Business Communications and Presentations Skills

Todays Agenda
Introduction Business Communication Model Handouts 10 Common Presentation Mistakes PowerPoint Presentation Tips Questions Conclusion

Generally, people retain

10% of what they READ 20% of what they HEAR 30% of what they SEE 50% of what they SEE and HEAR 70% of what they SAY 90% of what they SAY and DO

Business Communication Process

Noise

Sender

Encoding the message

Message

Decoding the message

Receiver

Feedback

Trans. 15-4

Business Communication Goals

Receiver Understanding Receiver Response Favorable Relationship Organizational Goodwill

Sender is responsible for these goals.

Parts of a presentation
Introduction Body Conclusion Questions

Say what you are going to say, say it, then say what you have just said.

Guidelines for Effective Introductions

Always prepare your opening Tell people what the presentation is about Keep the opening short and simple Only use anecdotes that are relevant Use caution with personal experiences Stay away from inappropriate humor

Guidelines for Effective Closings

Always prepare a closing Always restate the main point, and, perhaps, the key supporting points Say clearly what happens next If appropriate, make a call to action Thank the audience

Business Communication Process

Noise

Sender

Encoding the message

Message

Decoding the message

Receiver

Feedback

Trans. 15-4

Communication Barriers/Noise
Word choice
too difficult, too technical, etc. overused words such as, good, excellent value, etc.

Connotations VS Denotations
Examples sender denotes Cheap inexpensive Flexible offers choice Compromise adjust rec. connotes poorly made no standard give in

Communication Barriers/Noise
Inferences Pace of the delivery
Speaking too fast or too slow

Poor grammar, spelling, etc. Appearance and performance of the presenter Use of gender bias terms or stereotypical terms Positive VS Negative terms
We have a full year warranty. VS Warranty is only for the first year.

Handouts
When to use and distribute handouts
@ beginning if audience needs them during presentation during presentation, have someone else hand them out at end if possible

Running handouts two, three or six to a page

10 common presentation mistakes (and suggestions for avoiding them)

#1 Accepting an inappropriate invitation
personally decline, retain opportunity for company

#2 Neglecting to research the audience

take the time to find out who you are talking to

What you should know about your audience

How large is the audience? What are the audience members relevant characteristics? Why are people attending? What are the audiences specific needs, interests, and concerns? How much do people already know? How are people likely to respond to your message?

10 common presentation mistakes (and suggestions for avoiding them)

#3 Procrastinating, then punting.
Do not try to organize your talk and create your slides simultaneously.

#4 Getting a late start.

Always plan to arrive early for your presentation.

10 common presentation mistakes (and suggestions for avoiding them)

#5 Assuming all projectors are the same.
Be sure you know the equipment or bring your own.

#6 Failing to heed Murphys Law

Always assume the equipment will NOT work.

10 common presentation mistakes (and suggestions for avoiding them)

#7 Backing up to the wrong media
Check your back-up media before leaving for your presentation.

#8 Telling tasteless or offensive jokes

A greater awareness of your audience can determine if they will find your sense of humor funny or offensive.

10 common presentation mistakes (and suggestions for avoiding them)

#9 Relying on the World Wide Web live Web connection
Create a copy on your hard drive.

#10 Having too little to say

Be prepared!

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Always use a title slide. Put it up about five minutes before your presentation begins. The presentation should set the tone of the message.
If you are sharing good news, your presentation can use a lot of fun art, audio and video. If you have bad news, stick to the points.

Sample Slide
Sales are down!

We are going to have to down size.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Keep the presentation look simple. You dont want to distract from the content of the slide/presentation. Keep a consistent look from slide to slide. Create high contrast between the background and the text. Consider creating a company specific background for sales presentations.

Same slide
Keep it simple. You dont want to distract from the content of the slide. Be consistent from slide to slide. Create high contrast between the background and the text. Consider creating a company specific background for sales presentations.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Clip art should match your audience. Art should match a key word or phase in the slide. When using art, keep the images balanced on the page. Use the rule of thirds. Use art judiciously. All of the rules apply to sound (even more so!).

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

One of the significant advantages of using presentation software packages is that you have access to color. Use it wisely and judiciously.
Keep it simple and consistent. Use no more than five colors for charts or graphs. Choose no more than two colors for text. Be careful with the use of red because the eye will naturally go there first.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

One of the significant advantages of using presentation software packages is that you have access to color. Use it wisely and judiciously.(cont)
Use complimentary colors together. Never use red and green together unless you want your audience to think of Christmas!

Same slide
One of the significant advantages of using presentation software packages is that you have access to color. Use it wisely and judiciously.
Keep it simple and consistent. Use no more than five colors for charts or graphs. Choose no more than two colors for text. Be careful with the use of red because the eye will naturally go there first.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Limit your bullet points to three or four items. Try to have no more than 24 words on any one slide. Be careful when using abbreviations, acronyms, and special phases on your slides. Explain them quickly or you lose your audience.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Fonts are like colors, just because you have a lot of them to choose from you dont have to use them all! No more than two or three per slide. Be consistent from slide to slide. Dont overdo the use of italics, bolding and shadows and like e-mail, do NOT use all caps.

Same slide
Fonts are like colors, just because you have a lot of them to choose from you dont have to use them all! No more than two or three per slide. Be consistent from slide to slide. Dont overdo the use of italics, bolding and shadows and like email, DO NOT USE ALL CAPS.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

It is important to explain how to read your chart or graph as soon as you put it on the screen. Do not say anything important within ten seconds of putting up a chart. People wont be listening, theyre too busy figuring out the chart.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations

Have a final slide that lets the audience know that the presentation is over.

Questions?

Presentation Pet Peeves

Final slide. Presentation is over.

Thanks for your attention! Have a good Sunday!!