BUSN 20017—Effective Business Communication
Communicating to an Audience
The Purpose
• Recognise different approaches to public speaking • Understand and overcome communication apprehension • Analyze the rhetorical situation • Choose the appropriate structure for your presentation • Use visual aids effectively • Organize the structure of your information
Common Types of Speaking
• Impromptu • Extemporaneous • Verbatim from a manuscript • Verbatim from memory (no manuscript)
Communication Apprehension (McCroskey, 1977; Richmond and McCroskey, 2007)
• Communication Apprehension refers to ―an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons‖
Communication Apprehension (McCroskey, 1977; Richmond and McCroskey, 2007)
• Novelty • Formality • Status • Conspicuousness • Unfamiliarity • Dissimilarity • Degree of attention from others
Overcoming Communication Anxiety (Chesebro, 2014)
• Prepare what you are going to say • Think positively about your audience • Think about what may go wrong and develop a contingency plan
The Rhetorical Situation Bitzer (1968)
What does the audience want to know? What does the audience need to know? What is the demographic make up of the audience? How much does the audience know about the topic? How does the audience feel about the topic?
Analyzing the Audience
Analyzing the Exigency of the Situation
A problem, issue or situation that causes, required or prompts a speaker to speak.
Questions to ask: Is the audience aware of the exigency of the situation? How much does the audience know about the exigency of the situation? Does the audience of a understand all of the issues about the exigency of the situation
Analyzing the Speaker: What is My Purpose?
• To inform • To persuade • To celebrate or honor • To motivate • To entertain • To apologize • To instruct
Analyzing the Topic
• What does the audience know about the topic? • What does the audience want to know about the topic? • What does the speaker know--expert or novice? – What ever the answer do the research
What is the relationship between the topic and the exigency of the situation?
The Structure of Your Presentation
• All presentations have: 1. An Introduction: The purpose of the introduction is to preview your presentation, establish your relationship with the audience, and orient your audience to the topic under discussion—exigency and thesis. 2. A Body: The body contains the key points and evidence that supports your thesis. 3. A Conclusion: The purpose of the conclusion is to remind the audience about what they have heard.
The Structure of Your Presentation—At The Beginning • The general purpose • The specific purpose • The thesis statement – Note: the general and specific purpose are not articulated in your presentation. They are simply the means of helping develop your overarching purpose for speaking.
The Structure of Your Presentation: The General Purpose • The general purpose of a presentation is a broad statement regarding what it is that you wish to accomplish.
Said another way:
What is it that you wish to achieve with this presentation?
The Structure of Your Presentation: The Specific Purpose • The specific purpose is a statement about what you want the audience to do having heard your presentation.
Said another way:
I would like my audience to (do something) (how, when, and where)
The Structure of Your Presentation: The Thesis
• The thesis is a single statement that summarizes the message that you wish to impart to your audience.
The Introduction : The attention-getting statement • Refer to the subject or occasion • Ask a rhetorical question • Ask a dialectical question • Make a starling statement • Use a quotation • Tell a humorous story • Issue a challenge or appeal • Refer to a recent incident • Request a specific action
The Introduction-Thesis
• State your main idea clearly at the beginning of your presentation so that your audience knows exactly what message that you are trying to communicate.
The Introduction--Ethos
• Establish your competence to speak on a specific subject.
The Introduction—Exigency of The Topic
• You need to communicate that the message that you are about to deliver is important and/or interesting to this audience.
The Introduction—Preview your main points
• Tell your audience what the main points of the presentation are going to be.
The introduction in Review
• Attention-getting statement • Thesis • Speaker ethos • Exigency of the topic • Preview – Note: Remember if the audience knows you are credible then you don’t have to spend much time reminding them— if they don’t then you will need to reassure them that you are credible to speak. Likewise the amount of time you spend on the exigency is dependent upon what the audience know about it.
The Body—Main Points
• Most business presentations have around 3 to 5 main points. The main points are fully articulated sentences that support the thesis/main idea and introduce the information that is to follow.
The Body—Supporting Your Main Points
Function • Clarity • Interest • Proof
Form • Examples • Statistics • Testimony
– Note: Check you evidence based upon authority of source, objectivity of source and recency of source.
The Body--Transitions
Function • The function of transitions is to facilitate the flow of information from one point to the next.
Form • Preview • Internal Summary • Transitional statement • Sign-post
The Body—Arranging the Main Points
• Organisational Patterns – Chronological – Spatial – Topical – Causal – Problem-Solution – Monroe’s motivated sequence – Comparative advantages
Informative Presentations
• https://www.youtube.com/v/AKuv8s00ApE#Infor mative%20Speeches:%20%20How%20to%20W rite%20an%20Informative%20Speech
The Body—Chronological
• A chronological pattern traces the order of events in a time sequence (such as past, present, and future or first step, middle step, final step)
First
Second
Third Fourth
Fifth
The Body--Spatial
• A spatial pattern organizes the information in terms of how it is put together or where it is located physically (such Queensland, NSW, South Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory, ACT, and Tasmania or internal or external)
The Body-Topical
• A topical pattern arranges the information according to theme or logical division within the subject material covered (such as size, colour, shape, or texture)
The Body--Causal
• This Organisational pattern conveys the information from cause to effect or effects to cause (such disease to symptom or symptom to disease).
Persuasive Presentations
https://www.youtube.com/v/9nSkYtKs9qc#How%2 0to%20Write%20a%20Persuasive%20Speech:%2 0%20Understanding%20Principles%20of%20Pers uasion
The Body—Problem Solution
• This Organisational pattern first establishes that a problem exists and then provides a solution to this problem.
The Body—Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
• Attention—Capture the audience’s attention by introducing the problem in an interesting manner. • Need—Explain the problem clearly and completely. – Use supporting material to back up your claim. • Here you need to prove that the problem is serious in terms of its effect (effect on the specific audience and/or universal audience)
The Body—Monroe’s Motivated SequenceCont. • Satisfaction—Present your solution to the problem. – Here you need to demonstrate that the solution is feasible and can solve the problem that you have described.
• Visualization—Describe what will happen if your proposal is adopted. – Here you need to ―paint a picture‖ of the outcome of the implementation of your proposal in a manner that clearly depicts how your proposal will make a real difference.
The Body—Monroe’s Motivated SequenceCont. • Action: In this step you call the audience to action. That is, you tell them what they need to do to help implement your solution.
The Body—Comparative Advantage
• A comparative advantage pattern compares several alternatives to the end of demonstrating how your proposed alternative is the best.
The Conclusion
• Review thesis and main points • Provides closure with a capstone statement or a call to action.
Types of Visual Aids
• Objects and models • Photographs • Diagrams • Lists and tables • Pie charts • Bar and column charts
Sales
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Media for Presenting Visual Aids
• Flip charts and poster board • Whiteboard • Handouts • Audio-visual presentations
• Presentation software – PowerPoint – Prezi
Writing Up an Outline
You Tube • https://www.youtube.com/ v/vjAtJF24jqs#A%20Publi c%20Speaking%20Outlin e%20Example
An Outline INTRODUCTION I II A. B. III. IV BODY I. A. 1. a. b B. 1. a. b (transition) II. A. 1. a. b B. 1. a. b (transition) CONCLUSION I. II.
Delivery
• Be conversational • Use your voice to emphasize important points • Pauses and silences can work to your advantage • Repeat information if necessary • If appropriate bring in your own experiences, ideas and feelings • Try to avoid disfluencies
Using Non-verbal Communication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFLjudWTuGQ
Evaluation—The Importance of Feedback • Improves performance • Sends a positive message
What were the main points of the presentation that you found interesting? Did the presentation enhance you knowledge, skills or abilities? If so, how? If not, why? How could the presenter improve his/her presentation?
Types of Organizational Presentations
• Briefings • Reports • Training • Explanations • Proposals and sales presentation • Welcoming remarks • Introducing another speaker • Honouring a person or an institution • Presenting and accepting an award
Adult Learning (Knowles, M., Holton, E. F. III, & Swanson, R. A.., 2005; Knowles, M., Holton, E. F. III, & Swanson, R. A., 2005; Pritchard, A.., 2008)).
• Need to know • Self-concept • Experience • Readiness to learn • Orientation to learning • Motivation
A Proposal (DiSanza and Legge, 2005), p. 225)
• A business proposal should create shared meaning by persuading others that whatever you have to offer—an idea, a design, a program, new equipment or a new procedure—is the best solution to their problem‖
A Proposal
Introduce the problem Demonstrate the nature of the problem in terms that the audience will understand Show undesirable consequences of the problem Highlight the ethical dimensions of the situation. Provide causal analysis of the situation if necessary.
A Proposal-cont
Provide a solution Describe the positive consequences of your proposal. Show how your proposal will avoid bad consequences Highlight the ethical reasons for your approach. Address the feasibility of your proposal
Structure to Use for Proposals (Disanza and Legg, 2005)
• Problem Solution • Monroe’s Motivated Sequence • N-A-R Structure (narrative, argument and refutation) • Comparative Advantage
Sales Presentation (DiSanza and Legge, 2005)
• The purpose of sales presentations between organizations is persuade a business to buy a product or products or services for use in the business or for eventual sale to retail customers
Sales Presentation
Establish client relationships before your presentation. Put your clients’ needs first Ask questions and listen to your clients Emphasize the benefits and not the features.
Structures to Use for a Sales Presentation
• Problem Solution • Monroe’s Motivated Sequence • Comparative advantage • N-A-R
Make-a Claim and Prove it (Disanza and Legge)
INTRODUCTION BODY 1. First assertion about the product A. Support B. Support 2. Second assertion about the product A. Support B. Support 3. Third assertion about the product A. Support B. Support CONCLUSION
A Training Presentation (Ota, C., DiCarlo, C. F., Burts, D. C., Laird, R., & Gioe, C. 2006).
• Identify the current knowledge of the audience • Present new knowledge • The outcomes--Relevance of the information for the audience in terms of practice or skills acquired
Structures to Use for a Training Presentation
• Chronological • Spatial • Topical
In Review
• Types of public speech • Communication apprehension • Rhetorical proofs • Analysing the rhetorical situation—speaker, audience and occasion • Structure of the presentation • Visual aids • Types of organisational presentations
References
Bitzer, L. (1968). The rhetorical situation," Philosophy & Rhetoric 1(1), 1-14. Chesebro, J. L. (2014). Professional Communication at Work: Interpersonal strategies for Career Success. New York: NY: Routledge. DiSanza, J. R., and Legge, N. J. (2005). Business and Professional Commuinication: Plans, Processes, and Performance. Boston: Pearson Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2006). Evaluating training programs: The four levels (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Berrett- Koehler Publishers. Knowles, M., Holton, E. F. III, & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier. Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy. Wilton, Connecticut: Association Press. Ota, C., DiCarlo, C. F., Burts, D. C., Laird, R., & Gioe, C. (2006). Training and needs of the adult earner. Journal of Extension [Online], 44(6) Pritchard, A. (2008) Ways of Learning: learning theories and learning styles in the classroom (2nd ed.). Abingdon, Oxon: David Fulton.
On-Line Reference
July16, 2013 The Little Black Book of Billionaire Secrets 10 Keys To Writing A Speech Jeff Schmitt http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffschmitt/2013/07/16/ 10-keys-to-writing-a-speech/#4eda263669ca