXILI9Q1jIw

Rehearsal is essential because it helps you determine what material works and what doesn’t; it is also a vital stress management strategy for you.
Rehearsal may, however, be more complicated and time-consuming than it first appears. Take care to allow enough time.

Rehearsal/practice:
Some other areas to check

Non-verbal Communication

Take care to communicate your confidence

Your anxiety and nervousness can be detected

For example, assess:

What eye contact is appropriate?
How appropriate is your dress for the occasion?
How do you keep still to keep audience focussed?
What gestures are appropriate?
How to face your audience for maximum impact?

Rehearsal/practice:
Some other areas to check

Using your voice:

Pronunciation - the act of producing the sounds of speech
Articulateness and Articulation - the ability to say meaningful word by the ability to say those words clearly
Voice Pitch - the height or depth of the voice

Activity: How to introduce your group

Get into your groups and after watching the video, practise introducing your group for your upcoming presentation;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_UGQYYSXQY