Ch. 7 summary- Designing Oral Presentations

For most people in the business world, the day will come when they have to deliver an oral presentation in front of an audience. Delivering a good presentation is not a piece of cake; it requires a great deal of hard work. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. For example, if I had to make an oral presentation next week in front of my peers, then I would complete the following tasks to ensure I give the best presentation within my abilities. I would start by gathering information about the audience I will be presenting in front of. Using the information I gather I could create a customized presentation. A customized presentation is a carefully planned speech that is tailored to the specific needs, knowledge, perspectives, and background of an audience. You have to show interest in your topic. How can a presenter expect their audience to be interested in their presentation if they themselves don’t seem interested? If you deliver your presentation with confidence and enthusiasm then in turn your audience will likely pay more attention to what you have to say, because now you appeal to them. Other techniques that could help you gain the interest of the audience are: Try to relate to their situation, field, position, or experience, and provide them with tips, facts, and strategies they can utilize in their professional or personal lives. I would take into account of what the occasion is that I will be presenting at. Will the occasion be relaxed and festive, or is it strictly business? Will there be other presenters or am I the only one? At what time do I have to make my presentation? Audiences are usually more alert in the mornings. These are some of the questions I would ask myself in the days leading up to my scheduled presentation. Before I start writing my speech I have to determine what I want to write about, such as my interests, or skills and abilities. Sometimes you won’t have choice and the topic will be selected for you. Now I have to decide what my speech goal will be. What do I want from my audience and what do I want to communicate to them? There are four speech goals: informative, persuasive, requesting, and entertaining. Informative speeches can build audience awareness, knowledge, and memory about a subject. A persuasive speech intends to influence a change in an audience’s attitude, behavior, or belief. A requesting speech is a type of persuasive speech, but its aim is to gain funding or approval for a specific product, program, or proposal. Entertainment or special occasion speeches mark special occasions, and arouse emotions through celebration. My introduction has to gain the attention of my audience. I have to make a connection between myself, my listeners, and the occasion. I can gain their attention through creative speaking. Creative speaking is the art of gaining the audience’s interest by using entertaining speaking methods; such as: Anecdotes, catchy stories that draw from common experiences with which the audience can relate to. I could ask a question; this can draw them in by making them think of a potential answer. Examples, such as personal or topic related can illustrate ideas and establish credibility. Quotations can be helpful when you’re trying to open up ideas. Startling or surprising remarks such as facts, statistics, or events can arouse the attention of the audience, and finally humor if used correctly can break the ice and build a rapport with the audience. Your audience needs to have a reason to listen, you have to be creative, and you have to be the one to let them know your message is valuable and they may be able to benefit from it. If I take the time to prepare, if I am honest, if I research my topic, and speak with confidence than I will be able to demonstrate my credibility to my audience. Now I am ready to organize my speech. I would break it up into three parts. In the first part, the introduction, I have to present a positive impression of myself, establish my credibility, and the main idea. A main idea is a central point you want to make with your audience that will run through the entire message.
In the body section of my presentation I will present my main ideas and back them up with supporting details or secondary ideas. I will limit my main ideas to three or four main points, because most people usually only remember three to four main points from a presentation. I can arrange my material in five different organizational patterns to help my audience understand and achieve my own speech goals. I can use a Chronological, topic, spatial, cause and effect, or problem and solution pattern to transmit my message. In the conclusion of my speech I have to connect my main points, inspire the next step, and provide a strong sense of closure. I can make a powerful statement or use a quote that I want them to think about later. I also have to remember to use transitions. Transitions are key words or short sentences that bridge one idea to another, such as my introduction, body, and conclusion. Visual aids such as tables, charts, posters, and handouts can give a speech more strength. You can also use electronic presentation software such as power point to create slides. The use of visual aids will increase message clarity, visually demonstrate and explain more than words, increase the interest of the audience, and dramatically extend the audience recall of speech information. You can use the internet, books, magazines, periodicals, and financial or statistical reports to gather your information. Once I have practiced over and over again and I’m ready to present I can choose from four different delivery styles. Impromptu speeches are unexpected and off the cuff. A manuscript speech is written word for word and read out loud. Extemporaneous speaking is planned and rehearsed but not memorized, prepared notes only outline key ideas. Finally with a memorized speech text is written word for word and committed to memory. There is a great deal of work that goes on before a speech is ever presented. You have to research your audience, gather data about your main idea, and prepare your speech in three parts, introduction, body and conclusion. Your speech should be organized in a specific organizational pattern, have a clear goal and be delivered in one of four speech styles to ensure message clarity and to not lose your audience. The next time I deliver a speech I think I will deliver it the extemporaneous style. Keeping the audience interested is very important. If they are uninterested and they tune you out then what is the point? Finally to reduce anxiety by planning practicing and rehearsing your speech till you know it inside and out.