TOPIC 4 MAKING PRESENTATIONS
08 OUMH2203_topic04
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Use appropriate techniques to structure the content of a talk or
presentation;
2. Explain the impact of factors such as audience awareness, visual aids
and non-verbal cues on presentations; and
3. Plan and present a short talk on a given topic.
INTRODUCTION
This topic offers a variety of exercises that will help to hone your skills in making
effective presentations. It explains the format and structure of good
presentations, and highlights some of the more salient features of interpersonal
communication. There are also lots of activities that will give you practice in
making effective oral presentations.
4.1 PRESENTATION POINTERS
Figure 4.1: Adopt a presentation style which suits your audience
Source: [Keeping The Audience's Attention Is Key]. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from: http://oralpresentationskills.com/
It is important to note that in presentations, how you project yourself is just as
important as what you are presenting. You need to consider the context in
which a presentation is being made and adopt an approach that suits the type of
audience you expect to encounter (please refer to Figure 4.1). To help ensure that
your presentation is successful, ask yourself the following questions:
? Why am I giving this presentation?
? What do I hope to achieve?
? How much does the audience already know about the subject?
? What are some of the visual aids I can use to make a point?
? What are the needs and expectations of the audience?
? How can I make my talk interesting?
The next few sections will explore some useful techniques for making effective
presentations.
ACTIVITY 4.1
Have you ever given a presentation at your workplace? If so, please
share your experience.
How did you feel before, during and after the presentation?
4.2 PLANNING
A crucial element to making effective presentations is proper planning. You need
to systematically sort your ideas out before giving the actual presentation itself.
This means that you need to plan your talk carefully. Your plan should encompass
two aspects - the structure of your subject matter or content (what you are going to
present, that is, the arrangement of the ideas and facts that you are going to
present) and the structure of the presentation ( how you are going to present
your subject matter).
4.2.1 Structuring Subject Matter
When planning for a talk or presentation, begin by gathering information on the
topic. Read, do research, talk to colleagues or peers and conduct your own
brainstorming session to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Next,
sort out the information and arrange all the ideas in a clear, logical framework.
Your talk will be more effective if it has a consistent theme and clear objectives.
There are several techniques which you can use to structure your ideas, for
example, mind mapping, outlining and using specific organisational patterns.
(a) Mind mapping
Start by writing or copying down the central idea on the page. Then, develop
the theme by drawing branches that lead out from the central idea. Gradually
expand each section by using sub-branches. An example of mind mapping is
given in Figure 4.2.
Figure 4.2: An example of mind mapping
(b) Outlining
This technique encourages you to think in a linear fashion. First, you
come up with a macro structure and then, you start filling in the details. An
example of the use of this technique is given in Figure 4.3.
Figure 4.3: An example of outlining
(c) Use of organisational patterns
The content of your talk can also be outlined or presented according to
specific organisational patterns, some of which are described below:
(i) Chronological order
Using time as a framework. This is useful for narratives, sequences,
processes or series of events.
(ii) Spatial order
This may be used for describing buildings, places or locations.
(iii) Topical order
This is useful when you have a number of specific topics or subtopics
for your talk; you may begin with the most important topic and
end with the least important.
(iv) Comparison-contrast order
For this, you organise the information according to the similarities
and/or differences between the various subjects you wish to talk about,
as well as the positive and negative aspects of a subject or topic.
(v) Cause-effect order
This pattern organises information according to the causes and
effects of an action or initiative.
(vi) Problem-solution order
For this structure, your talk will focus on a sequence of
problems and their respective solutions.
Examine the presentation format in Table 4.1 and discuss the organisational
pattern used:
Table 4.1: Presentation Format
Step 1 Introduce yourself.
Step 2 Give the topic and the estimated amount of time for the presentation.
Step 3 Give an outline of the talk, that is, explain how the presentation is
organised:
(i) Topic A.
(ii) Topic B.
(iii) Topic C, etc.
Tell the audience when they can ask questions whether they can
interrupt during the presentation or can only ask questions at the end of
the presentation.
Step 4 Give your talk, referring to visuals wherever necessary
(i) Talk about topic A
(ii) Summarise topic A
(iii) Repeat for all the topics
Step 5 Summarise the main points of the whole presentation.
Step 6 Conclude with a powerful statement and allow questions.
4.2.2 Structuring the Presentation
When you structure a presentation, you need to look at various aspects of
interpersonal communication, in particular, the factors that will improve its
effectiveness. Some of these factors are described below.
(a) Audience Awareness
An important thing to remember when giving a talk or presentation is to focus
on the needs and temperament of the audience. If the audience comprises
senior decision-makers in your organisation such as your superiors, it is
important to showcase your expertise. For this type of audience, you need to
be well prepared and should always present an assertive and positive front.
On the other hand, if the audience is made up mainly of your peers, you will
need to rely on goodwill and professionalism to drive home your points. For
this, you will have to appear enthusiastic and natural, without sounding
patronising or lacking in confidence.
If you are speaking to a mixed audience, you will have to pitch your talk
according to the requirements of the talk itself. But your talk will definitely be
more effective if you understand how the different groups in your audience
relate to one another, what binds them together, and how they may benefit
from your talk.
ACTIVITY 4.2
Why is it necessary to consider audience awareness when you make a
presentation?
(b) Effective Opening Lines
The opening lines of your talk can sometimes influence the way your speech is
received. Effective opening lines help to create the right impression and capture
the attention of the audience.
Remember that you need to get them to sit up and take note of what you say.
You can lose your audience with a weak opening line.
Some examples of strong opening lines are:
? Let me begin by telling you a story on computer communication networks.
? Today, I am going to talk about an innovation that has saved us much time
and money.
(c) Appropriate Visual Aids
The use of appropriate visual aids can make your talk more persuasive,
interesting and professional (please refer to Figure 4.4). They can help your
audience follow your ideas more closely and prevent boredom from
setting in.
You can use visual aids to emphasise each point as it is discussed or as an
outline of your talk. However, in order for visuals to add to the meaning
and effectiveness of your talk, the audience should not have to spend a lot
of time reading or interpreting them.
Some of the more common visuals include graphs, charts, drawings, maps,
lists, diagrams, photographs and cartoons. The content that you wish to
depict in the visuals may be statistical data, quotes, definitions, objects and
models.
Figure 4.4: Visual aids greatly enhance your presentation
Source: [Clip art of presenter with visual aid]. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from:
http://www.presentation-skills.biz/c/visual-aids
(d) Non-verbal communication
Very often, you need to rely on non-verbal cues or body language to get the
message across to your audience. This refers to your posture, how you
move and what you do with your arms, feet and eyes when delivering your
presentation. For example, the way you smile in response to a question
from a member of the audience may send one of the following messages:
(i) Friendliness the audience may think you do not mind being
questioned; or
(ii) Ridicule they may think you are making fun of them or assuming
that they are poorly informed.
It is thus important to be aware of the impact of your facial expressions,
posture and movements during the presentation. You may wish to heed
these simple rules:
? Maintain frequent eye contact with everyone in the room;
? Smile, nod and move your arms moderately or only when necessary;
? Maintain voice control so that you are neither shouting nor speaking too
softly; and
? Maintain a reasonable distance from individual members of the audience,
even when you are pointing to something they have written or are reading.
ACTIVITY 4.3
Why is it important for a presentation to have structure?
ACTIVITY 4.4
1. Think back to a presentation which you thought was really good
and note down ONE reason why it was so good.
2. Do the same for the worst presentation you have ever heard.
In OUMH 1303 (English for Oral Communication), you studied about techniques for
making oral presentations. Think back to some of the tips you picked up during that
course. Do you remember learning about signpost phrases? Signpost phrases are short
phrases that signal to the audience the direction that your presentation is taking.
Below are some signpost phrases that you can use the next time you give a
presentation:
? Today, IÊm going to talk to you about ...
? LetÊs start by looking at ...
? Have a look at this next slide.
? LetÊs move on to ...
? IÊll return to this in a moment.
? The point here is ...
? Any questions?
? As I said previously ...
? Finally, ...
? So, to sum up ...
ACTIVITY 4.5
Fill in the blanks with the phrases/words in the box.
I will share have any to summarise going to talk look at this
questions column
move on all I have to to introduce thank you shown in
say this
the regional the next are there any were those it is
coordinator hour that appealed important
1. Starting a talk:
I would like myself. I am Durai Kumar and I am
____________.
2. Introducing the topic:
I am about how we can boost our sales figures.
3. Explaining organisation of talk:
In , I will focus on the trends in TV advertising. At
the end of the talk, _____ some recommendations. If you
, please save them for the end.
4. Referring to visual aids:
As chart, the least persuasive types of ads last
year __ to human emotions. If you _ , you
will see what I mean.
5. Moving on to a new topic:
Let us to the most important part, the
recommendations. First, to choose the right media for
advertising.
6. Summarise:
So , I would like you to think of the four main
things I said today.
7. Conclude:
Well, that is for the moment.
for listening. questions?
4.3 THE PRESENTATION PROPER
Below are some tips to take note of if you want your presentation to be effective.
(a) Be clear about the objectives of your presentation.
(b) Structure the content in a simple, logical manner.
(c) Have a strong opening statement.
(d) Use relevant examples to illustrate your points.
(e) Choose appropriate visuals to support the presentation.
(f) Show enthusiasm.
(g) Consider the audience and adapt according to their needs and expectations.
(h) Listen carefully to questions and ask for clarification if necessary.
(i) Be polite.
The next few activities will highlight the diverse presentation issues that could
impact upon the effectiveness of presentations. Brainstorm in pairs; then discuss
your findings.
ACTIVITY 4.6
Think, Pair, Share:
1. Some people like to read their presentations word for word.
Others prefer to write brief notes and speak freely. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of each method? Discuss.
2. Some speakers like to invite questions from the audience during
their presentation while others prefer to wait till the end. Which
do you prefer? Why?
3. Some people like to use a lot of Powerpoint slides while others
prefer to use as few visual aids as possible. What is your
preference? Explain.
4. Some people like to structure their presentation loosely so that
they can move around, interacting with the audience and
responding to their questions and interests. Other people like to
follow a clear, rigid structure with a more formal style. What are
the advantages and disadvantages of each? Explain.
5. Examine the following four situations. In groups of three or
four, carry out the activities that follow.
(i) You have to give a talk at a (ii) You are going to give a talk to
conference in London where the Purchasing and Product
many of the worldÊs leading Managers of a Kuwaiti
economists will be present. company interested in buying
some equipment from your
company.
(iii) You have to lead a group (iv) You are to address a mixed
discussion on a new bus audience at your Community
route for your factory Hall to discuss a charity event
workers. Some of your for earthquake victims.
administrative staff will be
present.
(a) Discuss the four situations above in terms of the type of
audience and the level of formality that is required for each
situation.
(b) Based on one of the six types of organisational patterns
described in section 4.2.1 (chronological order, spatial order,
etc.), plan and present a five-minute talk on one of the above
topics. Select appropriate visual aids to support the points you
wish to make, e.g. charts, diagrams or a slide show.
? Often, the format, content and structure of a presentation determine the
extent to which we are able to convince, direct, lead and inform others of
something that is significant to a work situation.
? In this topic, various exercises were designed to help you make effective oral
presentations and allow you to play a greater role in interpersonal
communication at the workplace. The topic focused on appropriate
techniques which you can use to structure a presentation, as well as different
organisational patterns that can be adopted for effective delivery.
? Finally, this topic provided information on many important issues such as
audience awareness, the use of a variety of visual aids and the impact of non-
verbal cues.
Cause-effect order
Outlining
Chronological order
Problem-solution order
Comparison-contrast order
Spatial order
Mind mapping
Topical order
08 OUMH2203_topic04
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Use appropriate techniques to structure the content of a talk or
presentation;
2. Explain the impact of factors such as audience awareness, visual aids
and non-verbal cues on presentations; and
3. Plan and present a short talk on a given topic.
INTRODUCTION
This topic offers a variety of exercises that will help to hone your skills in making
effective presentations. It explains the format and structure of good
presentations, and highlights some of the more salient features of interpersonal
communication. There are also lots of activities that will give you practice in
making effective oral presentations.
4.1 PRESENTATION POINTERS
Figure 4.1: Adopt a presentation style which suits your audience
Source: [Keeping The Audience's Attention Is Key]. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from: http://oralpresentationskills.com/
It is important to note that in presentations, how you project yourself is just as
important as what you are presenting. You need to consider the context in
which a presentation is being made and adopt an approach that suits the type of
audience you expect to encounter (please refer to Figure 4.1). To help ensure that
your presentation is successful, ask yourself the following questions:
? Why am I giving this presentation?
? What do I hope to achieve?
? How much does the audience already know about the subject?
? What are some of the visual aids I can use to make a point?
? What are the needs and expectations of the audience?
? How can I make my talk interesting?
The next few sections will explore some useful techniques for making effective
presentations.
ACTIVITY 4.1
Have you ever given a presentation at your workplace? If so, please
share your experience.
How did you feel before, during and after the presentation?
4.2 PLANNING
A crucial element to making effective presentations is proper planning. You need
to systematically sort your ideas out before giving the actual presentation itself.
This means that you need to plan your talk carefully. Your plan should encompass
two aspects - the structure of your subject matter or content (what you are going to
present, that is, the arrangement of the ideas and facts that you are going to
present) and the structure of the presentation ( how you are going to present
your subject matter).
4.2.1 Structuring Subject Matter
When planning for a talk or presentation, begin by gathering information on the
topic. Read, do research, talk to colleagues or peers and conduct your own
brainstorming session to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Next,
sort out the information and arrange all the ideas in a clear, logical framework.
Your talk will be more effective if it has a consistent theme and clear objectives.
There are several techniques which you can use to structure your ideas, for
example, mind mapping, outlining and using specific organisational patterns.
(a) Mind mapping
Start by writing or copying down the central idea on the page. Then, develop
the theme by drawing branches that lead out from the central idea. Gradually
expand each section by using sub-branches. An example of mind mapping is
given in Figure 4.2.
Figure 4.2: An example of mind mapping
(b) Outlining
This technique encourages you to think in a linear fashion. First, you
come up with a macro structure and then, you start filling in the details. An
example of the use of this technique is given in Figure 4.3.
Figure 4.3: An example of outlining
(c) Use of organisational patterns
The content of your talk can also be outlined or presented according to
specific organisational patterns, some of which are described below:
(i) Chronological order
Using time as a framework. This is useful for narratives, sequences,
processes or series of events.
(ii) Spatial order
This may be used for describing buildings, places or locations.
(iii) Topical order
This is useful when you have a number of specific topics or subtopics
for your talk; you may begin with the most important topic and
end with the least important.
(iv) Comparison-contrast order
For this, you organise the information according to the similarities
and/or differences between the various subjects you wish to talk about,
as well as the positive and negative aspects of a subject or topic.
(v) Cause-effect order
This pattern organises information according to the causes and
effects of an action or initiative.
(vi) Problem-solution order
For this structure, your talk will focus on a sequence of
problems and their respective solutions.
Examine the presentation format in Table 4.1 and discuss the organisational
pattern used:
Table 4.1: Presentation Format
Step 1 Introduce yourself.
Step 2 Give the topic and the estimated amount of time for the presentation.
Step 3 Give an outline of the talk, that is, explain how the presentation is
organised:
(i) Topic A.
(ii) Topic B.
(iii) Topic C, etc.
Tell the audience when they can ask questions whether they can
interrupt during the presentation or can only ask questions at the end of
the presentation.
Step 4 Give your talk, referring to visuals wherever necessary
(i) Talk about topic A
(ii) Summarise topic A
(iii) Repeat for all the topics
Step 5 Summarise the main points of the whole presentation.
Step 6 Conclude with a powerful statement and allow questions.
4.2.2 Structuring the Presentation
When you structure a presentation, you need to look at various aspects of
interpersonal communication, in particular, the factors that will improve its
effectiveness. Some of these factors are described below.
(a) Audience Awareness
An important thing to remember when giving a talk or presentation is to focus
on the needs and temperament of the audience. If the audience comprises
senior decision-makers in your organisation such as your superiors, it is
important to showcase your expertise. For this type of audience, you need to
be well prepared and should always present an assertive and positive front.
On the other hand, if the audience is made up mainly of your peers, you will
need to rely on goodwill and professionalism to drive home your points. For
this, you will have to appear enthusiastic and natural, without sounding
patronising or lacking in confidence.
If you are speaking to a mixed audience, you will have to pitch your talk
according to the requirements of the talk itself. But your talk will definitely be
more effective if you understand how the different groups in your audience
relate to one another, what binds them together, and how they may benefit
from your talk.
ACTIVITY 4.2
Why is it necessary to consider audience awareness when you make a
presentation?
(b) Effective Opening Lines
The opening lines of your talk can sometimes influence the way your speech is
received. Effective opening lines help to create the right impression and capture
the attention of the audience.
Remember that you need to get them to sit up and take note of what you say.
You can lose your audience with a weak opening line.
Some examples of strong opening lines are:
? Let me begin by telling you a story on computer communication networks.
? Today, I am going to talk about an innovation that has saved us much time
and money.
(c) Appropriate Visual Aids
The use of appropriate visual aids can make your talk more persuasive,
interesting and professional (please refer to Figure 4.4). They can help your
audience follow your ideas more closely and prevent boredom from
setting in.
You can use visual aids to emphasise each point as it is discussed or as an
outline of your talk. However, in order for visuals to add to the meaning
and effectiveness of your talk, the audience should not have to spend a lot
of time reading or interpreting them.
Some of the more common visuals include graphs, charts, drawings, maps,
lists, diagrams, photographs and cartoons. The content that you wish to
depict in the visuals may be statistical data, quotes, definitions, objects and
models.
Figure 4.4: Visual aids greatly enhance your presentation
Source: [Clip art of presenter with visual aid]. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from:
http://www.presentation-skills.biz/c/visual-aids
(d) Non-verbal communication
Very often, you need to rely on non-verbal cues or body language to get the
message across to your audience. This refers to your posture, how you
move and what you do with your arms, feet and eyes when delivering your
presentation. For example, the way you smile in response to a question
from a member of the audience may send one of the following messages:
(i) Friendliness the audience may think you do not mind being
questioned; or
(ii) Ridicule they may think you are making fun of them or assuming
that they are poorly informed.
It is thus important to be aware of the impact of your facial expressions,
posture and movements during the presentation. You may wish to heed
these simple rules:
? Maintain frequent eye contact with everyone in the room;
? Smile, nod and move your arms moderately or only when necessary;
? Maintain voice control so that you are neither shouting nor speaking too
softly; and
? Maintain a reasonable distance from individual members of the audience,
even when you are pointing to something they have written or are reading.
ACTIVITY 4.3
Why is it important for a presentation to have structure?
ACTIVITY 4.4
1. Think back to a presentation which you thought was really good
and note down ONE reason why it was so good.
2. Do the same for the worst presentation you have ever heard.
In OUMH 1303 (English for Oral Communication), you studied about techniques for
making oral presentations. Think back to some of the tips you picked up during that
course. Do you remember learning about signpost phrases? Signpost phrases are short
phrases that signal to the audience the direction that your presentation is taking.
Below are some signpost phrases that you can use the next time you give a
presentation:
? Today, IÊm going to talk to you about ...
? LetÊs start by looking at ...
? Have a look at this next slide.
? LetÊs move on to ...
? IÊll return to this in a moment.
? The point here is ...
? Any questions?
? As I said previously ...
? Finally, ...
? So, to sum up ...
ACTIVITY 4.5
Fill in the blanks with the phrases/words in the box.
I will share have any to summarise going to talk look at this
questions column
move on all I have to to introduce thank you shown in
say this
the regional the next are there any were those it is
coordinator hour that appealed important
1. Starting a talk:
I would like myself. I am Durai Kumar and I am
____________.
2. Introducing the topic:
I am about how we can boost our sales figures.
3. Explaining organisation of talk:
In , I will focus on the trends in TV advertising. At
the end of the talk, _____ some recommendations. If you
, please save them for the end.
4. Referring to visual aids:
As chart, the least persuasive types of ads last
year __ to human emotions. If you _ , you
will see what I mean.
5. Moving on to a new topic:
Let us to the most important part, the
recommendations. First, to choose the right media for
advertising.
6. Summarise:
So , I would like you to think of the four main
things I said today.
7. Conclude:
Well, that is for the moment.
for listening. questions?
4.3 THE PRESENTATION PROPER
Below are some tips to take note of if you want your presentation to be effective.
(a) Be clear about the objectives of your presentation.
(b) Structure the content in a simple, logical manner.
(c) Have a strong opening statement.
(d) Use relevant examples to illustrate your points.
(e) Choose appropriate visuals to support the presentation.
(f) Show enthusiasm.
(g) Consider the audience and adapt according to their needs and expectations.
(h) Listen carefully to questions and ask for clarification if necessary.
(i) Be polite.
The next few activities will highlight the diverse presentation issues that could
impact upon the effectiveness of presentations. Brainstorm in pairs; then discuss
your findings.
ACTIVITY 4.6
Think, Pair, Share:
1. Some people like to read their presentations word for word.
Others prefer to write brief notes and speak freely. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of each method? Discuss.
2. Some speakers like to invite questions from the audience during
their presentation while others prefer to wait till the end. Which
do you prefer? Why?
3. Some people like to use a lot of Powerpoint slides while others
prefer to use as few visual aids as possible. What is your
preference? Explain.
4. Some people like to structure their presentation loosely so that
they can move around, interacting with the audience and
responding to their questions and interests. Other people like to
follow a clear, rigid structure with a more formal style. What are
the advantages and disadvantages of each? Explain.
5. Examine the following four situations. In groups of three or
four, carry out the activities that follow.
(i) You have to give a talk at a (ii) You are going to give a talk to
conference in London where the Purchasing and Product
many of the worldÊs leading Managers of a Kuwaiti
economists will be present. company interested in buying
some equipment from your
company.
(iii) You have to lead a group (iv) You are to address a mixed
discussion on a new bus audience at your Community
route for your factory Hall to discuss a charity event
workers. Some of your for earthquake victims.
administrative staff will be
present.
(a) Discuss the four situations above in terms of the type of
audience and the level of formality that is required for each
situation.
(b) Based on one of the six types of organisational patterns
described in section 4.2.1 (chronological order, spatial order,
etc.), plan and present a five-minute talk on one of the above
topics. Select appropriate visual aids to support the points you
wish to make, e.g. charts, diagrams or a slide show.
? Often, the format, content and structure of a presentation determine the
extent to which we are able to convince, direct, lead and inform others of
something that is significant to a work situation.
? In this topic, various exercises were designed to help you make effective oral
presentations and allow you to play a greater role in interpersonal
communication at the workplace. The topic focused on appropriate
techniques which you can use to structure a presentation, as well as different
organisational patterns that can be adopted for effective delivery.
? Finally, this topic provided information on many important issues such as
audience awareness, the use of a variety of visual aids and the impact of non-
verbal cues.
Cause-effect order
Outlining
Chronological order
Problem-solution order
Comparison-contrast order
Spatial order
Mind mapping
Topical order
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