Presentation Skills – Nicola Sarjeant
Presentations
Delivery
1. Read the text below. Is it good advice?
2. Discuss with a partner. How is speaking to an audience - even a small one different from speaking to a group of friends? Think about the following:
- how clearly you speak
- how often you pause
- how quickly you speak
- how emphatic you are
3. Read the following presentation extract. Decide where you would pause for best effect. Put a vertical line ( | ) there. Remember, longer chunks sound more fluent; shorter chunks, more emphatic.
The world's most popular drink is water. You probably knew that already. After all, it's a basic requirement of life on earth. But did you know that the world's second most popular drink is Coke? And that the human race drinks six hundred million Cokes a day? Now, let's just put that into some kind of perspective. It means that every week of every year people drink enough Coke to fill the WorldTradeCenter. In fact, if all the Coca Cola ever consumed was poured over Niagara Falls instead of water it would take nearly two days to run dry. There's almost nowhere on the planet from Miami to Malawi, where the word Coke isn't instantly recognized. The brand name alone is worth thirty billion dollars. And that's what makes Coca Cola a global marketing phenomenon.
3. Now, think about which words you would give the most stress to – underline them.
The world's most POPULAR drink
is WATER.
You probably knew that ALREADY.
After all,
it's a basicrequirement of life on earth.
But did you KNOW
that the world's SECOND most popular drink
is COKE?
And that the human race drinks
SIX HUNDRED MILLION Cokes a DAY?
Now, let's just put that into some kind of PERSPECTIVE.
It MEANS
that EVERY WEEK
of EVERY YEAR
people drink enough COKE
to fill the WorldTRADECenter.
In FACT,
if all the Coca Cola ever CONSUMED
was poured over Niagara Falls
instead of WATER
it would take nearly TWO DAYS to run dry.
There's almost nowhere on the PLANET
from MIAMI
to MALAWI,
where the word COKE
isn't INSTANTLY recognized.
The brand name ALONE
Is worth THIRTY BILLION DOLLARS.
And that's what makes COCA COLA
a GLOBAL MARKETING PHENOMENON.
A team presentation
1. Look at the following information from First Direct. You are going to use this information to practice delivering a presentation. Mark the pauses and stressed words.
Presenter 1When you join First Direct you experience something unbelievable. A bank designed around you, which doesn't expect you to fit round it.
/ Presenter 2
A bank which recruits people who like to talk. A bank which gives its people all the information they need to enable them to help you. A bank which believes in sorting your money out for you without you having to ask.
Presenter 1
Funny kind of bank? Unbelievable? Even a little magical? Yes, but also efficient, safe and secure.
/ Presenter 2
You can, naturally, choose when, where and how to deal with your money. We're open 24 hours a day. Our people are ready to talk to you, whenever you call.
Presenter 1
And wherever you might be in the world, you can bank online. Receive information online. Buy online. We can even send banking messages to your mobile phone. / Presenter 2
Join First Direct and feel good about your bank; it's your money after all.
2. In the First Direct presentation, find examples of:
a. repetition
b. rhetorical questions[1]
c. grouping points in threes
d. pairs of contrasting points
3. Match the items in 2 to why they are effective:
1. you invite your audience to try to anticipate your answer __
2. you create a satisfying sense of completeness __
3. you make sure your audience doesn't miss your main points __
4. you emphasize what you're saying by using the power of opposites __
A
You work for the Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO). You are trying to persuade the Tokyo Universitystudents’ travel club to come to Seoul/Korea for its annual summer vacation trip.
You have five minutes to persuade them. Make notes for your presentation. Think about what signposting language you will use and how you will use pauses and stress to make your delivery more effective.
Introduction
• Welcome
• Stimulate interest (hook)
• Introduce subject
• Outline structure
1.
2.
3.
• Questions
Body
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion
• Sum up
• Recommendation(s)
• Thank audience
• Questions
B
You work for YonseiUniversity. You are trying to persuade students from a well-respected high school to attend Yonsei next year.
You have five minutes to persuade them. Make notes for your presentation. Think about what signposting language you will use and how you will use pauses and stress to make your delivery more effective.
Introduction
• Welcome
• Stimulate interest (hook)
• Introduce subject
• Outline structure
1.
2.
3.
• Questions
Body
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion
• Sum up
• Recommendation(s)
• Thank audience
• Questions
[1] A rhetorical question isa question that is asked in order to make a statement and which does not expect an answer:"Why do these things always happen to me?" is a rhetorical question.