Memorandum

To: ​Carlos
From: ​Troy Dennis
Subject: ​Company Narrative Analysis Presentation
Date: ​February 4, 2019

We as students deserve the chance to learn and further our education, no matter how
uncomfortable the situation may be. Trying to adapt to an awkward situation such as presenting
in front of people can be stressful, especially when we don’t know how we are doing. We can
tense up and start focusing on the things we are doing poorly, and we can often overlook the
things we are doing correctly. In this document, I will discuss your nonverbal skills, your error
interference, and your overall delivery.

Nonverbals
Your nonverbals were very good. You seemed actively engaged while your teammates were
talking, and seemed confident while you were speaking. While you looked at the slides
periodically, it was very brief, and you always turned to face the audience before you started
talking again. However, as you said, you forgot some stuff and panicked a bit, and your body
language showed it. You also started using a bunch of filler words.

Error Interference
I feel that you struggled with limiting your errors throughout the presentation. In particular, you
said the word “um” 14 times throughout your presentation. It got distracting to the point where I
was focusing more on your pauses then your content. This, along with some awkward pauses
mid-sentence gave me the impression that you weren’t completely prepared. Lastly, I would like
to discuss how you delivered your presentation.

Delivery
Outside of your errors, your overall delivery was successful. You were able to convey what you
wanted to clearly and concisely. The content was solid, and it felt like you knew what you were
talking about. You also presented like an intern talking to their boss, without referring to your
company as “the company.”

Summary
Overall, I feel your presentation was successful. You appeared to be engaged and confident, and
delivered your presentation without going off topic. However, I believe that you can cut down on
your filler words and mid-sentence pauses. I suggest that when you are rehearsing, you put in
“strategic pauses” before talking about things you might forget. This can serve as a reminder and
will make your pauses seem more natural and in place. Please contact me at
troydennis@email.arizona.edu if you have further questions.