Essentials of Business Communication 9e

Chapter 12
Business Presentations
Essentials of
Business
Communication 9e
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy

© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
The Benefits of Speaking Well
▪ Standing out from the rest.
▪ Career advancement and enhancement.
▪ An employee who is polished and

confident in public speaking and

presentation is given an added
advantage.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 12, Slide 3
Oral Presentations: Preparation
Know your purpose.

▪ What do you want your
audience to believe,
remember, or do when you

finish?
Oral Presentations: Preparation
Know your audience.

▪ Friendly, neutral, uninterested,
hostile?
▪ How to gain credibility?
▪ How to relate this information to their

needs?
▪ How to make them remember your
main points?
Oral Presentations: Organization
The Introduction
▪ Capture listeners’ attention and get them

involved.
▪ Identify yourself and establish your

credibility.
▪ Preview your main points.
Capturing the Audience’s Attention
▪ Captivating Story
▪ Gripping Photo
▪ Eye contact—command
attention by making eye
contact with as many

people as possible.
▪ Movement—leave the lectern area. Move toward the audience.
▪ Questions—ask for a show of hands. Use a question.
▪ Demonstrations—include a member of the audience.

▪ Samples, gimmicks—award prizes to volunteer participants;

pass out samples.
▪ Visuals—use graphics and other visual
aids.
▪ Dress—professional dress helps you

look more competent and qualified.
▪ Appeal to audience’s self-interest—

audience members want to know, “What's
in it for me?”
Building Credibility
▪ Education
▪ Work experience
▪ Background
▪ Years with company or in industry
▪ Self-confidence
▪ Eye contact
▪ Clothing
The Body
▪ Develop two to four main points. Streamline your topic and
summarize its principal parts.
▪ Support your main points.
▪ Arrange the points logically by a pattern.
▪ Prepare transitions to guide the audience.
▪ Prepare transitions as “bridge” statements between major

points (I’ve just discussed three reasons for X; now I
want to move to Y).
▪ Keep your audience interested and involved

throughout the presentation.
The Conclusion
▪ Summarize your main themes.
▪ Leave the audience with a specific and memorable take-

away.
▪ Include a statement that allows you to depart the podium

gracefully and leaves a lasting impression.
▪ Be prepared to answer questions.

Handling Audience Questions
▪ Tell audience in the beginning of your presentation that you’ll

be taking questions at the end.
▪ Pause at the end of your conclusion before asking for

questions.
▪ Keep control.
▪ Call on audience members.
Handling Audience Questions
▪ Repeat each question before answering.
▪ Direct answers to the entire audience, not just the person who
asked the question.
▪ If you don’t know an answer, admit it and offer to find the

answer later. Follow up!
Oral Presentations: Rapport
Analogies
Worst- and
best-case
scenarios Building Audience
Rapport with
Effective Imagery
Personalized
statistics Similes
Personal
anecdotes
Building Rapport Like a Pro
Effective Imagery
Analogy – a comparison of something familiar with something

unfamiliar.
To understand how the heart is divided, imagine a

house with two rooms upstairs and two downstairs.
Effective Imagery
▪ Simile – a comparison that includes the words like or as
His mind works like a computer.

Other Ways to Connect With an Audience
▪ Personal anecdotes
▪ Personalized statistics
▪ Worst- and best-case scenarios
Oral Presentations: Rapport
Sending Positive Nonverbal Messages
▪ Look professional.
▪ Animate your body.
▪ Speak impromptu.
▪ Punctuate your words.

▪ Use appropriate eye contact.
▪ Get out from behind the podium.
▪ Vary your facial expressions.
Oral Presentations: Visual Aids
Multimedia
slides
Objects
for
demonstration Enhancing
Presentations
With Visual
Aids
Video Handouts
Flipcharts
or
whiteboards
Selecting the Medium
▪ Consider the size of the audience and the degree of formality
desired.
▪ Consider cost, ease of preparation, and potential effectiveness.
Highlighting Main Ideas
▪ Focus on major concepts only.
▪ Avoid overkill. Showing too many graphics reduces

effectiveness.
▪ Keep all visuals simple.
▪ Make sure visuals add something of value to

the presentation.
Ensuring Visibility
▪ Use large type for slides.
▪ Position the screen high enough to be seen.

▪ Don’t include too much information on visual.
▪ Be sure all audience members will be able to see.
Enhancing Comprehension
▪ Don’t rush through visuals too quickly; make sure audience

has enough time to digest each slide.
▪ Paraphrase its verbal message; don’t read it.

▪ Elaborate on each bullet point. Give your audience more

than the slides provide.
▪ Proofread all visuals carefully.
Practicing the Use of Visual Aids
▪ Rehearse your talk, perfecting your handling of the visual

aids.
▪ Practice talking to the audience and not to the visual.

▪ Test equipment in advance.
▪ Have a Plan B!
Multimedia Presentations
Anticipate your audience.
▪ Best colors to use?

▪ Animation?
▪ Sound effects?
▪ Other special effects?
Compose your slideshow.
Create a slide only if it does the following:
▪ Generates interest in what you are saying.
▪ Helps audience follow your ideas.
▪ Highlights points you want audience to remember.

▪ Introduces or reviews key points.
▪ Provides a transition between points.
▪ Illustrates and simplifies complex ideas.
Multimedia Presentations: Templates
▪ Templates combine harmonious colors, borders, bullet styles,

and fonts.
▪ Select or create a template to serve as background.
▪ Avoid visual clichés; find a fresh template that matches your

purpose.
▪ Choose layout and design.
Adapt your text and color selections.
▪ Darkened rooms: use light text on dark background.

▪ Lighted rooms: use dark text on light background.
Organize your slides.
▪ Translate major headings into slide titles.

▪ Build bullet points with short phrases.
▪ Use visual elements to help audience
understand and remember.
Build bullet points.

6-x-6 rule: Maximum of six bullets per screen, six
words per bullet
NOTE: Breaking this rule

is sometimes necessary,
especially when users will
be viewing slides without
speaker assistance.
Build bullet points.
▪ Focus on major concepts only.
▪ Use concise phrases balanced grammatically.

▪ Add graphics to illustrate and add interest.
▪ Avoid using too many transition effects.
Market Minders’ research methodology
Market Minders uses a systematic and collaborative approach to
measure brand awareness of our clients’ products. First, we work
with our clients to establish the purpose of the research. Then we
design the study. Once that is complete, we work with our clients to
determine who should respond and how many respondents are
necessary. Then, an estimated timeline is created. Finally, we

develop the survey instrument, execute the survey according to the
timeline, and meet with our clients to present the results.
How Market Minders researches awareness of your
brand
Market Minders will work collaboratively with you to:
▪ Design a targeted research study and identify appropriate
respondents.
▪ Design a survey instrument and conduct the survey according
to an agreed timeline.
▪ Analyze and present results.

Chapter 12, Slide 37
Revise, proofread, and evaluate the slides.
▪ Strive for clarity and conciseness.
▪ Edit wording to achieve parallel form.

▪ Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
▪ Make color choices visually appealing.
Use PowerPoint effectively.
▪ Prepare and practice thoroughly.

▪ Allow plenty of time to set up and test equipment.
▪ Always bring backups.

▪ Know your material.
▪ Look at the audience,
not the screen.
▪ Allow audience time to

absorb the information.
▪ Do not read from a slide. Paraphrase.
▪ Leave the lights in the room as bright as
possible.
▪ Use a radio remote control to advance slides.

▪ Use a laser pointer to
highlight slide items.
▪ Don’t rely totally on your

slides. Remember that the
audience came to see and hear you.
Oral Presentations: Delivery
Delivery Method
▪ If you are using a slideshow, practice thoroughly so that

you can speak impromptu without notes.
▪ If you are speaking without a slideshow,

use notes but try to talk to the audience conversationally.
▪ Beware of reading from your notes: BORING!
Oral Presentations: Delivery
Stage Fright: Symptoms
▪ Stomach
butterflies
▪ Pounding heart
▪ Shortage of ▪ Dry throat

breath ▪ Unsteady voice
▪ Sweaty ▪ Trembling hands
palms ▪ Tied tongue
▪ Wobbly knees
Combating Stage Fright
▪ Select a familiar, relevant topic.

▪ Prepare 150 percent.
▪ Use positive self-talk.
▪ Convert your fear into
anticipation and enthusiasm.

▪ Take a sip of water if your
throat is dry.
▪ Shift the focus from yourself to
your visual aids.
Combating Stage Fright
▪ Realize that it’s okay to make

an occasional mistake.
▪ Ignore stumbles. Don’t
apologize—just keep going.
▪ Don't tell the audience that

you're nervous.
▪ Feel proud when you finish.
▪ Reward yourself.
How Do You Deliver And Evaluate The
Presentation?
Set The Stage
▪ Practice (aloud).
▪ Dress for the part and dress with care.

▪ Arrive early and warm up.
▪ Set up all equipment.
▪ Decide where you will stand.
Presentation?
Set The Stage
▪ Keep the lights up and attention on you.
▪ Have water available.

Presentation?
Control your body
▪ Hands loose at your side.
▪ Knees and elbows relaxed.

▪ Weight balanced on both feet.
▪ Feet shoulder-width apart.
Practicing Your Presentation
▪ Practice in front of a small group

using your notes.
▪ Ask for honest feedback.

▪ Record or videotape yourself.
▪ Time yourself.
Putting It All Together
Before During After

your your your
presentation presentation presentation
Before
▪ Prepare thoroughly.
▪ Rehearse repeatedly.
▪
Time yourself.
▪ Dress professionally.
▪ Check the room.
▪ Greet members of the audience.
▪ Practice stress reduction.
During
▪ Begin with a pause.
▪ Present your first sentence from memory.

▪ Maintain eye contact.
▪ Control your voice and vocabulary.
▪ Skip the apologies.

During
▪ Incorporate pauses when appropriate.
▪ Move naturally.
▪ Use visual aids effectively.
▪ Summarize your main points.
▪ Show enthusiasm for your topic.
After
▪ Distribute handouts.
▪ Encourage questions.
▪ Repeat questions.
▪ Keep control.
▪ Reinforce your main points.
▪ Avoid Yes, but answers.
▪ End with a summary and appreciation.
END
Essentials of
Business
Communication 9e
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy


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Chapter 12

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy

▪ Standing out from the rest.

▪ Career advancement and enhancement.

▪ An employee who is polished and

confident in public speaking and

Know your purpose.

remember, or do when you

Know your audience.

▪ How to relate this information to their

▪ Capture listeners’ attention and get them

▪ Identify yourself and establish your

▪ Preview your main points.

contact with as many

▪ Movement—leave the lectern area. Move toward the audience.

▪ Questions—ask for a show of hands. Use a question.

▪ Demonstrations—include a member of the audience.

▪ Samples, gimmicks—award prizes to volunteer participants;

▪ Dress—professional dress helps you

look more competent and qualified.

▪ Appeal to audience’s self-interest—

▪ Support your main points.

▪ Arrange the points logically by a pattern.

▪ Prepare transitions to guide the audience.

▪ Prepare transitions as “bridge” statements between major

▪ Keep your audience interested and involved

▪ Leave the audience with a specific and memorable take-

▪ Include a statement that allows you to depart the podium

▪ Be prepared to answer questions.

▪ Tell audience in the beginning of your presentation that you’ll

▪ Pause at the end of your conclusion before asking for

▪ Call on audience members.

▪ Repeat each question before answering.

▪ If you don’t know an answer, admit it and offer to find the

Analogy – a comparison of something familiar with something

To understand how the heart is divided, imagine a

▪ Simile – a comparison that includes the words like or as

His mind works like a computer.

▪ Worst- and best-case scenarios

▪ Punctuate your words.

▪ Consider the size of the audience and the degree of formality

▪ Consider cost, ease of preparation, and potential effectiveness.

▪ Focus on major concepts only.

▪ Avoid overkill. Showing too many graphics reduces

▪ Keep all visuals simple.

▪ Make sure visuals add something of value to

▪ Use large type for slides.

▪ Position the screen high enough to be seen.

▪ Don’t include too much information on visual.

▪ Be sure all audience members will be able to see.

▪ Don’t rush through visuals too quickly; make sure audience

▪ Paraphrase its verbal message; don’t read it.

▪ Elaborate on each bullet point. Give your audience more

▪ Proofread all visuals carefully.

▪ Rehearse your talk, perfecting your handling of the visual

▪ Practice talking to the audience and not to the visual.

▪ Test equipment in advance.

Anticipate your audience.

▪ Best colors to use?