It is important to understand professional behavior and proper attire expected of you in your chosen career.

On the next slide you will have the ability to click on a profession from the list to learn about the dress and professional behavior required for each profession. To return to this page, click Home located at the top right of your screen.

Click Next on the top right to view more information about professional behavior.

HERE I CHOOSE IT profession:

I was presented with 3 slides below:

Introduction

This week we will focus on oral presentations. We will cover the different approaches that can be used for presentations, as well as characteristics of effective presentations.

Getting Started

As with any communication, the first step is to determine the purpose. The purpose of the presentation could be to report, explain, inform, persuade, motivate, or entertain. In a persuasive presentation, you are making an argument for change. The second step is to analyze the audience. Knowing who your audience will be will help you determine the best approach to take and the information they will be expecting to see.

Finally, you must plan the presentation. This includes selecting the main ideas, organizing the message, preparing an outline, and deciding on a style. Two of the most popular ways to organize a presentation are direct and indirect.

The most popular approach is the deductive approach or direct approach, which is appropriate for informative presentations. In the direct approach, you present your main ideas, key findings, and recommendations up front in the presentation, and then present the supporting evidence.

Not the best choice for every presentation, the indirect or inductive approach is best suited for persuasive presentations. Using the indirect approach, you would save the main idea for later in the presentation. You would provide the evidence to support your recommendations first; then finish with a generalization or conclusion. Some audiences may become bored with this approach if the presentation runs too long.

The interactive below shows the typical organizational patterns for a presentation:

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Drag the terms at the bottom to their matching definitions below.

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Present the points in the order in which they occurred (typically used in status reports or when reporting on some event).

Drop Here

Present the reasons first, followed by the major conclusion (typically used for hostile or highly resistant audiences).

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Present the sources and consequences of some problem, and then pose a solution (useful for problem solving).

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Give the major conclusions first, followed by the supporting details (typically used for presenting routine information).

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Introduce each criterion in turn, and show how well each alternative meet that criterion (typically used for presenting proposals).

Drop Here

Arrange the points in order of importance, and then pose each point as a question and answer it (an effective way of helping the audience follow your arguments).

Direct Sequence

Cause/Effect/Solution

Indirect Sequence

Chronology

Order of Importance

Criteria

Creating an Effective Opening

The introduction should get the audience's attention, state the purpose, and give a preview. This is your opportunity to show how the topic relates to the audience and to show the benefits of your recommendation.

There are a lot of different ways to get the audience's attention, and the method you use will depend on the audience and the message. Suggested opening techniques include telling a story, asking a question, presenting a hypothetical situation, presenting a startling fact or statistic, and using a dramatic visual image. Creative openings are the best way to grab your audience's attention quickly.

In addition to getting the audience's attention, the presenter needs to establish a rapport with the audience. To deliver an effective opening, you should know it backward and forward. It is a good idea for the presenter to memorize the opening so that he or she can maintain eye contact with the audience.

Below is a checklist to use as a planning tool for your presentation.

Click Image to Enlarge  (Links to an external site.) View Transcript (Links to an external site.)

[From Cengage "Complete Business Commmuication Handouts" Chapter 11 Graphic on Page 2: Checklist for the Oral Presentations]

Creating Presentation Slides

Here are a few suggested rules to follow when creating the slides for your presentation. These rules will vary based on your presentation's purpose and whether you are presenting to an internal or an external audience.

· The first slide shows the title, any subtitles, and the presenter's name

· A good presentation should have a visually appealing background. This background should be consistent on every slide. Keep in mind that backgrounds that are dark may not print well when making handouts.

· Your presentation should use no more than two typefaces. The font size used should be consistent throughout the slides. For instance, the slide headings would be the same font and size. Textboxes would follow a consistent format—top bullets the same font size, subheadings a smaller font size, and so on.

· Each slide should have a clear, meaningful title. Text on your slides should follow a logical order and timeline from beginning to end.

· Adding eye-catching graphics, charts, and tables will help keep the audience engaged. It is not necessary to add a graphic to every slide. Use white space or blank space effectively. Use text and slide automation effectively—too much may distract your audience from your purpose.

· Use audio and video only to illustrate important points—too many may distract the audience from your purpose. These links can also greatly increase the file size of your presentation, making it harder to send out to your audience later.

· Reference citations for borrowed material should be placed at the bottom of the slide in a smaller font size and in a bibliography page at the end of the presentation.

· When presenting to an external audience, one of the final slides would include your name, company, and contact information.

· Please consult the guidelines for this week's assignment and follow those guidelines.

The Delivery

Now that you have a good understanding of the content of the presentation, let's look at effective delivery techniques. Delivering an effective presentation requires practice. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of friends. Practice in the car (my favorite). Practice right before you go to sleep. (You'll be surprised how confident you'll feel when you wake up.)

When delivering the presentation, the presenter must consider both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of the delivery. The key factors in vocal delivery include expressiveness, emphasis, rate and volume, articulation, and pronunciation. The nonverbal elements of the delivery encompass the various aspects of body language, which includes eye contact, body movement, and visual aids.

"Duchess of Cambridge Gives Her First Speech"

Let's critique this speech by the Duchess of Cambridge. How did she do?

(Retrieved at http://www.bizcominthenews.com/bizcom_in_the_news/2012/03/duchess-of-cambridge-gives-her-first-speech.html )

Your audience is looking at you as you speak. Your body language communicates to your audience as much as the words you speak. Here are a few tips to consider when making a presentation.

· Dress professionally. You may want to step up from business casual to dress for success. If you tend to sweat when you are nervous, you may want to add a jacket.

· Don't look down; look instead into your audience and make eye contact. Smile at your audience to show confidence. Know your material; don't read from your notes.

· Don't clasp your hands or cross your arms. You may want to hold a pen or even a paperclip while presenting to give your hand something to focus your nervous energy onto. It's okay to move around a little, but don't pace or block your audience's view of the slides.

· Avoid those nasty hem and haw filler words as much as possible. Laughter or giggling will give you away. You don't want your audience to know you are nervous.

· Don't be in a hurry. Rushing through your slides will make it more difficult to get your meaning across to your audience.

· Let your confidence out. You have worked hard on this presentation. Use your passion for your project and you will begin to relax. Your audience will respond to your enthusiasm.

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