Text 2 Organizing the Presentation

Read the text, pay attention to the following words and think of their Ukrainian equivalents:

establish rapport, announce your main points, know the scope of your remarks

For most presentations, the best way to begin is simply to brainstorm: write down every point you can think of that might be included in your presentation. Don't worry about the order or format – just get it all down. During the next several days, carry a pen and paper with you so that you can jot down random thoughts as they occur – during a meeting, at lunch, going to and from work, or in the evening at home.

Later, separate your notes into three categories: opening, body, and ending. As you begin to analyze and organize your material, you may find that you need additional information. You may need to retrieve records from files, consult with a colleague, visit your corporate or local library to fill in the gaps, or perhaps go online to retrieve data from the World Wide Web.

The purpose of the opening is to capture the interest of your audience, and the first 90 seconds of your presentation are crucial. The audience will be observing every detail about you — your dress, posture, facial features, and voice qualities, as well as what you're actually saying – for clues about you and your topic, and they will be making preliminary judgments accordingly.

Begin immediately to establish rapport and build a relationship with your audience – not just for the duration of your presentation but for the long term. If you're making a proposal, you need not only the audience's attention during your presentation but also their cooperation later to implement your proposal. Because the opening is so crucial, many professionals write out the entire opening and practice it word for word until they almost know it by heart.

The kind of opening that will be effective depends on your topic, how well you know the audience, and how well they know you. If, for example, you're giving a status report on a project about which you've reported before, you can immediately announce your main points (for example, that the project is on schedule and proceeding as planned) and go immediately to the body of your remarks. If, however, you're presenting a new proposal to your superiors, you'll first have to introduce the topic and provide background information.

Don't apologize or make excuses (for example, "I wish I had had more time to prepare my remarks today" or "I'm not really much of a speaker"). The audience may agree with you! At any rate, you'll turn them off immediately and weaken your credibility.

Your opening should lead into the body of your presentation by previewing your remarks: "Today, I'll cover four main points. First..." Let the audience know the scope of your remarks. For example, if you're discussing the pros and cons of a plant closing from a strictly dollars-and-cents standpoint, advise the audience immediately that your analysis does not include political or human relations considerations. If you don't first define the scope of your remarks, you may invite needless questions and second-guessing during your presentation.

For most business presentations, let the audience know up front what you expect of them. Are you simply presenting information for them to absorb, or will the audience be expected to react to your remarks? Are you asking for their endorsement, their resources, their help, or what? Let the audience know what their role will be so that they can then place your remarks in perspective.