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
rec. connotes
Cheap
inexpensive poorly made
Flexible offers choice
no standard
Compromise adjust
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!!