Professional Communication

Business Presentations
C1 / C2

Without knowing the force of words, it is

impossible to know men.
(Confucius, Chinese philosopher c.551-478 BC)

Contents
A. Types of presentations
B. Planning presentations
C. Language for presentations

Brainstorming Session

1. Do you ever have to speak to an audience? How does / would it

make you feel?

2. Have you ever heard a speaker who you felt was inspirational?
What techniques did he/she use to engage the audience?

3. What makes a good presentation?

4. What might be some of the issues to bear in mind when giving a

presentation to an international audience?

5. How do you feel about presenting in a foreign language?

Case Study
Case Study 1

Case Study 2

Last week, I was in Berlin giving a talk to

I always like to do some research to find out what

the local customs are when Im giving a
presentation abroad. One interesting thing I
discovered recently on a trip to Bangkok is that,
in a meeting, its customary to seat VIPs in the
front row. Anyway, I normally like to have a
semi-circular,
theatre-style
room
setup
whenever I can. In my Bangkok talk, when I
found out approximately how many VIPs there
would be, I arranged for the front row to be set
with plush chairs that were sort of nicer and
different than the rest of the chairs we were
using.
I also made sure that the important people were
escorted to their seats. I could tell that this small
gesture was very well received and helped to
pave the way for a very productive speech.
Its not a major issue, I mean, after all, Thai
people are used to westernized meetings
these days, but Im sure that, you know,
recognizing this type of custom and making
some effort to adhere to it, can earn you some
real points with the people that count.

executives from all over the world.

And, uh, you see, you simply cant
take anything for granted. Theres
nothing like an international audience
to make me see how much slang I
use. I guess Ive always felt that it
gives me a casual style that I think is
fun and adds a personal touch. But
after seeing their faces, I realised how
inappropriate and insensitive it is for
those who dont get the jokes.
The next time I go abroad, Im going to
review my presentation and try to
avoid words and expressions that
might mean nothing to the listeners..

Case Study 3

Ive found that, in my experience, people around the world respond

differently to presentations. I thought I was putting them to sleep once in
Japan, but then somebody told me that its common there to show
concentration by closing your eyes and nodding your head up and
down slightly. Then again, maybe I was boring them!
And while you might think applause is a universal sign of approval, there are
exceptions. Ive found that in parts of Germany and Austria, listeners sitting
around a table may show their approval by knocking on the table. And
another thing, if you wave goodbye when youve finished your presentation
in Argentina, the members of the audience might all turn round and come
back to sit down. To them, the wave means, Hey! Come back! Knowing
what to expect with questions is another point. Nodding your head in
Bulgaria actually means No, so think about that if someone asks you a
question. Americans and Canadian and many European audiences, will
almost always ask questions, but in most Asian cultures, audiences are
more likely to greet your presentation with silence.

Students Answers
Nervousness
Stage Fright
Interruptions
Answer Session

Body
language

Language

Audience
Business
Presentations

Sender
Receiver

Visuals

Techniques
Strategies

Research

Definition

A presentation is a prepared talk given

by a speaker (the transmitter) to one or
more listeners (the receivers).

A. Types of presentation

Informative the easiest and most common type of presentation;

its main purpose is simply to share information;

Demonstrative its main purpose is to show people how to do

things. Demonstrations are the most direct and efficient form of
presentation;

Persuasive they are designed to change peoples attitudes,

beliefs and behavior. This is the most difficult to accomplish;

Ritual speeches or presentations delivered to make an

announcement, to celebrate or entertain.

Its delivery that makes the

speakers success. (Goethe)
In preparing a presentation, there are four key concepts to
consider:
A speaker has to be credible (how well or how poorly
the speaker is perceived);
A message organized, well-prepared, point by point.
What do my listeners want to know?
An audience its important to know everything we can
about the audience (who are those people / age / gender
/ background)
An effective delivery

B. Planning presentations
Pre-preparation
Objectives
Audience
Time
Location

Preparation
Select the topic
Conduct research to get
the information
Select relevant points
Group common points
Organize the information
Consider ways of linking
pieces of information
most effectively

The structure of a presentation

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

Introduction

Welcoming the audience;

Introducing yourself;
Introducing the topic;
Saying why the topic is relevant for the
audience;
Describing the structure of the talk (what issues,
points are covered);
Talking about organization (timing, handouts,
questions).

Body

Present main points divided into:1, 2, 3;

Emphasize transition between parts;

Conclusion
Summarizing the main points;
Recommending or suggesting something;
Inviting questions;
We have to try to make the conclusion the high point of the
speech. Present the concluding message in strong
language in words that gain attention and will be
remembered.

The question and answer session after a

presentation is sometimes considered the
most challenging part of speaking in public
and not all questions can be anticipated.

Do you agree or disagree with?

Person 1
For me, the question and
answer session is the
most difficult part of a
presentation. I dont like it
at all. You never know
what questions will be
asked, so you cant really
prepare. I always feel
extremely nervous. The
problem is you have to
say something quickly
and you dont have time
to think of a clever reply.

Person 2

If

you ask me, most

questions arent really
questions at all. It seems
as if a lot of people ask
questions not because
they want to get an
answer but because they
want to show the other
participants how clever
they are or how funny or
whatever. I think some
people just want to show
off or be the centre of
attention.

Person 3
I like the way questions are
asked by American audiences.
My experience is that they
usually say something positive
about a presentation before
they start asking questions.
I think thats a very good thing
because the questioner shows
some respect for the presenter
and also helps create a more
relaxed
and
friendly
atmosphere
during
the
question period.

Person 4
I think its important to try and
predict all the questions you
might be asked. Before a
presentation I always make a
list of questions I expect
people to ask. Then I think
about possible answers and
practise them. Sometimes I
even
get
friends
and
colleagues
to
ask
me
questions. Of course you cant
anticipate all the questions but
at least you dont need to
worry about the ones you have
thought about. I feel much
more comfortable this way.

Person 5
You need to decide when you want
to answer questions. Allowing
questions during your talk usually
creates a rather informal, seminarlike atmosphere.
You can answer questions directly
and involve the audience. On the
other hand, answering questions
after the presentation gives you
more control of your structure and
timing. If you dont want questions
after your talk, you can say that
your time frame is very tight or the
topic is rather complex.

C. Language for presentations

INTRODUCTION
Good morning / afternoon / evening ladies and
gentlemen/ colleagues. My name is and I
am
I would like to say a few words to you about/ I
would like to talk to you about/ I would like to
explain to you the operation of.
I will take about 20 minute of your time.
I aim to talk to you for about minutes.
This will take about

 I have divided my talk into three main parts.

The subject may be looked at under four main
headings.
During my talk Ill be looking at two main areas.
If you have any questions, please feel free to
interrupt.
Ill be glad to try to answer your questions at the
end of my talk.
To start with, Id like to consider

LINKING SENTENCES

First of all, Id like to look at

Those are the main points on
Thats all I have to say about
Now we have looked at/ dealt with
Now lets turn to/ move on to
Id like now to consider/examine
Next we come to
Turning now to
Lets move on now to
The next point Id like to make is

As I said at the beginning

I told you a few moments ago that
In the first part of my talk I said
As I have already said
As I mentioned earlier
Ill come to that later.
Ill return to this point in a few minutes.
Ill talk about this in the next part of my presentation.
Ill comment on this in my conclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

So now, Id just like to summarize the main points.

In brief, we have looked at
Thats all I have to say for now.
I think that covers most of the points.
That concludes my talk.
Thank you for your attention

GETTING FEEDBACK
And now, if you have any questions, Ill be glad to
answer them.
Does anyone have any questions?
Any questions?

Other tips for effective presentations

Appearance
Posture
Walking walk a little, change your position;
Facial expressions
Gestures
Voice speak clearly / slowly; repeat a sentence if its
important;
Visuals are one of the biggest traps in public speaking
today; the danger is that the audience will pay more
attention to visual aids than to the message itself; any
visual aid you use should be used simply to support the
message you are trying to transmit.

Gestures