Forum: Weekly Homework 2
Rain Ashbell
PRESENTATION_UPLOAD.pptx
Listen to billionaire Warren Buffett's advice to a class of business students at Columbia University back in 2009:
"Right now, I would pay $100,000 for 10 percent of the future earnings of any of you, so if you're interested, see me after class."
After the laughter subsided, he turned serious.
"Now, you can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills--public speaking. If that's the case, see me after class and I'll pay you $150,000."
Buffett's point is that mastering the art of public speaking is the single greatest skill to boost your career.
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Effective Presentations
Ying Cheng, Ph.D.
Agenda
Plan
Organization
Deliver
Engagement strategies
Delivery skills
Visual design
Speech anxiety management
Planning a Presentation - Audience
Know the Audience
What are the audience members’ demographics?
Age, gender, ethnicity/race, education, income, position, etc.
What are the audience members’ psychographics?
Belief, value, attitude, knowledge, etc.
Scenario: A partner at your accounting firm asks you to give a presentation to a group of accountants from firms across California, informing them of a new accounting code.
Planning a Presentation - Audience
Hostile Audience
Establish rapport
Begin with areas of agreement
Offer solid evidence
Planning a Presentation - Audience
Uninformed Audience
Explain topic relevance
Define unclear terms
Summarize information often
Planning a Presentation - Audience
Critical Audience
Provide ample evidence
Give both pros and cons
Dress professionally
Planning a Presentation - Context
Know the Situation
What are the presentation instructions?
What is the time limit?
What is the layout of the space?
Planning a Presentation - Purpose
Information
Persuasion
Entertainment
Planning a Presentation - Style
Impromptu Speech
Delivered without any prior preparation
Manuscript
Reading prepared notes
Memorized
Reciting prepared notes or scripts
Extemporaneous
Practicing extensively based on outlines; having a structured conversation with the audience
organization
Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Attention-getter
Relevance statement
Credibility statement
Thesis sentence
Preview sentence
Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Attention-getter
Relevant, interesting
Questions
Quotations
Visual Illustrations
Statistics
Stories
First Statement
Avoid Chatter Beforehand
Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Relevance Statement
How is the topic relevant to my audience?
This new accounting standard, Update No. 2013, will significantly affect your work with investment companies.”
Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Credibility Statement
Professional background
Personal connection
Research conducted
My name is Coyote, and I have spent the past month researching this new standard and its implications.”
Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Thesis Statement
Central Argument
Conclusion
Recommendation
√ “As a result of the FASB’s Update No. 2013, some companies you are currently working with may no longer be classified as investment companies, while others will now be classified as such.”
× “Today, I will give you some information about FASB’s Update No. 2013.”
It should have a clear thesis statement. People often confuse a statement about the topic of their presentation with a thesis statement. A thesis statement does not just introduce what you will speaking about. Instead, it is one sentence that tells your audience the conclusion you have come to after researching your topic. What is the big idea that unifies your presentation? What is the big takeaway for the audience? That is your thesis statement and it needs to come in your introduction.
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Organizing a Presentation - Introduction
Five Components
Preview Statement
Organizational Structure
Agenda
Roadmap
Align with the Sequence of Main Points in the Presentation Body
“Specifically, today I will provide background facts on the use of (a new accounting code), discuss potential weakness, and conclude with important considerations for its use in U.S. accounting firms.”
Finally, you should end your introduction by previewing the rest of your presentation. Here you will review your agenda: what you will talk about and in what order.
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Organization
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Main Points
Organizational Pattern
Chronological
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Main Points
Organizational Pattern
Spatial
Main point 1: Sales are strongest in the Eastern Zone.
Main point 2: Sales are growing at a rate of 10 percent quarterly in the Central Zone.
Main point 3: Sales are up slightly in the Mountain Zone.
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Main Points
Organizational Pattern
Causal (Cause and effect)
Multiple causes for a single effect (reasons students drop out of college)
Cause 1: Lack of funds
Cause 2: Unsatisfactory social life
Cause 3: Unsatisfactory academic performance
Effect: Drop out of college
Single cause for multiple effects (reasons students drop out of college)
Cause: Lack of funds
Effect 1: Lowered earnings over lifetime
Effect 2: Decreased job satisfaction over lifetime
Effect 3: Increased stress level over lifetime
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Main Points
Organizational Pattern
Problem-solution
Main point 1: The nature of the problem
Main point 2: Solution
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Main Points
Organizational Pattern
Topical
Main point 1: Retirement plan
Main point 2: Health insurance
Main point 3: Paid leaves
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Topic Sentences
Supporting Evidence
Transition Within a Main Point
Transition Between Main Points
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Topic Sentences
Highlight Sections of the Presentation
Simple
Discrete
Parallel
Balanced
Coherent
Complete
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Main Points
Examples:
Main Point 1: New accountants should have strong writing skills.
Main Point 2: New accountants should have strong interpersonal communication skills.
Main Point 3: New accountants should have strong presentation skills.
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Supporting Evidence
Quotes
Data
Stories
Examples
Testimonies
Observations
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Internal transitions within a main point
To link complimentary ideas: again, in addition, similarly
To link conflicting ideas: however, in contrast, on the contrary
To indicate a list: first, second, third
Organizing a Presentation - Body
Four Components
Transitions between main points
Review and preview between main points
Example: I have talked with you about the weakness of the new accounting code (review); however, every coin has two sides, and the code also has several benefits (preview).
, you can clarify procedures by indicating a list, like “First, Second, Third” or “First, Next, Last”. To indicate a turn in the argument, use words like “However” or “Although”.
Finally, you want to think about your transitions between parts of your presentation. In group presentations, this will mean thinking about the transitions between speakers.
To transition clearly between one speaker and the next, be sure to summarize what you have said and then introduce the topic that the next speaker will address. It should sound something like this: “Now that I have talked about point A, [the other consultant’s name] will talk about point B”.
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Organizing a Presentation - Conclusion
Three Components
Signal
“In conclusion, …”
“In sum, …”
“To conclude, …”
Organizing a Presentation - Conclusion
Three Components
Synthesis
Restate issue
Remind listeners why they should care
Explain how all the main points fit together
Organizing a Presentation - Conclusion
Three Components
Final Remark
Answer the question, “what is the one thing the audience should take away from your presentations?”
Bring presentation full circle by connecting your final remark to the attention getter
Delivery
Engagement Strategies
Ask questions
Tell a story
Remind people why the content matters to them
Use visual or imagery to reinforce verbal content
Sound passionate and interested
You can ask
them questions. You can give them concrete examples, a strategy that works particularly well
when you are talking about abstract ideas that might be hard to understand. You can strategically
incorporate visual aids, like a relevant video clip, a chart or graph, or a compelling image. You
can tell a story, maybe one that is a practical application of a theoretical idea. You can remind
your audience why your topic is relevant to them and their lives.
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Delivering a Presentation – Verbal and Nonverbal Strategies to Avoid
Reflection
Watch each video, and think about the questions below
How did the speaker make you feel?
What did the speaker do to make you feel this way?
What are three things the speaker could do to improve?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POwC3NwuFWg&index=6&list=PLr5NoL3JszcAa5N2NlT5tR2tRhT8nDito
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfbBCYQm-4
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Delivering a Presentation – Verbal Strategies to Employ
Volume
Rate
190 words/minute (Gallo, 2014)
Vocal Variety and Energy
Language
Articulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tOp7OxyQ8
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Delivering a Presentation – Nonverbal Strategies to Employ
Eye Contact
Movement
Gesture
Posture
Facial Expression
Attire
Designing Media
Consistency
Use the same background, fonts, and colors.
Apply the same design decisions you make for one presentation aid to all of the aids you diaplay
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Designing Media
Simplicity
Avoid distracting animation or sound effects.
Designing Media
Simplicity
Three Tips for Sharing Information:
Key Words or Phrases
Several Slides
Custom Animation
Designing Media
Clarity
Make the font enough to read.
Choose high contrast colors.
CONTRAST
CONTRAST
Designing Media
Use High Quality Graphics
Avoid Clipart
Designing Media
You are the presentation, not your PowerPoint
Some speakers hide behind presentation media, focusing attention on their aids rather than on the audience. They might erroneously believe that the display itself is the presentation, or they become so involved in generating fancy slides that they forget their primary mission is to communicate through the spoken word and their physical presentation.
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Overcoming Anxiety
Anxiety can be good for performance.
Defensive Pessimism (Norem, 1986)
Negative Thoughts
+ Proactive Behavior
= Positive Performance
Overcoming Anxiety
What is so scary?
Making Mistakes
The average speaker makes a mistake once every ten words.
People say an average of 15,000 words a day so that adds up to about 1,500 blunders. *
Forgetting Lines
Prepare
Know your introduction
Practice
Connect with your audience
Rejecting Ideas
If you believe in your ideas, your audience will too.
Overcoming Anxiety
Power Posing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc&t=701s
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