self-help public speakingeflmodules.projectplatform.net/resources/public_speaking.pdf · level of...

SupEFL: Supplemental Self-help in English as a Foreign Languagefor Learners with Specific Learning Differences/Difficulties

(2014-1-DE02-KA200-001093)

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does notconstitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the

authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may bemade of the information contained therein.

Self-HelpPublic Speaking

Self-Help Public Speaking supefl.eu of 75© 2014-2017 English at Work: The materials are Open Educational Resources. As a learner or trainer, you may download, reproduce, customize andotherwise make use of the materials. You may also amend, edit or otherwise change all original text, provided that all original copyright noticesremain intact and appear on all amended versions or reproductions thereof. You may distribute the materials by any means including electronic mailor on a storage device such as a CD for the purpose of education or training. However, the materials may not be sold, leased or loaned. Any otheruse of the materials not defined in this agreement is subject to our written approval. Cartoons by © 2016-2017 Boris Stoyanov (CC BY-NC-ND).Produced for SupEFL project 2014-1-DE02-KA200-001093

Summary

This training is suitable for anyone who wants to speak before a group of people. You

will learn and acquire tools and techniques that make you a more effective, polished

and accomplished presenter. It is designed for anyone from the intermediate (B2)

level of proficiency in English and upwards. The skills you acquire in the self-help

training can also be transferred to your native language.

This self-help learning module is suitable for you if:

You are anxious or nervous when speaking before a group of people

You have a tendency to go on tangents when speaking in public

You have difficulties preparing and structuring your presentation

You don't know what to do when speaking in public

You are not sure how to be persuasive

Required level of English language proficiency to read andunderstand this module:

B1 or higher (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/sites/default/files/cefr-en.pdf)


Table of Contents

1. Set the Agenda and begin practicing.........................................................................5

2. Your Communication & Presentation Profile.............................................................7

3. The Basics of Delivery................................................................................................9

5. Practice Pre-presentation Warm-ups......................................................................16

6. Give a bad presentation to increase awareness......................................................22

7. The importance of preparation and how to do it right...........................................23

8. The Seven Steps of a Presentation..........................................................................30

9. Practice giving a presentation using a simple theme trail.......................................37

10. Use the right language...........................................................................................39

11. Be Creative.............................................................................................................46

12. Use rhetorical devices............................................................................................49

13. Enhance your message through visualization.......................................................51

14. Answer questions convincingly..............................................................................58

Appendix 1 (A1):..........................................................................................................61

Appendix 2 (A2): Useful Phrases.................................................................................62

Appendix 3 (A3): Feedback on Presentations..............................................................75


Estimated time to complete the module:

8 hours

Objectives

Upon completion of this module you will:

Be able to prepare a good presentation

Know how to structure your presentation

Be sensitized to the expectations of your audience

Learn tools and techniques to involve your audience

Be aware of non-verbal communication techniques

Methodology

This E-learning book is an open educational resource. It uses open-sourcetechnology and multimedia. It is mobile-friendly and device-independent. It isdelivered online but there also is an offline version. The self-help learning program isdesigned for individual learners to work on their own and includes practice activities.It can also be used in a classroom as part of a facilitator-led training program.

The program includes mini-inputs and demonstrations as well as activities for self-reflection and practice. It is important that participants reflect their pastcommunication experience. For the training to be effective, participants areencouraged to form a small group (of 4-6 persons) in their social network who arealso interested in improving their public speaking skills in English. Because thepractice activities involves self-disclosure it is very important to maintain a safeatmosphere within the group.


1. Set the Agenda and begin practicing

Get to know each other and conduct your first presentation

Activity:Aim: Appoint a facilitator and begin practicing by conducting yourfirst presentation on your communication profile. To determineyour strengths and weaknesses, please refer to thecommunication profile on the following page. Use Appendix 3(A3): (http://eflmodules.projectplatform.net/7-appendix-3/) togive each other brief feedback. Allow 3 minutes per presentationand 3 - 5 minute for feedback by the group for each presentation.


Instruction for students:Get together as a group, discuss the agenda and appoint a facilitator to guide the discussion.

Present your strengths, your opportunities for improvement and your expectations concerning the training in a 3 minute presentation. To determine your strengths and weaknesses, please refer to the communication profile on the following page.

When you have finished your presentation, check how you felt before, during and after the presentation. Share your feelings with other members of the group.

Instruction for facilitators:Please make sure that the participants do not exceed the time slotted for their presentation and direct the feedback session so that it is meaningful and uplifting. Structure the feedback in such a way that you give feedback on what was good and what could have been done differently.

Commend the presenters on their accomplishments.

Keep the session productive and don't let conversation drift.


2. Your Communication & Presentation Profile

Activity:In this exercise you will be able to assess your ability tocommunicate and present. At the end you will have a better ideaof your strengths and weaknesses as well as possible areas forimprovement.

To assess your profile, please give yourself a number between 0 and 10 assessingyour ability to:

Structure arguments clearly 0 10

Use appropriate language 0 10

Use visual aids confidently 0 10

Make appropriate eye contact 0 10

Adopt a positive posture 0 10

Project your voice 0 10

Listen 0 10

Handle awkward questions 0 10


Stick to the point 0 10

Persuade others 0 10

Make others feel comfortable 0 10

Relax with others 0 10

Enthusiasm 0 10

Warmth 0 10

Confidence 0 10

Sense of humor 0 10


3. The Basics of Delivery

Aim: To understand the impact that non-verbal expressions can have on apresentation. To learn non-verbal techniques that will support and enhance yourpresentation.

Instruction for students:Watch this short video with Chris in which he explains the main tools we have in communicating a message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=QffH-O7ojtM

This is an outline of the impact of the different elements of your communication.


How We Communicate:

Body Language 58%

Gesture Posture Facial expressions Eye contact Proximity Touching Dress & extras

Para-linguistics 35%

Intonation Stress Verbal mannerisms Accent Timing & style

Words 7%

Dictionary meaning


4. The Importance of Body Language

Instruction for students:Watch this short video with Chris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=89aqqdQlPIg

Understand the importance of body language language and begin to “read”somebody by looking at their gestures in clusters.

Receptive

Sitting forward. Relaxed Unbuttoned coat Legs crossed loosely. Relaxed Slight smile Hands resting lightly Open hands/palms Comfortable eye contact

Nervous

Shifting body weight Body trying to escape Arm and leg movements Clearing throat Whistling Ear tugging Avoiding eye contact


Defensive

Crossed arms Tightly crossed legs Tight fists Hidden hands (pockets?) Covered mouth (with hand) doubt or

lie Leg over chair (territorial right) Sitting facing chair back Buttoning coat Locking ankles Sullen/challenging eye contact

Angry

Rubbing back of neck - pain inthe neck

hot under the collar (frustration) Jabbing/shaking index finger Scowling. Red faced Throwing down glasses/pen Clenching fist, had wringing, tense,

irritated Hands spread, leaning on table “Tsk” Kicking


Confidence

Steepling Proud, erect stance Steady eye contact, Less blinking Hands joined behind back Hands behind head Superiority Looking over glasses Fists on desk (territorial rights)

Readiness

Hands on hips (goal orientated) Leaning forward on edge of chair Coat off or unbuttoned Sleeves rolled up


Evaluating

Not motionless Stroking chin Leaning forward Hand to cheek (critical if “triangle”

is closed) Looking over half-moon glasses Polishing bridge of nose Pacing up and down

Boredom

Head up or down Body straighten then slouch Cross arms/legs Kicking foot Body points to exit Wandering gaze Doodling Playing with pen/clothes etc


Doubt/Suspicion

See - Defensive Sideways glance Body - exit Touching nose Rubbing behind ear Rubbing eye Squirming, twisting body Fleeting eye contact

Wanting Reassurance

Rubbing hands Picking fingers Lint picking Sucking pencil Female-touching throat

(unsure about what she has just said)

Pinching fleshy part of hand


5. Practice Pre-presentation Warm-ups

Often we feel liked condemned prisoners when approaching a presentation. We waitour turn with trepidation, sitting still and imaging all the things that could possibly gowrong. Our bodies react by stiffening up.

Instructions for students:Find a quiet place outside the presentation room (it could evenbe in the toilet!) and do as many of the following exercises as youcan. They will help you transform fear and it' s accompanyingphysical tightness and tension into confidence and presence.


Wake up your eyes

Hold your index finger in front of your eyes and move it around, keeping your

eyes focused on the tip of the finger.

Move your finger at random to the limits of your visual field.

Do this as quickly as you can without moving your head. Practice for 30

seconds.

This exercise will wake up your eyes. When they are alive, bright and clearly

focused, so are you.

Change your face

Make as many different faces as you can – sad, funny, angry, afraid, stupid, surprised.

Make each expression dramatic and larger than life. Include your eyes as a

part of it.

Make a very small, tight face and then make as big a face as you can.

Open your eyes and mouth wide.

Hold each face for about 10 seconds, relaxing for a moment in between. Do

this 5 to 10 times.

Changing your face in this way helps you to relax and feel more comfortable

about using a range of expressions with your audience.


Don't forget to breathe!

Become aware of how you are breathing. Simply notice the movement of yourbreathing for 60 seconds without trying to change it. This exercise will help you feelboth calm and energized.

Then take a deep breath making sure to push your stomach out as you do so.

Follow this by a full exhalation pulling your diaphragm in to push all the air out

of your lungs. Do this five times.

When you are inhaling, imaging that you are like a sumo wrestler – solid,

stable and connected to the earth. A sumo wrestler is very concentrated,

balanced and aware of his surroundings. This is a good feeling to have as a

presenter.

To enhance the effectiveness of this exercise, make a deep sighing ''ahhhh''

sound as you exhale.

Open your voice

Try yawning, sighing and humming.

Sing vowel sounds in ascending and descending scales like an opera singer

doing warms up.

Find the highest and the lowest notes you can sing.

Sing or hum your current favorite song.

You can even try singing the first few minutes of your presentation!

This exercise will help prevent you from choking up and feeling blocked. It also

will enhance the quality, range and resonance of your voice.


Get your blood moving

Shake your hands and feet vigorously to get of any tension you are holding

there. Open and close your hands and work your fingers. Hands can be a very

useful visual aid for presenters but they need to be supple to work effectively.

Using both hands, knead the top of your shoulders, the back of your neck and

the top of your head. Gently massage your forehead, temples, jaw and cheeks.

Pull on your ears.

Use both hands to massage your legs vigorously up and down from your

thighs to your ankles. Rub your abdomen in a clockwise direction and then

reach your arms behind you and massage your lower back.

You can also run in a place, dance, jump up and down or practice your favoritestretching exercise – whatever works best to get your blood moving around yourbody.

As you practice these exercises you will find your fear and tension transforming intoenergy, enthusiasm and excitement.


Activity: Presence Check-list

Express > Change your face

Breathe > Don't forget to breathe!

Look > Wake up your eyes

Listen > Open your voice

Feel > Get your blood moving

Opening

At the start, before you begin to speak, take a few deep breaths without heavingyour chest or raising your shoulders. Count slowly to 5.


Look around and take notice of your surroundings. Make contact with your audienceand allow them to make contact with them.

In a small group, make eye contact with each person very briefly before moving on.

With a large audience, make eye contact with one or two people, look for a familiarface or someone appearing to smile.

At the start of your presentation, ask yourself: ''What do I observe right now?'' Hearthe answers in your head as you continue looking around.

Take time to wait for that special moment when everything seems ready for yourenergy and contribution.

Middle

Keep up your energy and vary your:

Quality of expression Loudness of voice Face and body language Timing.

Closing

End your presentation in some memorable way, leaving both you and the audienceon a high note.

The 3 E's

Remember to support your presentation with culturally appropriate expressions of:

Energy Enthusiasm Excitement


6. Give a bad presentation to increase awareness

Activity: What’s wrong with this presentation?

Aim: To determine what makes a good presentation and a badpresentation.

What’s wrong with this presentation? Think of everything thatmakes a poor presentation. This presentation will be a goodexample of a bad presentation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=ATfY8dvbuFg

Instructions for students:Conduct a 3 minute bad presentation on a topic of your choice. Write everything you see that you think could be improved. Be very critical. Try and find as many bad points as you can and be prepared to say how you think they could be improved.

After each bad presentation give each other feedback on whatyou think was done poorly using Appendix 3 (A3) .


http://eflmodules.projectplatform.net/7-appendix-3/

7. The importance of preparation and how to do it right

Aim: To illustrate the key factors in preparing for a presentation. Why prepare?

Glossophobia or fear of speaking in public is very widespread. It has been estimatedthat 75% of all people experience some degree of anxiety/ nervousness whenspeaking in public. Why are we afraid of giving presentations? Refer to the list offeelings about giving your first presentation.


One way to combat or lessen our fear is by preparing as much as we can. There arefive questions we should ask ourselves as we prepare:

Why am I giving the presentation? What is the purpose? What message do I want toget across? What result do I want to achieve? What point of view do I want toconvey? It is usually some form of persuasion – write the objective down in oneshort sentence and use it as a reference point throughout your preparation.

What am I going to present? Research and gather the facts, figures, statistics,illustrations, handouts, the key arguments, etc.

Where am I going to give the presentation? What is the shape of the room and theseating plan? Will I need any equipment. Will it be there or will I have to bring it?Where are the power sources? Do I need extension leads? What is the lighting like?Will my transparencies be visible at the back of the room. How can I darken theroom if necessary? Will I need a sound system or a microphone? etc.

How should I present? What style should I use? Friendly? Authoritative? Inquisitive?General? Detailed? Highly structured? Spontaneous?

Who will be the audience? Many of the answers to the previous questions will bedetermined by the answer to this one.


You can use this simple formula to prepare your presentations:

M. E. E. T. S.

M – Motivation

The three starting points are: the audience, the audience, the audience. You maylove or hate presenting, just never lose sight of your customers. That means beingvery clear about how you are talking to and why they are listening to you. The wholepoint of presenting is to communicate, so see it from their point of view. Put yourselfin their shoes. Why are they there listening to you? Do they really want to be there,or have they been told to attend by a superior? It's fine having lots of ideas whichyou want to convey, but are they relevant? Is your audience going to understandyou? Do they even want to? How much do you know about them? How many ofthem are there? Are they fresh or already suffering from conference fatigue? You canprobably think more questions.

E – expectations

All audiences come to a presentation with certain expectations. Even when youknow your audience personally, it pays to review what they are expecting. Forinstance, are they wanting to be persuaded, amused, informed, challenged to makea decision, etc.? What's in it for them? Somewhere along the way the audience mustget something they want to need.

To make an impact you may deliberately choose to upset their expectations. It mayeven be useful to ask yourself: ''How could I deliberately upset their expectations?''But be sure to do it intentionally and not by mistake through ignorance, lack ofpreparation or cultural insensitivity. Be careful not to upset cultural taboos. Getadvice from your cultural interpreter.


E – experience

Check the level and background of the audience. What do they already know aboutthe subject? Do they come already interested or must you generate the interest?Have they had any previous experience with your company or products before? If so,were they positive or negative experiences. What do they know about yourcompetitors? Finally, most people have a set of personal values, prejudices or beliefswhich influence how they receive communication. What are your audience's?

T – time

Always have a clear sense of how much time you have for your presentation.Different presentations have different ground rules. For example, if you are invited togive an after dinner speech the time may be more flexible than for a presentation toa board of directors. Sometimes you can ask a small audience: ''How much time do Ihave?'' But mostly you need to know in advance how much time you have so thatyou can plan your material to fit. The worst thing you can do is tell the audience youwill speak for 20 minutes and then go over time to 30 or 40 minutes. Soon after 20minutes have passed people will start to look at their watches and their focus ofattention will wander.

S – size

How many people will you be talking to? It's scary having prepared for a dozenpeople to find yourself facing a hundred.


An audience of 1 – 5 people is a small group. You must establish relationships rapidlyand try to engage each person, rather than just the group as a whole. If culturallyappropriate you can sit, or perch on the edge of a desk if you prefer.

An audience of 5 – 10 requires a more formal approach, though you will beconcerned with individuals. Visual aids need to be large and how you handlequestions should be carefully considered. It's better to stand up.


From 30 – 100 the audience appears a mass of people, more anonymous and lesseasy to approach. It's harder to establish relationships with individuals andpresentation aids need to be faultless. Consider using a microphone.

Over 100 people and you are moving into a theatrical situation. Issues such as stagedoor entrance, lighting, and presentation aids require considerable care andattention; question and answer can fail unless formalized and moderated.


Special factors

There many be special factors about your particular presentation to review, such as:

Who presents before me? What are they likely to say? How will they leave the audience for my follow-on? How can I tailor my presentation to build on or anticipate their expected

impact?

Watch out for situations where your audience have been affected by some specialsituation. For example, you not get their full attention because yours is the lastpresentation after a long stretch of presentations before lunch...


8. The Seven Steps of a Presentation

Instructions for students:Watch the video with Chris in which he explains the 7 steps of a presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_UrBwaalUk

Step 1: Establish the Aim

Step 2: Audience Audit

Step 3: Structure the Presentation

Step 4: Content

Step 5: Introductions

Step 6: The Mini-Summaries

Step 7: The Main Summary


Step 1: Establish the Aim

To ensure success, you need to know what you want your presentation toaccomplish.

Having a specific aim will keep the presentation to the point, and help to limit yoursupporting materials to those that are truly meaningful.

Each point in the presentation should be there only because it helps to put yourproposal across more convincingly. Keeping your aim and your audience(s) in mindhelps you to keep your presentation lean and purposeful.

To reduce your preparation time and increase your control, begin organizing fromthe desired end result, i.e. What you want the audience to do as a result e.g. to takeaction/to sign-up/to change their attitude/to ask for more information/to get themto act...

Ask yourself what you have to do to achieve this end result.

Use the formula:

I need to ..........

so that they ..........


Step 2: Audience Audit

The clearer you are about your audience, the better you can achieve your aim - tryto think like your audience.

Ask yourself open questions:

Such as:

Why are they coming?

What is your motivation?

Who may influence the group?

What is their experience?

What is their expectation?

What do they need to know?

What is their perception of you?

How much do they need to know?

How long have I got?

How will they decide (if they have to decide)?

When will they make a decision (if they have to make a decision)?

Where will the presentation be held?


Step 3: Structure the Presentation

You can effectively communicate a message, an idea or a change using a simplestructure. For a printable version refer to Appendix 1 (A1):




Step 4: Content

Instructions for students:Brainstorm possible content around your themes, then assemble in order;Be ruthless leaving out anything irrelevant.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Step 5: Introductions

There are 3 steps that you should follow here:


Step 6: The Mini-Summaries

An important process throughout the presentation is to summarize.

This keeps both you and your audience aware of where you are.

The most important summaries are the end of each theme to SIGNPOST the end ofone theme and the beginning of another.

Step 7: The Main Summary

This is a repeat of the introduction. The most important ingredient is the nextaction:


9. Practice giving a presentation using a simple theme trail

Theme Trails - There are many ways to structure a presentation – logical/sequential,time based/historical, comparative, theory and proof, mosaic, etc. Whateverstructure you choose, your aim should be to make your content as clear as possiblefor the audience to understand.

The Four P's is an example of a theme trail.

1. Position

outline the present situation establish common ground show you know

2. Problem

introduce the need for change dig the hole in which to plant your idea


3. Possibilities

choices evaluate alternatives give evidence/examples relate past experiences

4. Proposal

final choice based on possibilities solves the problem

Other Possible Theme Trails:

Activity: Give a 3-5 minute presentation to the group usingone of the above-mentioned theme trails on a topic ofinterest to you. Give each other feedback after thepresentation.


10. Use the right language

Aim: To identify useful words and phrases, and the appropriate style that willsupport your presentation and make it easy to understand. The language we use toput our message across can help or hinder our communication with the audience.Below are some useful phrases you can choose during your presentation to helpreinforce and clarify your content.

Useful phrases

Opening

Subject

''Let's look at how to save money without losing motivation.'

Question

''Can we accept the negative side effects of… to... ''


Shock

''This year's loss will be even greater than last year's!''

Imagine

''Imagine that we have increased...''

Paradox

''The more we advance, the more we isolate ourselves.''

Activate

''Write down the first three words that come into your head when I say,''empowerment''

Promise

''By the end of this presentation you will be able to decide between two clear proposals for the future of...''

Signposting

Organizing

''Let's divide the subject into three sections...''''Firstly, we should deal with...''''Secondly, we need to look at...''''Finally, let's consider....''

Linking

''As we will see...''''As I will show later...''''We'll be looking at this later on.''''As you will remember....''''As mentioned earlier...''


Changing

''Let's now turn to...''''If we now look at...''''Having dealt with the question of...''''Moving on to...''

Connecting

''and... then... so... and so... next... after that... however... but...and yet... subsequently... consequently...''

Highlighting

''The thing to remember is...''''What we have to realize is...''''We sometimes forget that...''''Strangely enough...''''Funnily enough...''

Restarting

''I think that answers your question.''''So, getting back to the question of...''''As I was saying...''

Closing

3 Points

''So we will..., then train people to use it in the best way and, based on this,integrate...''

Future

''This decision will ensure our role into the next century.''


Surprise

''To celebrate our success, we will be inviting you all for dinner.''

Appeal

''With your commitment and energy we will succeed. Let's go for it!''

Feelings

''Together we can do it. We've done it before, we can do it again!''

More useful phrases you can find in Appendix 2 (A2):

(http://eflmodules.projectplatform.net/7-appendix-2-useful-phrases/)


http://eflmodules.projectplatform.net/7-appendix-2-useful-phrases/

Suggested default style:

Keep your sentence short

Use active verbs

Give concrete examples

Keep your language modern and conversational

Use ''you'' and ''your'' unless you are sure that the audience will understand it.


12 of the most persuasive words:

You Money Save New Results Easy Health Safety Love Discovery Proven Guarantee

Activity

Question: Can you think of any other words that you find particularly persuasive? Write down these words. Discuss and share them with your group.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Practice signposting by connecting the different parts of apresentation. Watch this video to help you understand theexercise.

Instructions for students: Watch this video to help you understand the exercise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=L00VP7QV7Fc

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


11. Be Creative

Aim: To learn techniques for engaging the audience, adding impact to yourpresentation and making it memorable.

Most professional presentations are one-way. This saves time, but loses theaudience's attention. Involving the audience intellectually, emotionally, imaginativelyand physically can help keep them alert ant attentive – and make your presentationmore memorable.

Research shows that audience retention of information after 3 months is:

0-5% for a verbal only presentation 20-40% for both a verbal and visual presentation 40% + for a verbal and visual presentation where the audience is involved.


Here are some techniques that you could use:

Texture and Variety

Use visual aids: OHP, flip chart, samples Use color and style Change pacing and timing Use body language and modulate the voice Tell culturally appropriate anecdotes and jokes

Anticipation

A promise: ''by the end of my talk you will know the secret of success.'' Create a conspiratorial atmosphere: ''Not many people know this...'' Give the sense that this is a special occasion and you have a special message

Active participation

Use an exercise or activity which physically involves the audience Walk into, around or through the audience Do a quiz or test, set a problem solving activity Ask open questions with the ''Wh'' words Ask rhetorical questions Poll opinion with a show of hands Use ''You'' or the inclusive ''we'' in a ration of 5:1 with ''I'' Use the EAT method: Experience, Analyze, Theorize


Impact

Use persuasive language Create the ''aha'' effect

If culturally appropriate:

Shock and excite with high impact headlines: ''Sex and Money'' Behave in an unexpected, unusual, or different way

ActivityQuestion: Can you think of any other creative ways ofengaging the audience? Discuss and share them with yourgroup.

Practice: Give a short presentation to the group on yourfavorite creative tools for engaging an audience.


12. Use rhetorical devices

Instructions for students: Watch Chris explain some powerful rhetorical devices and how you can use them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqXBYQJ1X2Y

Here is a list of 10 rhetorical devices:

1. Powerful Opening Statements

“Real-life“ problems Amazing facts Anecdotes

2. Rhetorical Questions

Get people to think

3. Dramatic Contrast/ Antithesis

Compare two alternatives

4. The Power of Three

Three is an easy number to remember


5. Machine gunning

Fire away, if you have many benefits or points to offer and add the most important point at the very end

6. Repetition

The art of repetition is to repeat yourself without using the same words

7. Build-Ups

The last sentence is a simple summary

8. Appeal to authority/ emotion/ logic

Rely on expert opinions, appeal to feelings or persuade through deductive reasoning

9. Visualization

Use pictures or create one in their mind

10. Simplification

Cut all words except the most important ones

Activity: Practice giving a 3-5 minute presentation on atopic of your choice using at least 5 rhetorical devices. Giveeach other feedback.


13. Enhance your message through visualization

Aim: To learn how to create and present visuals that enhance your message.

Visual aids are only there to REINFORCE a verbal message.


Here are some GOLDEN RULES that you should follow:

DON’T use them to: Take attention away from you

Present a simple idea that can be explained verbally

DO: Reinforce a verbal massage

Stimulate interest

Focus audience attention

Present complex relationships that are difficult to visualize

When producing any visual aid, regardless of the medium, always remember:

K.I.S.S. No more than 5 digits

No more than 6 lines

Restrict number of colors

Black and Blue for writing

Red for highlighting

Avoid yellows and oranges.


13.1 Tips for preparing visuals

1. Clarity

readable for people at the back of the room

on transparencies, the size of each letter should be minimum 6mm, no more

than 6 words per line, 6mm space between each line, no more than 6 lines

use upper and lower case letters as this makes the word easier to read

avoid abbreviations that are unfamiliar to the audience

write all text horizontally


2. Simplicity

keep the writing or drawing on charts and diagrams to a minimum

use only key words

leave some information off the visual which you can then write in as you explain it


3. Visual concepts

use charts for impact and to convey your message

use pie charts instead of written percentages

use graphs for trends and changes over time

use bar charts for comparisons

use arrows instead of words to show relationships

use larger lettering or a different color to highlight key words

highlight specific items you wish the audience to focus

display a simplified visual summary of complicated tables of information


4. Color

black is the conventional color for lettering, diagrams, outlines, etc., but black is not the only color available

use color to separate or distinguish one set of information from another

be careful what colors you use; for example, yellow is often difficult to see

use color to billboard or highlight

5. Consistency

use the same style and sizes of letters on all charts and transparencies

do not mix type written and hand written letters on the same transparency

use colors in the same way throughout your presentation


13.2 Tips for Using Visuals

Ask yourself ''Is this visual really necessary?''

Remember that any visual aid can also be a distraction from the speaker and the

message.

Never show more than one slide per three minutes of presentation; space them

at first, more frequently towards the end.

Pause after showing a visual for the first time to allow the audience to take in

your message.

Do not talk to the slides or keep looking at it over your shoulder.

Avoiding using a pointer; if you really need to do not wave it around.

Indicate on your notes exactly when you are going to show each visual.

Make sure that your notes are visible and easy to read from wherever you are

likely to stand.

Always have examples prepared in your notes in case your mind goes blank.

Always rehearse fully each visual as you plan to do during the actual

presentation.

Activity: Prepare 3 visuals for a 10-minute presentation inwhich you will try to convince your audience of asuggestion for improvement to their lives.


14. Answer questions convincingly

Here is The Formula for answering questions:


ActivityQuestions: Prepare a checklist of questions you may beasked


Activity: Final Presentation Activity: Present your audience with asuggestion for improvement to their lives and answer anyobjections they may have.

If you have created them, use your slides.

Your presentation should not exceed 10 minutes. Give eachother feedback using Appendix 3 (A3).


Appendix 1 (A1):


Appendix 2 (A2) : Useful Phrases

1. Introducing the presentation

Greeting the audience

Hello you all/ Good day/ afternoon/ evening (My name's… I’m the …)

Ladies and Gentlemen (formal)

Fellow team members/ colleagues/ partners/ friends (informal)

It’s a pleasure to talk to you today.

I appreciate talking to you today.

Welcome to our facility Thank your for inviting me to this eventvenue conference company occasion

Giving a personal introduction (if required)

Let me start by saying a few words about my own background.

I know I’ve met some of you, but just for the benefit of those I haven’t, my name’s..

I started out in … Recently … Right now … At present ...I am responsible for … The focus of my current effort is…

in charge of … At present we are working on …


Title and Subject

The subject of my presentation istopic speech (to public audience)talk (formal) paper (academic)

Today, I’m going to analyze the present situation …outline various alternatives …explain our position on …compare the different …present the recent …inform you about …talk to you aboutshow you the …brief you on …describe …


Stating the purpose and objective

We are here today to learn about … consider …decide …agree …

This presentation is designed to act as a springboard for discussion.get the discussion moving.start the ball rolling.

By the end of the presentation, you will be more familiar with …know more about … know enough …see that …see why …

The purpose of this presentation is to give you the background to … update you on …fill you in on …inform you …


Outlining the presentation

I've divided my presentation into four parts/ sections. They are:

Firstly / first of all …Secondly / then / next …Thirdly / and then we come to …Finally / lastly / last of all / last but not least …

Sequencing

firstly … secondly … thirdly … then … next … finally/ lastly …let's start/ begin with …

let's move/ go on to …now we come to …that brings us to …

let's leave that …that covers …

Having covered Let’s move right along to …

analyzed… now come to…

considered… continue with …evaluated… look at …


2. The “Rules”

I have prepared some slides. You will get a handout.I will show you … I will give you …

Questions

I'd be glad to answer any questions at the end of my presentation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt.

Please feel free to interrupt me if there's something which needs clarifying.Otherwise, there will be time for discussion at the end.

Time

This will only take … minutes of your time.

I will be done in … minutes.


3. Describing your materials

Introducing your materials

We will look at some chartsgraphs

flow chartsline graphspie charts/ graphs

bar charts/ graphs

Describing increases

Output increased dramatically There was a dramatic improvementwent up steadily steady increase

rose slightly slight rise

Volume soared / surged / peaked / boomed / sky (rocketed) / went through theroof …

Describing decreases

Incidents went down dramatically There was a dramatic decrease

decreased marginally steady fall dropped steadily slight drop

Productivity stagnated / contracted / dipped / slumped / plummeted / collapsed …

Describing continuity

Incidents remain(ed) at the same level …constant …stable …


4. Linking Ideas

Ordering your ideas

Giving Reasons / Causes Comparing

that's why at the same time

as a result in the same wayBecause as … as

Therefore SimilarlySo

Contrasting Contradicting

even though in realityhowever Actually

but in fact

Summarizing Concluding

to sum up In conclusion

in short To concludein brief

Highlighting Giving examples

of special significance For exampleof importance for instance

in particular such asparamountEspecially


Generalizing Digressing

Generally let me digress

as a rule by the way

usually as a rule

Skipping Returning

Let’s move right on to … Let’s again consider …

leave out … again look at ….ignore … go back to …skip … return to …

5. Emphasizing and Softening

Emphasizing

Strong adverbs can intensify adjectives:We've had an extremely good year.

Adverbs can be moderate, strong or total.

Moderate Strong Total

reasonably (good) very (good) absolutely (fantastic)

fairly (successful) extremely (bad) completely (awful)

quite (cheap) thoroughly (disappointed) entirely (useless)

Focusing

“What … is …”


Softening

There are certain expressions for degrees of uncertainty that modify, or soften, themessage:

I tend to think that we failed to reach our potential.

To some extent

It appears that

It seems that

It looks like

Perhaps

Maybe

We did fine but failed to reach our full potential in some, less significant areas.

6. Endings

Signaling the end and summarizing

That covers all I wanted to say in my presentation.

brings me to the end of

completes Before I finish, let me summarize…

To sum up briefly…


Concluding and recommending further action

I'd like to leave you with the following thought/ notion/ idea/ proposal: …

As you can see, there are some very good reasons why …

In conclusion: …

I'd like to propose …

I (really) think we should …

So, I would suggest that we …

The most sensible way forward (in my opinion) is …onlybest

Closing and inviting questions

Thank you for your (interesting) feedback/ input/ attention!

It was a pleasure to talk to you today.

I hope you will have gained insight into …better understanding about …

I'd be glad to answer any questions (to the best of my knowledge).

I look forward to answering any questions you might have.

What questions do you have for me?

Any questions?


7. Asking and Answering Questions

Asking direct questions

Can you confirm that further investments will be made this year?

Are there going to be further investments this year?

When exactly will the investments be made?

Asking polite questions and formulating answers

Could/ Can you tell me … Please go ahead/ finish your question …

I'm interested to know … That is an interesting/ a good question …

I'd like to know … I have asked myself the same question …

Formulating a very polite question

Would you object telling me about/ what/ where/ etc …

Do you mind if I ask you if/ whether …

Clarifying a question

I'm not sure what you're getting/ driving

at.

Please explain!

that I understand you.

I didn't (quite) Catch that. Please repeat!hear

Let me make sure that I understood you You are saying/ asking …


If I understand you correctly:

Could we go over that again… Did you say …

Avoiding giving an answer

I think we should talk about this on another occasion…Shouldn’t we We should

That is highly detailed. For the time being let us just concentrate on… quite complex. today focus on…

very extensive. Now deal with…

I’m afraid, I’m not specialized in.. Nonetheless, I will get this information for you …However, I could clarify this for you with …

(Perhaps) we could deal with that in the near future …down the line …later …

That is a very good question that we have also thought about …considered …looked at …

Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to explain

this in

a short period of time

the time left todaythe available time

I don’t have all the data with me right now…

Let us talk about this

on another occasion

at a later stagedown the linein the future


Checking if the questioner is satisfied

Does that answer your question?

Are you satisfied with the answer?

May we go on?

Is that clear?


Appendix 3 (A3) : Feedback on Presentations


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