Interpersonal

Communication Skills

Effective
Presentation Skills:
Verbal and Nonverbal
 Today’s Menu
 Turn in A3 – Listening Exercise
 Discussion of Presentation Skills
 A4 – Sales Pitches of Product Proposals
(Due Thursday)
 What is the…?
 #1 fear in most adults:
 Public Speaking

#1 predictor of professional

success and upward mobility:
 Public Speaking
 It’s almost all “public”…
 Only the size of the audience changes
 A large audience in a public forum
 A conference room of board members
 One other person in a sales presentation
 Everyone Experiences It
Physiological signs of stage fright

Quaking voice
 Lack of eye contact
Trembling knees
 Monotone delivery
Fidgeting hands
 Blank expression
Clearing throat
 Pacing or rocking
Training the Butterflies
 Admit you feel anxious
 Remember you are the expert
 Focus on the audience’s needs
 Know your material well
 Practice, practice, practice
 Get the audience to participate
 Establish rapport
 Use names, eye contact
 Training the Butterflies

 Check the facilities in advance

 Research the audience
 Relax. Breathe deeply. Visualize.
 Dress comfortably and appropriately
 Use your own style
 Use audio visual aids
 Smile
 Start with a clear objective
 Why am I giving this presentation?
 What do I want my audience to know
or do at the end of the presentation?
 Understand an issue?
 Take action?
 Change attitude?
 Is my objective realistic?
 Know your audience
Analyze the needs of the audience:
 Why should they listen?
 How does what you say affect them?
 What benefit will they get from listening?

What do they already know?

What do they need to know?
What do they expect?
 Get their attention
Start with a bang!  An interesting story
 Examples
 Meaningful quote
 Startling statistic

 Appropriate/relevant

 Never apologize
 The Introduction

 What’s in it for them?

 Establish your credibility

 Present your agenda

 What do you expect of the audience?

 The Main Message
 Make fewer points, but make them well
 Consider how to organize the main points
 Problem-solution, cause-effect, feature-benefit?
 Strongest point first or last for emphasis

 What kind of/how much information is

needed to support the main points?
 The Main Message

 Include organizational signposts

 Make arguments explicit

 Anticipate and neutralize counterarguments

 The Conclusion
Finish with  Sum up/stress main points
a bang!  Signal the windup
 Repeat main ideas
 Emphasize consequences
and benefits

 Include a call for action

 Nonverbal Presentation Skills

Gestures

Eye contact
Voice

Expressions

Stance/Movement
 Assignment 4
 Sales
Pitch of New Product Proposal –
Due Thursday
 Group selects one new product
 Define “customer”

 Decide how to communicate product

benefits and persuade to purchase

 Present for 8 minutes – share time equally

 Focus on practicing your nonverbal skills