Presentations

Presentations

 

Session 1

Types, Content and Objectives of Presentation

 

1. Top 10 evidence-based, best practices for PowerPoint® in the classroom.

http://www.pptdoctor.net/files/articles/2012_best-practices.pdf

Questions to answer:

What was most surprising to you in the reading?

What was the most useful?

What mistakes do you tend to make when you present?

What type of handouts would be useful to have with your perspective presentation?

 

2. Five rules for creating great presentations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT9GGmundag  (It could be given as a home assignment before the session).

Questions to answer:

 

• How do you understand the first rule “Treat your audience as KING”?
• In what way ideas can be spread?
• How can presenters help audience to see what they are saying?
• Give your comments the following issues:  on the Design vs Decoration. “Decorating is the best policy”.
• What can do a world of good for your relationships with audience?

 

3. Needs analysis.

Task 1.

Complete the table below about yourself

 

How often I give a presentation
The kinds of presentation I give
The purpose of presentation
The audience
What I find difficult about giving a presentation is:   Making a good first impression          □ Structuring my presentation               □                Keeping my audience interested       □ Dealing with problems                       □ Using equipment/visuals                    □        Closing the presentation                     □ Dealing with questions                       □ Other                                                  □

 

Task 2.

Developing your awareness of what you already do well, and what you could do better, will allow you to focus on improving those skills you really need. In the right column put down your priorities (1-8), which are currently of most importance to you.

 

Focus area

Priority

Formulating the purpose of my presentation Useful phrases for referring to visuals, ensuring your  multicultural audience can see Organizing what you want to say Maintaining interest through effective delivery Useful phrases for clarifying what you mean, checking the audience is following and involving the audience Strategies for coping in unexpected situations, difficult Qs Useful phrases for dealing with problems and questions Useful phrases for ending your presentation, summarizing, handing over and thanking international audience

 

4. Types of presentation.

An expert in giving presentations gives some examples of different presentations.

 

1. Press conference: two executives tell journalists why their companies have merged.
2. Briefing: a senior officer gives information to other officers about a police operation they are about to undertake.
3. Demonstration: the head of research and development tells non-technical colleagues about a new machine.
4. Product launch: a car company announces a new model
5. Lecture: a university professor communicates information about economics to 300 students.
6. Talk: a member of a stamp-collecting club tells other members about 19^th century British stamps.
7. Seminar: a financial adviser gives advice about investments to eight people.
8. Workshop: a yoga expert tells people how to improve their breathing techniques and gets them to practice.

 

Task 3.

Match the presentation types in A-H to the things (1-8) that people say in them.

 

1. As you can see, this prototype is far in advance of anything we’ve done before.
2. Here are some typical patterns for demand and supply in the widget industry.
3. I’m going to give each group a series of problems faced by an imaginary company, and I want you to suggest solutions.
4. Now is the right time to get out of company shares and invest in property.
5. The combined resources of our two organizations will allow us to achieve great things.
6. The first postage stamp in the world was the Penny Black in 1840.
7. The parachutists will come in at 08:30 and land in two waves, here and here.
8. The X300 has the most advanced features of any car in its class.

                                   Source: Bill Muscull. Business Vocabulary in Use. Intermediate.         

                                                Cambridge University Press 2002

 

5. The Key to Successful Cross-cultural communication

Watch the Video: http://www.commlabindia.com/resources/presentation/effective-cross-cultural-communication.php

Questions to answer:

1. What did you see? How does it apply to your setting?

2. Which of the rules mentioned by Duarte were applied in the presentation?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 2

1. Signposting.

How do signposts work?

Signposting helps you structure and shape the main content of your presentation. Signposts create ‘verbal paragraphs’ or verbal signals’ and raise the attention curve at the beginning and end of each point of your presentation. The technique allows you to guide the audience through the structure of your presentation linking one point to the next. The audience can’t see your notes and can’t look forward to see you what is coming. You know where you are going on your journey and you need to guide your audience by telling them exactly where you are on the roadmap of your presentation. This is a simple but highly effective technique that adds clarity to your presentations.

Start	Point 1	Point 2	Point 3	Finish
▲                                    Efficient presentation             SIGNPOST                  ▲                                          SIGNPOST                 ▲                                                                                    SIGNPOST                                                                                                                                                    Average presentation

                                                                       Time

 

 

 

 

Task 1.

Watch the video and tick the signposts the presenter use. Which of the signposts will you use in your final presentation? ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bYTTg--uc )

 

Moving on now to…….. I would like to begin by…… Let’s now turn to……. So, first of all…… Now, turning to……. Now, what about …..? …… Let me move on to …… So, that’s the general picture for….. I’d like to conclude this point by saying… This leads me to a point…….

So, we’ve looked at….. That complete my overview of…. Let’s just recap….. So, that’s pretty much…. and this is…. Next we come to….. So, that was …. My next point is…. That’s all I want to say about….. So, that covers this point….. And finally,,,,,

 

                            (Source: Erica Williams 2008, Presentations in English, Macmillan. p. 17)

2. Personality types.

Have you heard of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? It is a psychometric instrument based on the theories of Carl Jung’s psychological types. It does not assess intelligence or aptitude. According to Jungian theory, individuals are born with a predisposition for certain personality preferences. There is no ‘best’ preference and all preferences are equally valid and important. Study the table and answer the questions below the table.

E	If you are an extravert (E), you probably….. know a lot of people, and count many of them among your ‘close friends’; you like to include as many people as possible in your activities. Don’t mind reading or having a conversation while the TV or the radio is on in the background; in fact you may well be oblivious to this ‘distraction’. Find telephone calls to be welcome interruptions; you don’t hesitate to pick up the phone whenever you have something to tell someone. Do you prefer to focus on the outer world?
I	If you are an introvert (I), you probably….. enjoy the peace and quiet of having time to yourself; you find your private time too easily invaded and tend to adapt by developing a high power of concentration that can shut out TV, noisy kids or nearby conversations. are perceived as ‘ a great listener’ but feel that others take advantage of you. wish that you could get your ideas out more forcefully, you resent those who blurt out things you were just about to say. Do you prefer to focus on your own inner world?
S	If you are a Sensor (S), you probably…… find most satisfying those jobs that yield some tangible result; as much as you may hate doing housekeeping, you would rather clean your office than think about where your career is headed. Would rather work with facts and figures than ideas and theories; you like to hear things sequentially instead of randomly. think that fantasy is a dirty word; you wonder about people who seem to spend too much time indulging their imagination. Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in?
N	If you are an Intuitive (N), you probably….. believe, that ‘boring details’ is a redundancy. Find yourself seeking the connection and interrelatedness behind most things rather than accepting them as face value; you are always asking ‘What does that mean?’ Tend to give general answers to most questions. Do you prefer to interpret and add meaning?
T	If you are a Thinker (T), you probably…. Would rather settle a dispute based on what is fair and truthful rather than what will make people happy. don’t mind making difficult decisions and can’t understand why so many people get upset about things that aren’t relevant to the issue at hand. Remember numbers and figures more readily than faces and names. When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency?

 

F	If you are a Feeler (F), you probably…… consider a ‘good decision’ one that takes others’ feeling into account. enjoy providing needed services to people although you find that some people take advantage of you. Are often accused of taking things too personally When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at the people and special circumstances?
J	If you are a Judger (J), you probably … are always waiting for others, who never seem to be on time. keep lists and use them; if you do something that’s not on your list, you may even add it to the list just so you can cross it off. are accused of being angry when you are not, you are only stating your opinion. In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided?
P	If you are a Perceiver (P), you probably …. love to explore the unknown, even if it’s something  as simple as a new route home from work. Have to depend on last-minute spurts of energy to meet deadlines; you usually make the deadline; although you may drive everyone else crazy in the process. don’t like to be pinned down about most things; you’d rather keep your options open. In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to stay open to new information and options?

 

MBTI identifies basic preferences and identifies and describes sixteen four-letter personality types.

ISTJ	ISFJ	INFJ	INTJ
ISTP	ISFP	INFP	INTP
ESTP	ESFP	ENFP	ENTP
ESTJ	ESFJ	ENFJ	ENTJ

 

1. Which statements do you agree / disagree with?
2. Do you have an idea what your four-letter personality type might be?
3. Why do you think it is useful to know about different personality types?

 

Task 2.

Match the personality types (1-8) to the presentation activities A-H in the table.

1. Extraverts                                        5. Thinking types

2. Introverts                                        6. Feeling types

3. Sensing types                                 7. Judging types

4. Intuitive types                                 8. Perceiving types

A	E
Present options Let the audience make the conclusions Don’t press for an immediate decision. Give time for a decision and follow up.	Talk face-to-face Present to groups and allow interaction Respond to questions and comments Emphasis action. Include social interaction.
B	F
Be clear, down-to-earth and practical Give plenty of facts, examples and evidence Keep to the point Give the details Emphasize tangible short-term results Check comprehension	Be friendly Make the audience feel special Begin with areas of agreement Emphasize human benefits and happiness Use personal examples Give some personal details
C	G
Be punctual Be well organized Give a plan Begin at the beginning and end at the end Be decisive and give conclusions Emphasize schedules, deadlines and timetables	Give the big picture, the broad implications and the long-term possibilities Emphasize concepts and ideas Don’t give too many details Inspire Emphasize the unusual and the innovative Expect and welcome ideas, additions and changes
D	H
Get straight to the point Be brief and concise, but present a complete argument Present clear goals and objectives Define terms and explain what you mean Present all advantages and disadvantages Emphasize rational processes and consequences	Give time for reflection both before and after the presentation, possibly by addressing issues in writing Do one-to-one presentations Stick to the business and don’t include social interaction

                                                       Source: E.J. Williams. 2008. “Presentations in English.” Macmillan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 3

Preparation to Presentation Delivery

Answer the following questions.

What do you think ‘jump start’ means?

Why do you think a ‘jump start’ is effective? Can you think of any examples of a ‘jump start’?

 

Task 1.

Read the text. Write the techniques from the box below in gaps (1-7) in the text. One is extra.

What’s in it for me? (WIIFM),    Question and answer,       Meet the people,           Quotations, Expert testimony or historical evidence,  Shocking statement or startling statistics, Enrolment questions

                                     Hot tips to ‘jump start’ your presentation

(1) ……	(4) ……
Make your audience feel welcome as they arrive. Smile, make introductions, say a few words about yourself and ask some questions. Offer some refreshments. This technique helps to: break the ice            initiate dialogue calm your nerves  create interaction build a relationship	Find something original or exciting in newspapers, magazines, books, in-house literature, press releases or on the internet. Make it clear that you are using somebody else’s words. This technique helps to: give another voice   create interest build credibility GOOD FOR: all types of presentation
(2) …..	(5) ……
Address the audience’s needs and concerns by telling them what benefits they will gain from listening to your presentation and use the word ‘you’ when you do this. This technique helps to: focus on the needs of your audience focus on benefits and not features create desire and anticipation raise expectations build rapport GOOD FOR: Sales pitches or presentations where you need to persuade or convince	Say something which is short and simple but unusual, surprising and/or provocative. Clarify your source. This techniques helps to: get a high level of attention with a shock effect give another voice GOOD FOR: Most presentations but take care the shock effect does not alienate the audience
(3) …..	(6) …..
Question the audience directly and get them to respond to you by answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or by raising hands. This technique helps to: focus the audience on the subject generate an interactive relationship create dialogue build interest GOOD for: small to medium-sized audience	Give objective evidence or facts from an authoritative source. This technique helps to: give another voice be convincing GOOD FOR: Specialist presentations

                                                      Source (abridged): E.J. Williams. 2008. “Presentations in English.” Macmillan

 

 

POWERFUL TECHNIQUES

Read this extract from a presentation. The presenter works in the human resources department of a multinational manufacturer. The audience are potential recruits.

Summit Program (presentation transcript)

So, what is our second graduate program?

This is our high potential Summit Program that will take the best among you to the top, the very top. This is a very exciting option for those of you who are truly looking for variety, opportunity and challenge. The program enables you to take on three different assignments in three countries in three years and at the same time study for postgraduate management and language qualifications.

It’s a challenge, a real challenge. Your first assignment takes place in your home country, the second at our headquarters in San Diego and the third in another country where we expect you to learn a new language. Of course, we pay for all your relocation and study expenses. In fact, our support is very generous, very generous, indeed more generous than anything else you’ll find on the job market. But, in return, you have to be flexible, hard-working and self-motivated because this program is not a holiday but a boot camp. You will work, work, work and study, study, study. We test you and you test us. If you successfully finish the three assignments, you are not simply at the end of your training, but at the beginning of a fast, interesting and rewarding career path on your way to the top, the very top.

Let me give you an example of a Summit success story. This is Milena Gawczynski. She had the best degree of her year Warsaw University and a MBA that she completed during her year with us in San Diego. Her third year in the Summit Program was spent in Barcelona where she initiated a project to improve communications between our southern European manufacturing plants. She speaks fluent Polish, Russian, English and Spanish and is currently head of our Central European Services office in Prague.

As you can see our standards are much higher than other companies. Our assessment centre is far more rigorous than all the others presented to you today. That’s because we only want the best and of course you’ll get the best from us. Our ‘summiteers’ earn above average salaries and performance bonuses. Our mentoring scheme, international networks and development program are second to none. If it’s variety, opportunity and challenge you are looking for and you know you are the best, then, our Summit program is the one for you. It’s the only one that will take you to the top, the very top.

 

Task 2.

Read what six presenters said about some of their favorite technologies they learnt on a presentations seminar. Then answer the questions below.

1. When we’re presenting, it can feel unnatural to say the same words over and over again. I’ve noticed that repetition really works when I listen to a presentation. It really helps to clarify and consolidate the key points. So, I try to use repetition myself. I think if you can get over ‘the unnatural’ feeling, it’s a really easy technique and it actually makes presenting in English less difficult as you don’t have to find different words for the same things.
2. You can repeat a phase or a slogan like a mantra. Sometimes it’s this mantra that everyone remembers long after the presentation is over. I learnt that classical orators used this technique and I think one of the most famous modern examples is the Martin Luther King speech where he used the ‘I have a dream’ mantra. People even call it the ‘I have a dream’ speech. Mantra has to be precise, to the point and memorable. When you get the mantra right, everyone remembers it,
3. I quite like using rhetorical questions as they create expectation and a feeling of dialogue. They’re also a tool for outlining or signposting the structure. You should use grammatically correct questions though if you’re presenting in another language, It’s no good asking a question if the audience don’t understand it or because you asked something too complex.
4. I really remember the Rule of Three. It’s so easy. Good presentations often have lists with three different words, three identical words, three phrases or three sentences. Most experts attribute the Rule of Three to Aristotle’s Art of Rhetoric in which he referred to ‘three types of speeches’ and ‘three forms of proof’. Pythogoras said three was the ‘perfect number. Lists of three have a sense of completeness and research shows that listeners wait for and expect a third item in a list. As a presenter, I think it’s a fairly simple but highly effective technique.
5. One of the things I like to do is to give real life examples or examples that everybody knows. I think this really ‘speaks’ to the audience as they remember things when they relate them to themselves, events or people. Examples bring things to life. It’s all about creating associations.
6. A number of effective techniques we use today go right back to the classical writers on rhetoric. Take contrast, for example – if you compare one thing to another, you are making a contrast. ‘We are bigger than our competitors’ is an example. Another contrast technique is to use words that are opposites. Kennedy did it in that famous speech, ‘symbolizing an end not a beginning’ and ‘United, there is little we cannot do…. Divided, there is little we can do’. He used ‘not…but’ in the same speech too, ‘We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom’. From a language point of view, these are really not complicated techniques for non-native speakers to use.

 

Questions:

1. Can you find examples of techniques 1-6 in the presentation transcript in task1 ‘Powerful techniques’?
2. Do you already use any of techniques 1-6 in your presentation?
3. Which new techniques would you be able to use to incorporate in your presentations?
4. Would you find any of the techniques difficult to use?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individual Assignment

Choose an international organisation (company, university, nonprofit organisation) and give a structured Pecha Cucha presentation on its corporate culture. Use a full  range of presentation techniques. Attach the text of your presentation.

Oral presentation is assessed according to the following criteria

	Poor	OK	Good	Wow!	Comments
Start
Signposting
Structure
Delivery
Visual aids
Techniques
Positive and dramatic
Love the audience
Dealing with questions
Finish