M.C. CONSULTING

“Quality Communication Consultations”

Team 2 – Effective Oral Presentations

Training Objectives

At the end of the training program the trainees will…

· Be able to develop a strategy for an effective oral presentation.

a) Understand the role of the speaker.

b) Know your audience, the occasion, and expectations of the audience.

c) Tailor the message to the audience – understand their needs, desires, knowledge level, and attitude toward the topic.

· Be able to recognize when it is necessary to use an informative or persuasive speech.

a) Understand the necessity for an informative speech vs. a persuasive speech. (What do you want to accomplish?)

b) Be able to identify the audience, and understand how to best grasp their attention.

· Be able to develop the content of the presentation

a) Establish a strong, effective thesis.

b) Effectively create and communicate the goal of the presentation to the audience.

c) Identify and explain the main points of the presentation clearly.

· Be able to establish credibility and construct our own credibility.

a) Develop ways to reference expertise: background education of the speaker; expertise or experience on subject; generate empathy with the audience; being enthusiastic; appearance (dress attire) of speaker.

· Appropriate the best speaking support

a) Effectively apply quotations, statistics, and other uses of evidence throughout the presentation.

· Use speaking aids effectively

a) Use note cards, power-points, visual cues, videos, links, guest speakers

b) Demonstrate effective transitions

c) Illustrate the ability not to over-rely on any of these aids.

· Understand the importance of coordinating your efforts and practicing presentations

a) Demonstrate the ability to be engaging the audience

b) Maintain great eye-contact throughout presentation

c) Orally Cite sources

d) Practice

· Deliver the presentation effectively

a) Time the presentation; stay within the time limit

b) Demonstrate appropriate volume; Understand how to use volume to emphasize/stress things

c) Pace themselves, and ensure a comfortable pace

d) Overcome anxiety and nervousness throughout the speech

e) Model good posture, and use gestures accordingly

f) Avoid verbal crutches – “uh, “you know” … etc.

g) Dress appropriately for the presentation

· Address questions asked by the audience

a) Anticipate questions the audience may ask

b) Repeat the question asked so that the entire audience may hear it

c) Deflect loaded questions

d) Overcome one person dominating the Q + A session.

e) Understand the question being asked.