Marketing Research VIII

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 7

The I mportance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success

© 2015 IUP. A ll Rights Reserved.

T V S S Swathi*

Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to the audience or learner. A good oral presentation is well structured; this makes it easier for the listener to follow. It is natural for presentation skill to i mprove i f presentation know-how i s taught and presentati on opportunities increase. In recent years, great emphasis has been laid on presentation and documentation skills. However, a logical composition is important for writi ng documentation and giving presentations than report-writing. Presenting well is all about achieving great levels of impact in front of groups of people, and deliveri ng presentations that inspi re and moti vate others, or communi cate informati on in really powerful ways. Many peopl e fi nd presenti ng i n fron t of l arge groups ver y confronting. But as with most things in life, there are certain techniques to learn that will greatly help improve one’s competence and confidence. On sci entific analysis, i t has been found that the di fferent aspects of presentation are informative, persuasive, inspirational and entertaining. Thus, presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audiovisual aids. This paper conceptualizes the i mportance, pros and cons, presentati on forms and ti ps for effective presentation for successful organizational development.

* Research Schol ar, Satya I nst itute of M anagement Studies, A gir ipalli , Krishna Dist rict, Vijayaw ada, A ndhra Pradesh, India. E-mail: taddi sw [email protected]

Introduction Presenti ng the i nformati on cl earl y and effecti vel y i s a key ski l l to get the message or opi ni on across and, today, presentati on ski l l s are requi red i n al most every fi el d. Presentati on ski l l s and publ i c speaki ng ski l l s are very useful i n many aspects of w ork and li fe l ike busi ness, sell i ng, trai ning, teachi ng and lecturing that develops confidence and other soci al si tuati ons. The formats of presentati ons are oral , mul ti medi a, Pow erPoi nt, short i mpromptu and l ong-pl anned. Good preparati on—through certai n ti ps l i ke natural tal k to audi ence, standi ng rather than si tti ng, varyi ng the tone, eye contact, usi ng vi sual ai ds, checki ng ti mi ngs, structuri ng the presentati on, stayi ng focused and alert throughout the presentati on, answering honestl y and concisely to the questi ons rai sed—i s the groundw ork for making a presentati on effecti ve. It i s i mportant

The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, Vol. IX, No. 2, 20158

to state the purpose cl earl y at the begi nni ng to tal k about, report on, to exami ne, to i nstruct, to expl ai n, to outl i ne, to fi l l , to gi ve an overvi ew, to hi ghl i ght and to di scuss the subject of presentati on. Presentati on shoul d have three mai n el ements: the i ntroduction, mi ddl e and concl usion. Wi thi n the mai n body of the presentation, di vide the key message i nto three el ements and then expand each of these poi nts i nto three sub-poi nts. If one i s usi ng a vi sual ai d such as Pow erPoi nt, l i mi t the number of bul l et poi nts to three on each sl i de and expand on each of these poi nts as one goes al ong. Presentati on programs can ei ther suppl ement or repl ace the use of ol der vi sual ai d technol ogy, such as pamphl ets, handouts, chal kboards, fl i p charts, posters, sl i des and overhead transparenci es. Text, graphi cs, movi es, and other objects are posi ti oned on i ndi vi dual pages or “ sl i des” or “ foi l s” . The “ sl i de” anal ogy i s a reference to the sl i de projector, a devi ce that has become somew hat obsol ete due to the use of presentati on softw are. Sl i des can be pri nted, or (more usual l y) di spl ayed on-screen and navi gated through at the command of the presenter. Transi ti ons betw een sl i des can be ani mated i n a vari ety of w ays, as can the emergence of el ements on a sl i de i tsel f. Typi cal l y, a presentation has many constrai nts, the most i mportant bei ng the l i mi ted ti me to present consi stent i nformati on.

Importance of Presentation Presentati on communi cates the message i n an i nteresti ng, succi nct and cl ear w ay. A famous psychol ogi st Jeff Goi ns says, “ Peopl e do judge a book by i ts cover, so the best thi ng to do i s to w ri te a good book and desi gn a good cover for i t” .

Presentati ons are i mportant to a company or an organi zati on because good presentati ons i mprove communi cati ons w i thi n the company, w hi ch i mproves moral e and reduces stress. M i scommuni cati on i s very expensi ve for a company and mi sunderstandi ngs w aste ti me. It cl ari fi es the company’s pol i cy and i mproves the chances of sel l i ng the product or an i dea. Thus, organi zati ons are judged on thei r presentati ons. The elements of dynami c del ivery i ncl ude body l anguage (55%), content (7%) and voi ce (38%).

Those w ho understand how to present effecti vel y do understand how to structure their presentations, w hat to say and how to say it i n order to make an i mpact on thei r audience. Even ‘off-the-cuff ’ presentations are more effecti ve if the person del iveri ng i t has an understanding of what is required in the presentation process.

The audi ence w oul d then be more recepti ve to the message w hi ch i s bei ng communi cated. Further, i t gi ves a chance to the presenter to bui l d up confi dence from presentati on to presentati on. One cannot be a good presenter overni ght. Once the presenter has mapped out w hat he/she w ants to say, he/she needs some vi sual materi al and, i f appropri ate, a formal paper or maybe a bri ef that the audi ence can read beforehand. For an i nformal peer revi ew, a w hi teboard or a fl i p chart i s fi ne. For a more formal occasi on, the use of a PC presentati on package such as Pow erPoint may be more suitable.

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 9

Advantages The pri nci pal advantage of any presentation i s that one can i nteract wi th the audi ence.

• Whi le presenti ng one can be abl e to observe the reactions of the audience based on thei r body l anguage and can thus revi se certai n el ements of del i very on the spot.

• Presentati on al l ow s assessi ng the l evel of acceptance of or resi stance to w hat peopl e are sayi ng.

• Emphasi zi ng the key poi nts i n presentati on i s much greater compared to a w ri tten report.

• In presentati ons, visual ai ds can be used to expl ai n and descri be poi nts, thus hel p audi ence to ful l y comprehend the message.

• Finall y, presentati ons assess the audience’s degree of comprehensi on through questi oni ng and observati on.

Disadvantages Whi lst there are many advantages to present the message, they must be w ei ghed agai nst the l i mi tati ons of thi s form:

• If the presentati on does not have a handout, the attendees wi ll have no formal poi nt of future reference.

• The presenter does not have ti me to provi de background i nformati on for the audi ence to hel p them understand i ssues and probl ems.

• An obvi ous l i mi tati on of presentati on i s that i ts effecti veness rel i es on the abi l i ty of the speaker to del i ver the message.

• The speaker cannot be abl e to set a pace appropri ate to the audi ence’s l evel of understandi ng.

What Is Presentation? A presentation is a means of communication which can be adopted to various speaking situations such as tal king to a group and briefing a team. The means of presenting information incl udes prepari ng presentation, organizi ng material, writi ng presentation, deci ding the method, working w ith vi sual ai ds, managing the event, coping w ith nerves and dealing with questions. The formal presentation is divided into presentation skills and personal presentation in whi ch these two aspects are interwoven and described as preparation, presentati on and practi ce of verbal and non-verbal communication.

The key elements of a presentation consi sts of presenter, audience, message, reacti on and method to del i ver speech for organi zati onal success i n an effecti ve manner. Who w i l l you be speaki ng to? What type of presentati on? How l ong? M ake sure the text can

The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, Vol. IX, No. 2, 201510

be read. Use appropri ate font si ze. Learn how to spel l w i th spel l check. Use col or combi nations that work when projected: Bew are of backgrounds —not too fussy. Beware of di stracti ng ani mati ons. Bew are of vi deo red on green background.

Giving an effecti ve presentati on i s more than just coming armed wi th a snappy, well - rehearsed presentati on. External factors, such as i l l ness, audi ovi sual equi pment mi shaps, and audi ence anti cs, affect one’s abi l i ty to command the attenti on of the audi ence and to gi ve a fl aw l ess presentati on. Hence, one needs to prepare to avoi d nervousness, handl e unforeseen probl ems, and del i ver one’s presentati ons.

Presentation Forms In the business worl d, there are several ways for making an effective presentati on w hi ch are di scussed bel ow :

Informative Presentations Informative speech outline can be organized topically, chronologically or spatially. The two distinct categories of this presentation are reporting and explaini ng. In the former case, presentation brings the audience up-to-date on projects through seminars, workshops, and conferences that include shareholders’ meetings. In the latter case, presentation provides information about products and operations. In Figure 1, the presenter outlines the brief points to make the audience understand clearly one after the other.

Figure 1: I nformative Presentation

Source: Google Images

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 11

Persuasive Presentations It is an attempt to convi nce the audience to buy a product or service. These presentations are transacti onal and moti vati onal . Transacti onal presentati ons are speech by ‘church pri est’ and moti vati onal presentati ons are appl i cabl e to students to avoi d drugs and al cohol and empl oyees to support new cooperati ve efforts w i thi n the company such as di stri buti on of di vi dends, reducti on i n shi ppi ng costs and new promoti onal campai gns. A persuasi ve speech i s a speech that convi nces peopl e of certai n i deas, val ues and bel i efs. In Fi gure 2, the presenter cl assi fies the speech into three arguments for the benefi t of the audi ence.

Goodwill Presentations The purpose of goodw ill presentations i s pretty obvious: to bui ld goodwil l among people and to bui ld respect for the organizati on, product, peers and superi ors. It takes the form of entertaining like sharing video highlights of sports as well as ceremonials like presenting an aw ard to an empl oyee (see Fi gure 3). Departments and teams wi thi n a business organizati on are rewarded for success at meeti ngs through speech w ith sli deshow. They often take the form of after-dinner speeches, whi ch are often desi gned to be entertai ning.

Sales Presentations Sal es scenari o i s the si ngl e l argest category of presentati ons. Sell i ng products, servi ces or i deas to the busi ness w orl d through presenti ng a proposal and posi ti on to cl ose the deal . The tw o essenti al s for success i n a sal es presentati on are know i ng and understandi ng the audi ence and bui l di ng rapport. Use a l ocal di rectory to store fi l es and send them as attachments to cl i ents as show n i n Fi gure 4. The fi rst ti me you

Figure 2: Persuasive Presentation

Persuasi ve Speech Outl i ne

1. Introducti on 2. Speech Body

3. Concl usi on

A rgument # 1 A rgument # 2 A rgument # 3

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l ogi n, you can upl oad al l your assets to show on the cl oud and categori ze them i nto ‘show s’. On the cl i ents’ si de, they w i l l recei ve a l i nk and cl i cki ng on thi s l i nk w i l l take them to your presentati on.

Figure 3: Goodwill Presentation

Source: Google Images

Figure 4: Sales Presentation

Source: Google Images

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 13

Training Presentations Presenters teach a vari ety of ski l l s i n trai ni ng sessi ons that i ncl ude sal es techni ques, diversity in workplace, time management, stress reduction, team building and leadership to the parti ci pants as show n i n Fi gure 5. A set of cl ear l earni ng objecti ves i s cruci al . It i s i mportant that one shoul d ful l y study and prepare the i nformati on that i s bei ng presented. Vi sual ai ds are a key i ngredi ent to any successful trai ni ng presentati on. It i s al so a great i dea to i ncorporate vi deo i nto trai ni ng.

Entertainment Presentations It i s pl anned to i nform, bui l d a posi ti ve i mage and create goodw i l l . Entertai nment presentations are scheduled by cl ubs, adul t educati on programs and social organizations i n a w eekl y or monthl y meeti ng. Creati ve openi ng, show i ng i nstead of tel l i ng, usi ng a prop, pl anni ng purposeful movement and breaki ng i t up are the uni que features of this presentati on. Fi gure 6 show s one of the famous entertainments, namely, BLIZZARD.

Political Presentations It i ncl udes l ots of i nformati on and bui l ds goodw i l l . Pol i ti cal presentati ons take on giganti c proporti ons in media-crazed society. Poli ti ci ans present the right i mage, deli ver the ri ght message i n the ri ght context and format and devel op the ri ght rapport w i th each audi ence segment (see Fi gure 7). They are supposed to take a posi ti on and bui l d a netw ork and l earn how to present the message w el l and do i t better than the competi ti on. They shoul d l earn how to use mi crophones, fi rst be human, tal k to the audi ence not to notes, shoul d not l ook angry, focus on rel evance, concl ude, smil e, and make them l augh, reframe the questi on and be prepared.

Figure 5: Training Presentation

Source: Google Images

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Image Building Presentations These presentati ons are i nformati ve, entertai ni ng and goodw i l l -ori ented. Image bui l di ng presentati on represents an effort to posi ti on a company or an i ndi vi dual as

Figure 7: Political Presentation

Source: Google Images

Figure 6: Entertainment Presentation

Source: Google Images

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 15

a l eader i n an i ndustry or a fi el d. They are used as l aunchi ng pads for extensi ve publ i c rel ati ons and publ i ci ty efforts. It i s i nnovati ve and dynami c that l eads to grow th- ori ented organi zati on. Fi gure 8 represents the pi ctori al i mages i n ri ght formats.

M otivational Presentations M oti vati onal presenter know s w hat makes the audi ence ti ck and zero i n on thei r hot buttons. They use hi gh energy presenti ng tacti cs i n order to capture the audi ence’s attenti on for the enti re message li ke political candi date’s presentations, spi ritual l eaders, school superi ntendent and real estate broker. M any parti ci pants remember thei r presenters w ho i nspi red them and made a di fference i n thei r l i ves and sai d they woul d sti l l l i ke to l i sten to them. Those presenters w ho are enthusi asti c and passi onate about presenti ng can make an everl asti ng i nfl uence on thei r parti ci pants. Fi gure 9 portrays the step-up process of the l earners i n moti vati onal aspect.

Interview Presentations It i ncl udes presentati ons by company spokesperson, pol i ti cal candi date, w ri ter, arti st, i nventor or other experts appeari ng on a radi o or tel evi si on tal k show or i ntervi ew ed for a magazi ne or new spaper. A job i ntervi ew i s another presentati on form w here the presenter i denti fi es the i mmedi ate audi ence. From w ri ti ng notes and l earni ng as much as you can by heart, to practicing the tone of your voi ce, there i s plenty to thi nk about. So find your smartest outfit, give your hair a brush and look your best. Structure is the most important thing to get right if you want to keep the interviewer’s attention. Make sure your body language i s perfect and that you maintai n eye contact throughout to keep the interviewer’s attention. Figure 10 depi cts the presentation i n the form of several attri butes li ke rel ati on, clarifi cation, convenience, dramatizati on, customi zation and effectiveness.

Figure 8: I mage Building Presentation

Source: Google Images

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Figure 9: M otivational Presentation

Figure 10: I nterview Presentation

Source: Google Images

Source: Google Images

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 17

Tips for Effective Presentation in an Organization • Start w i th the end i n mi nd: We shoul d thi nk about the purpose of tal k,

audi ence expectati on, and i mportant parts of topi c, ti me of presentati on and transfer of i nformati on.

• Know your audience w el l: It refers to audience backgrounds, purpose of event and venue of presentation. Presentati on preparati on starts w ith soli d content w hi ch i s appropri ate and connects w i th the audi ence.

• Keep i t si mpl e: Si mpl e i s hard for the presenter but i t w i l l be appreci ated by the audi ence. Si mpl i ci ty takes more forethought and planni ng the essence of message.

• Outl i ni ng content: The best presenters scratch out thei r i deas and objecti ves w ith a pen and paper on a l arge w hite board that makes them feel uninhibi ted and creati ve. Key poi nts are outl i ned and qui ck i deas are vi sual i zed through charts or photos i n the Pow erPoi nt.

• Art of storytel l i ng: Good presentati ons i ncl ude stori es as they are easy to remember for audi ence. The presenter comes up w i th good, short, i nteresting stori es or exampl es to support major poi nts. Good stori es have cl ear begi nni ngs, engagi ng content and l ogi cal concl usi on.

• Confi dence for presentati on: The presenter shoul d bui l d l ogi cal fl ow of presentati on, desi gn professi onal and appropri ate supporti ng materi al s. One shoul d rehearse w i th computer and projector several ti mes to mel t aw ay nervousness and reduce anxi ety that devel ops confi dence.

Challenges for Communication The fol l ow i ng are the chal l enges for communi cati on:

• Understandi ng the needs of the cl i ent (25%).

• Ti me to prepare properl y (22%).

• Ski l l s for the new technol ogy (14%).

• Choosi ng the ri ght type of vi sual s (11%).

• Benchmarki ng competi tors (8%).

• Publ i c speaki ng ski l l s (8%).

• Trai ni ng the team members (7%).

• Getti ng the team to rehearse (5%).

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Business Presentation Skills Usual l y, for an opportuni ty to present organi zati on’s i deas, products, and/or servi ces to the audi ence, one needs to w ork on i t for months, for the presentati on i s thei r bi g moment. Whi l e presenti ng one needs to compete w i th other’s thoughts, questions, and concerns. The i ntended message shoul d compete w i th al l the uni ntended messages. Therefore, one of the i mportant attri butes for successful peopl e i n busi ness today i s the abi l i ty to present w el l . Today, i t i s not just w hat you know that counts but how you present your know l edge to the w orl d. Del i veri ng accompl i shed presentati ons i s a vi tal ski l l i n anyone’s armory. Presentati ons can be represented i n w i de vari eti es in the form of fi gures, graphs and charts. Certai n il l ustrations of company’s sales performance w i th rel evance to busi ness presentati on trends and busi ness presentati on ski l l s are show n i n Fi gures 11 and Exhi bi t 1, respecti vel y.

Fi gure 12 depi cts the sal es grow th of product X over products Y and Z i n 6 months’ ti me i nterval i n an i ncreasi ng trend.

In Fi gure 13, the i ndi vi dual grow th patterns of di fferent products have been presented over 6 months’ ti me peri od i n a consi stent manner.

The pi ctori al representati on of sal es i n di fferent months i s di spl ayed i n Fi gure 14 i n w hi ch the month of June hol ds the maxi mum grow th capaci ty comparati vel y.

Figure 11: Company’s Business Trend

Source: Google Images

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 19

Figure 12: Sales Growth Patterns

4 0

3 5

3 0

2 5

2 0

1 5

1 0

5

0

Sa le

s in

$ m

n

Product Z

Product Y

Product X

January February M arch A pri l M ay June

Exhibit 1: Business Presentation Skills

Structure Have a l ogi cal

order: i ntroducti on, mi ddl e w i th your mai n poi nts and a

conclusi on

Practice Practi ce beforehand i n front of a mi rror, w i th a recorder or i n front of a fri end

Body Language Smi l e, make eye contact, stand up strai ght and move

around a bi t. Do not hi de behi nd the

podi um!

Notes and Handouts Have bri ef notes on

postcard si zed cards. Have a handout that

the audi ence can take aw ay afterw ards

Presentation Skills Bruce Woodcock (bw @kent.ac.uk

Uni versi ty of Kent Careers)

Speech Speak cl earl y,

confi dentl y, conci sel y and not too fast. Use

everyday l anguage rather than jargon

Pow erPoint Keep sl i des cl ean and si mpl e. Do not have l ots of text on each sl i de. Use charts,

di agrams and pi ctures

I nteraction Bui l d a rapport w i th your audi ence. Get them i nvol ved by

aski ng and encouragi ng questi ons. Use humor i f

appropri ate

Nervousness It i s normal to be a bi t

nervous: this helps make you more energi zed.

Preparati on and practice w il l reduce nerves!

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Conclusion Presentati ons can have mul ti pl e uses and a l ong shel f l i fe on a vari ety of pl atforms. They are the personi fi cati on of content and push out i nformati on about busi nesses or a company. It i s equal l y i mportant to use cl ear, preci se, appropri ate, dynami c and pl easi ng si mpl e l anguage. Wal t Whi tman w rote i n Leaves of Grass, “ The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshi ne of the l i ght of letters, i s si mpl i city” . Easy grammar and simple, concrete, speci fic, vivi d and sensory vocabulary is listener-friendl y. Personal l anguage (I, We, You, Sung, Shi ntaro, etc.) i s better than i mpersonal l anguage (one,

Figure 13: Six M onths’ Sales Performance

4 0 3 5

3 0

2 5

2 0 1 5

1 0

5

January February M arch A pri l M ay June

Product X Product Y Product Z

0

Figure 14: Sales Contribution

June

M ay

A pri l

M arch

February

January

9%

12%

14%

18%

22%

25%

The Importance of Effective Presentation for Organizational Success 21

somebody, a person, peopl e, etc.). M oreover, verbs are more effecti ve than nouns. Tones, pauses, si l ences, sentence stress, gestures, faci al expressi ons, and postures convey messages and atti tudes. Fi nal l y, you shoul d w el come questi ons from the audi ence and answ er them. You can answ er most questions usi ng your common sense and experience.

If you foll ow the steps and ti ps offered i n this paper, you wil l be able to make effecti ve presentati ons. In the present competi ti ve envi ronment, presentati on pl ays a vi tal rol e i n the successful grow th of i ndi vi dual s as w el l as organi zati ons. Hence, the study highlighted several forms of presentati ons in today’s dynami c context. It al so enumerated certai n ti ps to be fol l ow ed by organi zati ons for success i n contemporary busi ness si tuations.

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Internati onal Journal of Busi ness Management, Vol . 1, No. 1, p. 245. 3. Rotondo J and Rotondo M (2001), Presentati on Ski lls for Managers, M cGraw -Hi l l ,

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Ph.D. Di ssertati on, pp. 26-40, Uni versi ty of Fl ori da. 6. Yamashi ro A D and Johnson J (1997), “ Publ ic Speaki ng in EFL: Elements for Course

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