7. Business communication skills presentations Structuring your presentation

The classical model

Greeting  Introduce yourself  Introduce your talk  Outline talk  Present main part divided into points  Invite questions  Conclude talk  Summarize main points

First impressions count, so let the audience see your best qualities. Try to be:

Organized – make the plan of your talk ‘transparent’;

Human – make some reference to the immediate situation, and relax;

Fluent – learn this part perfectly;

Brief – the audience have come for the information

During the presentation it is vital to signal to the audience what you are going to do – to give a commentary on your recent and planned progress, so that they know exactly where they are.

It is essential to state the purpose of your presentation near the beginning.

Signposting

In a good presentation, what you say – the content – is much important than anything else. But a clear structure helps. When you move on to your next point or change direction, tell the audience. You can do this easily and effectively using ‘signposts’ to guide the audience through your presentation.

To move on To go back To summarize To expand To recap To turn to To digress To conclude To elaborate on

Choose one of the ‘signpost’ expressions from the box above for the following situations:

When you want to:

– make your next point To move on

– change direction _________

– refer to an earlier point _________

– repeat the main points _________

– give a wider perspective _________

– do a deeper analysis _________

– give the basics _________

– depart from your plan _________

– finish your talk _________

Prepare a two-minute talk on one of the following topics:

• the economy of your home town;

• the company you would like to work for;

When preparing your talk choose from the list of linking sentences below. It is not complete, and will not suit the style of every speaker. Explore the full range, and, in the light of the subject of your talk, choose the ones that fit in best.

Useful language

Introduce your talk I’d like to say a few words to you today about … / I’d like to explain to you today the operation of … Outline talk I aim to talk to you for about 15 minutes. / I shall take about 15 minutes of your time. This will take about half an hour. Present main part divided into points I’ve divided my talk into five main parts. / The subject can be looked at under five main headings. During my talk I’ll be looking at five main areas. / If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt. / If you have any questions, I’ll be glad to try to answer them at the end of my talk. Introduce your first point To start with, then, I’d like to consider … / First of all, I’d like to look at … Finish a point Those are the main points on … / That’s all I have to say about … So that, then, is … / Now we’ve looked at / dealt with … Start a new point Now let’s turn to / move on to … / I’d like now to consider / examine … Next we come to … / Turning now to … / The next point I’d like to make is … Refer to what you have said As I said at the beginning … / I told you a few moments ago that … In the first part of my talk, I said … / As I mentioned earlier … Refer to what you will say I’ll come to that later … / I’ll return to this point in a few minutes. … and I’ll talk about this in the next part of my presentation. … I’ll comment on this in my conclusion. Summarize So now I’d just like to summarize the main points. / In brief, we have looked at … Conclude That’s all I have to say for now. / I think that covers most of the points. That concludes my talk. / Thank you for your attention. Invite questions And now, if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to try to answer them. Does anyone have any questions? / Any questions?

Quiz. Choose the correct answer to each question, then check your answers with the specialist’s recommendations below.

1. What is the most important thing to remember when making a presentation?

1. Match your presentation to the needs of your audience.

2. Make sure to wear your best clothes.

3. Bring detailed handouts.

2. What can the audience do if you have created your presentation with them in mind?

1. Not pay attention because they already know the information.

2. Follow your presentation with ease.

3. Have fun.

3. Who should you rehearse your presentation with?

1. your family;

2. your colleagues;

3. your friends;

4. all of the above if possible.

4. If possible, who should you also practice in front of?

1. your boss;

2. a native speaker;

3. your wife/husband.

5. What should you do before your practice your presentation in front of others?

1. Take photos of yourself presenting.

2. Record yourself presenting.

3. Read through your presentation.

6. In which situation would jokes not be appropriate?

1. a comedy routine;

2. a serious presentation;

3. a mixed audience.

7. What is the most important thing about speaking?

1. Speak with clear pronunciation.

2. Speak quickly.

3. Speak with conviction.

8. Why should you know when to stop?

1. Because presentations are usually limited.

2. Because going on for too long will bore your audience.

3. Because you might have a plane to catch.

9. You should:

1. Never look an audience member in the eye.

2. Try to make eye contact with audience members.

3. Wear sun glasses to make sure no one can look you in the eye.

10. Handouts are important because:

1. They have your contact information written on them.

2. They contain the key takeaways of your presentation.

3. They provide pictures that the audience can look at during your presentation.