I. Check your understanding with this follow-up quiz.

Choose the correct answer to each question. Each question has only one correct answer. If you are not sure of an answer, go back to the effective presentation tips reading comprehension.

 

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

A Match your presentation to the needs of your audience

B Make sure to wear your best clothes

C Bring detailed handouts

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

A Not pay attention because they already know the information

B Follow your presentation with ease

C Have fun

3. Who should you rehearse your presentation with?

A Your family

B Your colleagues

C Your friends

D All of the above if possible

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

A Your boss

B A native speaker

C Your wife

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

A Take photos of yourself presenting

B Record yourself presenting

C Read through your presentation

6. In which situation would jokes not be appropriate?

A A comedy routine

B A serious presentation

C A mixed audience

7. What is the most important thing about speaking?

A Speak with clear pronunciation

B Speak quickly

C Speak with conviction

8. Why should you know when to stop?

A Because presentations are usually limited

B Because going on for too long will bore your audience

C Because you might have a plane to catch

9. You should:

A Never look an audience member in the eye

B Try to make eye contact with audience members

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

10. Handouts are important because:

A They have your contact information written on them

B They contain the key take aways of your presentation

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

 

II. Read and discuss the information about presentation structure.

Structure

A well organized presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organize the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations are organized in three parts, followed by questions:

Beginning	Short introduction	welcome your audience introduce your subject explain the structure of your presentation explain rules for questions
Middle	Body of presentation	present the subject itself
End	Short conclusion	summarize your presentation thank your audience invite questions
Questions and Answers

 

As a general rule in communication, repetition is valuable. In presentations, there is a golden rule about repetition:

1. Say what you are going to say,

2. say it,

3. then say what you have just said.

In other words, use the three parts of your presentation to reinforce your message. In the introduction, you tell your audience what your message is going to be. In the body, you tell your audience your real message. In the conclusion, you summarize what your message was.

We will now consider each of these parts in more detail.

I. PRESENTATIONS: OPENING

ü Introduction. The introduction is a very important - perhaps the most important - part of your presentation. This is the first impression that your audience have of you. You should concentrate on getting your introduction right.

ü Think it over. Imagine that you are starting a presentation. What phrases might you use?

ü Useful Phrases. Read the phrases and find Russian equivalents for them.

· Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming along here today

· The purpose of today’s presentation is to discuss how we can…

· I’ve invited you here today to have a look at my findings

· Now let me begin by…

· Secondly…

· …and finally…

· I’d be happy to invite you to ask questions at the end of the session

· At the end I’d be very happy to answer any of your questions

 

ü Read. Now read the examples of two ways of opening presentations. As you read, try to find in the conversation expressions from “Useful phrases” list above.

***

1. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming along here today. I hope my presentation isn’t going to take too long and that you will find it interesting. The purpose of today’s presentation is to discuss how we canimprove internal communications within our company.

Now let me begin byexplaining that I’d like to talk about the business case for better communication; secondly, I want to cover different styles and methods; and finallyI would like to finish off by talking about some of the basics we need to have in place to deliver good quality, consistent communications across the company. I’d be very happy to invite you to ask questions at the end of the sessionand I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for us to discuss some of the points that have been raised.”

 

***

2. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for finding the time to come and join me for this presentation this afternoon. My name is Tim Mason, I‘m a retail consultant, and many of you will have seen me shadowing you in your jobs and looking through the accounts and so on in the company over the last week.

I’ve invited you here today to have a look at my findings.First, I’d like to have a look at the performance of the company, the sales of the company over the last three years; then I’d like to have a look at our market share in the womenswear market and look at our competitors; and thirdly, I’d like to suggest some improvements in our range of womenswear. At the end I’d be happy to answer any of your questions.”

 

ü Practice. Finish the sentence with the correct word or phrase.

Which sentence might you hear at the beginning of a presentation?

A Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving today.

B Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appearing today.

C Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today.

D Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for showing your faces today.

2. The _________ of today’s presentation is to discuss my findings.

A purpose B reason C cause D points

3. Now, __________ begin by introducing myself.

A allow me B let me C I D presentation

4. I’d be very happy to __________ you to ask questions at the end of the session.

A tell B invite C order D request

 

ü Put in order. Put the sentences from a presentation opening into the correct order.

_____ And I’ll finish off with an outlook on the company’s future plans.

_____ I’d like to inform you on the latest developments in the field of electronic communications.

_____ Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m delighted to be here today as a guestspeaker at the annual customer meeting of Miller Communications Incorporated.

_____ Then I’ll brief you on our company’s sales figures.

_____ If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them after my presentation.

_____ I’ll begin with an overview of our latest projects.

_____ Let me briefly introduce myself, I’m Gerhard Horst, head of the research and development department of Hirsch in Germany.

 

II. PRESENTATIONS: BODY

ü Introduction. The body is the 'real' presentation. If the introduction was well prepared and delivered, you will now be 'in control'. You will be relaxed and confident.

The body should be well structured, divided up logically, with plenty of carefully spaced visuals.

Remember these key points while delivering the body of your presentation:

· do not hurry

· be enthusiastic

· give time on visuals

· maintain eye contact

· modulate your voice

· look friendly

· keep to your structure

· use your notes

· signpost throughout

· remain polite when dealing with difficult questions

After you have greeted your guests, you will begin to go through the main body of your presentation. It's very useful to have some visual aids - some slides, pictures or graphs that help explain what you are saying. Sometimes they can also help to keep your audience interested in your presentation!

Visual aids

Of all the information that enters our brains, the vast majority of it enters through the eyes. 80% of what your audience learn during your presentation is learned visually (what they see) and only 20% is learned aurally (what they hear). The significance of this is obvious:

· visual aids are an extremely effective means of communication

· non-native English speakers need not worry so much about spoken English - they can rely more heavily on visual aids

It is well worth spending time in the creation of good visual aids. But it is equally important not to overload your audience's brains. Keep the information on each visual aid to a minimum - and give your audience time to look at and absorb this information. Remember, your audience has never seen these visual aids before. They need time to study and to understand them. Without understanding there is no communication.

Apart from photographs and drawings, some of the most useful visual aids are charts and graphs, like the 3-dimensional ones shown here:

 

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