UNIT 10 PRESENTATION SKILLS IT

Structure
Objectives
Warm Up
Reading Comprehension: An Effective Presentation
Study Skills: Using Visual Aids
Language For Visuals
Speaking: Making a Presentation
Listening: Answering Questions on Presentations
Grammar: Active Voice
Let Us Sum Up
Answers

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10.0 OBJECTIVES --

In the previous Unit the focus was on introductions and outlines of

presentations. This unit takes you forward and introduces you to
first impressions
body language
effective use of voice
commonly used structures of presentations
language associated with visual aids
summaries & conclusions
questionJanswer sessions at the end of the presentations
practising presentations

10.1 WARM UP
--

'A goodpresentation will be remembered lnuch

more than a good report becatlsc it has a
person attached to it. '

This statement highlights the hurnan elen~entin

a presentation. Can you think of three human
qualities that bring life and interest to a
presentation? You may want to add to this list
after you read the text in the Reading section.

10.2 READING COMPREHENSION: AN EFFECTIVE

- PRESENTATION pp-- -- --pp .- .

Read the following text on presentations and answer the questions given
below:
The first few minutes of the presentation are very precious and crucial. If you
fail to arrest the attention of your audience in the beginning, you may lose il
forever. You make your first impression even before you've opened your Presentation Skills-I1
mouth to speak. It's got to do with the way you look and carry yourself.

Your dress needs to be neat, smart and appropriate to the occasion. It is mostly
formal for presentations. The next thing to pay attention to would be your gait
and posture. Your body communicates certain impressions to the audience.
People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them that
you are indifferent or you do not care...even though you might care a great
deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you
know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture
helps you to speak more clearly and effectively. While you need to be upright
and look confident, you may need to guard against looking too stiff and
uncomfortable. The key is to look relaxed and comfortable and at ease with
your surroundings. Reaching the venue of your presentation well in time could
be immensely helpful in getting you comfortable with the place.

Eye contact is another crucial factor. It signals interest in others and helps you
to connect with the audience. The audience responds to you better when you
look them in the eye. Do not keep your eyes away from the audience for too
long, even when you are attending to equipment or looking at your slides.

The expressions you wear on your face transmit a great deal. A smile is
contagious. When you smile at somebody, chances are that he / she will smile
back at you. A smile spreads happiness around you as it makes others smile in
response. It also transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking.

The voice is probably the most valuable tool you possess. It is the vehicle that
carries most of the content that you wish to pass on to the audience. Hence the
presenter needs to use herhis voice to maximum advantage. You must work
on the speed at which you speak as well as the volume. The pitch and tone are
other areas that need your attention. It is a good idea to practise before a
colleague or friend and get feedback on whether you are too fast, too high, too
soft, etc. Do not speak in a monotone as it bores the listener. Modulate your
voice. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to
make a point. Warmth of tone and the right emotions to accompany your
words can help you to connect with the audience instantly.

Lastly, don't forget that the audience will forgive a lot if the speaker is
enthusiastic. If you are interested and enthused, you will pass this on to your
listeners. But don't confuse enthusiasm with loudness.

So now you know that presentations are not just about well researched and
painstakingly gathered material, well organized and structured. They are a lot
about how you combine the human element with the content to reach out and
connect.

Activity 1

1. Pick the sentence that best describes the theme of the passage

i). Qualities of a good presentation

ii) Qualities of a good presenter
iii) The role of the audience
Skillsfor the Work 2. State whether the following statements are True or False. Write
Place doesn't say for statements that the passage doesn't deal with.

i) The speaker must reach the venue on time.

ii) You should be formally dressed for a presentation.
iii) People spend more time watching you than listening to you.
iv) You can feel relaxed by talking occasionally to the audience.
v) Use your smile sparingly during a presentation.
vi) Your voice is the means to transport your words.
vii) Your friends can help you out by letting you know whether you
are making the desired impact.
viii) The content of the presentation is more important than the
human element.

3. Match these meanings with words from the text.

i) valuable and important

ii) capture
iii) people's opinion of you
iv) a way of standing with your shoulders bent forwards which
makes you look lazy or tried
v) location
vi) someone who works with you
vii) optimum
viii) with a great deal of effort

10.3 STUDY SKILLS: USING VISUAL AIDS

Most presentations deal with statistics and other

complex data which would be confusing if it
were described in words1 figures without any
visual support. It is here that visual aids come
to our rescue. They help us to present figures, to
make comparisons and contrasts, to project
future performances and to talk about past,
present and future trends, thus serving the dual
purpose of enabling the presenter to deal with
this kind of information easily and making it
possible for listeners to understand it clearly. A variety of visual aids like flip
charts, line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, pictograms, maps, tables, diagrams,
photographs, etc can be used for this purpose.

Visual aids also make a presentation more interesting. Moreover, they help
you to cut down on the amount of talking you have to do.

However, you must ensure that your visuals are relevant, appropriate and
clear. Never overload them with information. Effective presenters introduce
and highlight visual information briefly and clearly, making sure they allow
their audience time to absorb the information. We must use visuals to
reinforce and clarify, and not to overwhelm the audience.
Activity 2 Presentation Skills-ll

After you have read the above text answer these questions:

1. Give two examples of business areas where it is advisable for the

presenter to use visual aids to present information.

2. Name two functions that visuals help us to perform easily and

effectively.

3. Name five types of visual aids.

4. Name two do's and two don'ts for the use of visual aids.

5. Name two major benefits of using visual aids.

10.4 LANGUAGE FOR VISUALS

Language associated with talking about visuals and making comparisons

Introducing a visual
First of all let's look at ................................
I'd like to show you ...................................
Have a look at this ....................................
This graph shows 1 represents .......................
Here we can see .......................................
Let's look at this ......................................
As you can see in this graph / table .................

Taking about the visual

On analyzing this graph ..............................
What is interesting in this graph .....................
Skillsfor the Work It is evident from this diagram .......................
Place This visual clearly indicates ...........................
On taking a closer look .................................
Comparisons !
This compares x with y
Let's compare the .......................................
Here you see a comparison between ...................
A close look at these two pie charts show .............
In sharp contrast to x ......................................
Trends 1
Visuals are also often used to talk about trends and hture prospects. Trends
can be divided into three types - increasing trend, decreasing trend and steady
or constant.
Activity 3
Here are words that are often used to describe these. Can you match them with
the appropriate graphics that follow?

1.
Steady increase
..
1.
11. Sharp decline
...
111. Dramatic rise
iv. Peaked
V. Edged up
vi. Rallied
vii. Remained constant
viii. Fluctuated
Most increases or decreases can be measured in volume or speed. For Presentation Skills-I1
example, if you say sales went up gradually you are talking about the speed at
which sales increased whereas if you say sales increased substantially you are
indicating the volume by which sales increased.
2. Now take a look at these words and divide them into the two columns
on volume and speed.
i. quickly ii. marginally iii. significantly iv. rapidly
v. steadily vi. slowly vii. slightly viii. fast
ix. nominally x. considerably

Words denoting Volume Words denoting Speed

Most words that denote changes or trends can be used in two ways:
1. As adverbs: Sales increased quickly.
2. As adjectives: Sales registered a quick increase.

10.5 SPEAKING: MAKING A PRESENTATION

Activity 4

The first few minutes

1. Prepare a 5 minute presentation on how to prepare for a job interview.

You may use the following points or include points of your own:
The importance of proper and adequate preparation for a job
interview
Knowledge of the company
An understanding of the job requirements and responsibilities
spelt out in the advertisement
Preparing for possible questions you may be asked
Skills for the Work Deciding about what you would like to ask
Place Your dress code on the day of the interview
Now make the presentation before a study partner and ask himlher to give you
feedback on these specific areas:

Content of your presentation

Structure and coherence
Language and vocabulary
Body language
Overall impact

10.6 LISTENING : ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON

PRESENTATIONS

Listen to an interview in which a Presentations expert is being asked

questions on Presentation skills and answer the questions that follow:
Activity 4

1. Complete the following statements:

Once we have determined the purpose of the presentation we

must ............................................................
We must find out ............................. that will support our
opinions.
iii. The structure of the presentation must be ................and
...............and the order of the points must be ...................
iv. At the end of the presentation we must ........................
v. Use visual aids when you .........................................
vi. Two advantages of practise are: .................................
vii. You can deal with nerves by ....................................
...
VIII. We should guard against using ..................................
ix. Deal with the audience by .......................................
X. The meaning of hostile is ........................................

10.7 GRAMMAR: ACTIVE VOICE

Active voice is recommended for presentations. Here are some excerpts

from presentations which have been scripted in the passive voice. Change
them to active voice in order to make them more suitable for
presentations.

1. You are welcome to today's presentation.

2. You will first be told something about the new printer, scanner cum
fax machine.
3. You will then be explained how it works.
4. Next, you will hear my views on the benefits of this machine.
5. At the end you will be given a demonstration by my colleague, Mr
Hussain.
6. You will be given this information booklet after the demonstration.
7. You will finally be invited to ask me any questions that you would Presentation Skills-I1
like.
8. A good presentation is remembered more than a good report.
9. Visuals are often used to talk about trends and future prospects.
10. Many cricketers were used as brand ambassadors to promote goods
and services during FIFA World Cup held in Germany in June 2006.

10.8 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit you learnt about

the importance of human qualities in presentations.

commonly used structures for presentations
the use of visual aids for presentations and language associated with
the use of visual aids
summaries & conclusions
questionlanswer sessions at the end of the presentations
use of active voice for presentations

10.9 ANSWERS

Activity 1
1.
..
11
2. i-T
ii - T
iii - Doesn't say
iv - Doesn't say
V-F
vi - T
vii - T
viii - F
3. i) precious
ii) arrest
iii) impression
iv) slouching
v) venue
vi) colleague
vii) maximum
viii) painstakingly
Activity 2
1. Two examples of business areas where it is advisable for the presenter
to use visual aids to present information. - statistics & complex data
2. Two functions that visuals help us to perform easily and effectively. -
present figures, to make comparisons and contrasts, to project
future performances and to talk about past, present and future
trends (choose any two)
3. Five types of visual aids. - flip charts, line graphs, bar graphs, pie
charts, pictograms, maps, tables, diagrams, photographs (Choose
any five)
4. Two do's and two don'ts for the use of visual aids:
Do's - visual aids must be relevant, appropriate and clear
Skills for the Work Don'ts - don't overload, don't rush through them - allow audience
Place time to read and understand them.
5. Two major benefits of using visual aids.
Make presentations more interesting
Cut down on your talking time
Activity 3

1. Steady increase - 1
..
11. Sharp decline - 4
...
111 Dramatic rise - 6
iv Peaked - 2
v. Edged up - 3
vi. Rallied - 5
vii Remained constant - 8
...
v111. Fluctuated - 7

Words denoting Volume Words denoting Speed

marginally quickly
significantly rapidly
slightly steadily
nominally slowly
considerably fast

Tape script

Interviewer: Good morning Mr Bala.

Mr Baba: A very good morning to you. /
I: First of all I'd like to begin by asking you how one should
begin preparing for a presentation?
Mr Bala: You must focus your presentation by determining its purpose
and the audience to whom you will present it, You must then
fhd and gather the facts that will support_your point of view
/and proposal. Finally, you need to grganise the information
logically.
I: How should one organize a presentation?
Mr Bala: Your presentation should have a clear, coherent structure and
cover the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most
presentations start with a brief introduction and end with a brief
conclusion. Use the introduction to welcome the audience,
introduce the subject, and outline the structure of your talk. Use
the conclusion to summarise the main points of your
presentation, thank the audience for their attention and invite
questions.
I: When should one use visual aids?
Mr Bala: If you have a lot of information to explain, don? hesitate to use
visual aids. Think about using some charts, diagrams, graphs,
etc., on Powerpoint, an overhead projector or flipchart.
I: Is there any other advice you can give on preparation?
Mr Bala: Yes. Practise your presentation. By practising you will be able
to identify the weak points and to check the timing. Rehearsal
will give you more confidence.
 A very common problem with most presenters is nerves. How Presentation Skills-11
can we overcome this'?
You will be probably nervous at the beginning of your
presentation. Try not to speak too fast at the beginning. It has
two advantages; you can calm down and strike a good rapport
with the audience. The first impression is very important.
And what about body language?
Try to avoid mannerisms, but eye contact and gestures are
indispensable.
And lastly, how does one deal with a difficult audience?
Mr Bala: Be ready to deal with any question, even with hostile ones,
without losing your cool. Polite, diplomatic answers are a good
tactic.
Mr Bala, thank you very much for these valuable tips on

1. Complete the following statements:

1. Once we have determined the purpose of the presentation we
must ...start preparing for it / focus on the audience for
whom it is meant..............................
..
11. We must find out ......information ..... that will support our
opinions.
...
111. The structure of the presentation must be
clear.. .....and.. .coherent............and the order of the points
must be.. ....logical.............
iv. At the end of the presentation we must .. .summarise the main
points / thank the audience / invite questions
v. Use visual aids when you.. .have a lot of information to give /
deal with..........................
vi. Two advantages of practise are: You can identify weak points
and check the timing. ........................................
vii. You can deal with nerves by ...speaking slowly at the
beginning. .........................
viii. We should guard against using.. .mannerisms................
ix. Deal with the audience by.. .being polite ...................
x. The meaning of hostile is.. .unfriendly.........
Active & Passive Voice
1. I have pleasure in welcoming you to today's presentation.
2. I'd first tell you something about the new printer, scanner cum fax
machine.
3. I will then go on to explain to you how it works.
4. Next, I'd give my views on the benefits of this machine.
5. At the end my colleague, Mr Hussain, will give you a demonstration.
6. We will give you this information booklet after the demonstration.
7. Finally, I'll invite you to ask me any questions that you would like.
8. People remember a good presentation than a good report.
9. We often use visuals to talk about trends and future prospects.
10. Advertisers used many cricketers as brand ambassadors to promote
goods and services.. .......