Public Relations Presentation and Communication Skills (2011/10)

Lecture 3Oral Presentation

Developed and Presented byRoy Ying, Msc., B.Comm.

Note: Pictures used in this power point file is for academic Purpose only

DA010 - Professional Diploma in Public Relations - COMM6005EP

Table of Content

• Preparation and planning checklist• Structure of oral presentation• Visual aids• Creating interest and hold audience attention• Body language, voice and use of language• Tips in effective presentation• What’s a good presentation?• Tutorial: Group exercise in creating effective

presentation plans that catch audience’s attention

Preparation and planning checklist

• This is a list of the essential elements to consider in preparing and planning an oral presentation.– What is the purpose?– What is the title of my presentation?– Who am I speaking to?– What are the main points I want to make?– What do I want the audience to do after listeni

ng to my presentation?

Purpose

• It sets the scene affecting all the 5Ws of the PR Plan.

Class discussion:Suppose you are the PR director of a major developer. What would you do differently between a brand new estate development launch vis-à-vis a press conference on a vital construction accident?

Class discussion:Suppose you are the PR director of a major developer. What would you do differently between a brand new estate development launch vis-à-vis a press conference on a vital construction accident?

Purpose

Differences:

• Who would you invite as presenters?

• Where would you organize the presentation?

• What are the key messages?

• When would you start the presentation?

• How would you structure the presentation?

Title

• Your presentation title defines your target audience

• It can be very simple. Apple’s press invitation to the launch of its new iPhone was just “iPhone 4”, and it’s also the title of Steve Jobs’ presentation

• It can also be visionary. The Chief Executive’s annual policy address has a different theme every year.

Who am I speaking to?

• Once you have sorted out the purpose and the title of your presentation, it should be obvious who your target audience is.

• Even if you are just dealing with media, the way you prepare your presentation to TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, blogger, special feature journalist, and real time newswire may be slightly different

Who am I speaking to?

• PR practitioners may have to appeal to other stakeholders:– Investors – Regulators– Community– Internal customers– General public

Class discussion:Describe the scenario where you as PR practitioner will need to deal with each one of these stakeholders?

Class discussion:Describe the scenario where you as PR practitioner will need to deal with each one of these stakeholders?

What are the main points?

• Remember, it is an oral PR presentation, not a scientific lecture.

• What do you want to get across?

• Suggest to stick to 1-2 key messages so media will walk away reporting more or less along the same line.

• Best is to produce a sound bite so it can go on the headlines

How to give oral presentation

Action from audience?

• If it’s media, there could be a number of actions I would want them to: – Publish my story– Stop speculating rumours– Gain knowledge of my product / industry– Get to know my spokespersons– Jot down the time table for future events– Produce a special feature – Acknowledge us as reliable sources of news

Action from audience?

If your audience is non-media…..

• Investors

• Regulators

• Community

• Internal customers

• General public

Class discussion:What do we want from these group of stakeholders?

Class discussion:What do we want from these group of stakeholders?

Structure of oral presentation

• PR presentations take different shapes and forms, but at the very least, there should be:– Introduction– Main body– Conclusion– Summary*

• The reason for a summary is to help remind audience the key points you want them to take away from your presentation.

Introduction

• The beginning of a presentation is the most important part. It is when you establish a rapport with the audience and when you have its attention.

• You must make the audience aware that you are starting your presentation. No need to be fancy, no need to be funny, as simple as possible: – Let's begin.– Shall we start?– Let's get the ball rolling.– Let's get down to business.– Hello ladies and gentlemen.

Elements in Introduction

• Greet the audience• Introduce yourself (and the people doing the

presentation with you)• Introduce the subject – just what exactly you are

going to talk about• State your objectives – what you want them to

remember or get out of the presentation• Announce your outline – that’s giving audience

expectation on the content

Body

• What information should you give in your speech? All your information should support purpose.

• In most cases you will have to limit the content, as time is usually precious!

• Content of your presentation may different one from another, but there are several general rules of thumb in delivering effective presentations.

Body – General Rules

• Sequencing your ideas– Make sure they are consistent

• Signposting or signaling where you are– Indicating when you have finished one point and go on to the ne

xt• Listing information

– Makes it easier for audience to take notes• Linking ideas

– Get the audience to understand why they have to keep listening to your previous points

• Outlining options– Media love to draw comparisons. The “What if” scenarios are

usually picked up.• Give examples

– This will make it easier for the audience to understand

Conclusion

• Present a short conclusion– That is to say you should give a conclusion that logica

lly comes out of the ideas developed in your presentation

– This could be a commentary, the lessons learned, some recommendations, or the next steps

– The conclusion should immediately followed by a one or two lines of summary of the key messages related to the purpose, and if possible, to end with a soundbite!

• Thank the audience

How to deliver a speech

Creating rapport with audience

• No need to be funny, unless there is a reason behind the joke.

• What you need is to grab their attention because we cannot assume the audience will be interested in what you have to say.

• Even if they are, minds can be wandered off or get distracted by the surroundings, mobile phones etc.

• Our job is to create rapport with audience so they can see why the presentation is relevant to them, and therefore pay attention……

Hold Audience Attention

Attention – General Rules

• In the introduction, show how your subject or what you are going to say affects or may affect their work or lives

• This can be accomplished by:– Give an unusual fact or statistic.– Use words like you, we, us, our.– Illustrate with a real life story.– Ask the audience rhetorical questions– Be lively and enthusiastic.– Develop some humour.– Use a variety of media sources.– Ask the audience to do something like raising their

hands if they……..

Body language, voice and vocab

• Eye contact, facial expressions, posture, movements, gestures.

• Why is it useful?– It is natural and a part of communication.– it is very visual

• to vent nervousness• to maintain interest• to emphasize

Positive body language

Eye contact• to keep audiences' attention (Asian audience might feel

aggressed.) • facial expressions should be natural and friendly:

The hands• Lots of possibilities to emphasise, to enumerate. to expre

ss sincerity or reflexion • Be conscious of what you do with your hands • If you are unhappy, hold notes or cards to occupy them a

rm • Movements back and forth to suggest flow. • Open arms to include or welcome ideas

Positive body language

Body movement• To indicate a change of focus keep audience's attention

move forward to emphasize move to side to indicate a transition gesture up and down head motions are movements to indicate importance or acknowledgement pen or pointer to indicate part, place (on a transparency) shrug shoulder to indicate I don't know or care

Posture• stand straight but relaxed• (do not slouch or lean sideways)• Lean forward to emphasize however• No hands in pockets

Negative Body Language

• Failing to make eye contact• Do not look at your notes all the time• Looking at the screen/board means your back is

turned to the audience cutting contact• Don't stare, or look blankly into people's eyes• Avoid swaying back and forth like a pendulum• Avoid leaning against walls• Be aware of your nervous tics• Do not fold your arms like a barrier• While one hand in a pocket gives a very relaxed

pose, both hands in pockets looks too casual and should be avoided

Visual Aids

• What are they?– They could be graphs, charts, maps, photos,

drawings, images, models, video, film, real life objects etc……just about anything

• What media are used?– Transparencies, slides, Power Point slides, vi

deo projection, projector, handouts…....technology will add to this list (i.e., iPad)

Can these help your presentation?

• Blackboard, Whiteboard, Paperboard, Flipchart, Chalk, Marker, Felt tip pen, Eraser, Board wiper

• Podium, Microphone, Throat mike

• Sound system

• Loudspeakers Overhead, Overhead projector, OHP, Opaque projector

Why Visual Aids?

• to focus audience's attention• to illustrate points that are difficult• to verbalize to reinforce ideas• to change focus from aural/oral• to visual to involve and motivate audience• to involve all senses:• to save time and avoid putting information

on a board

Choice of vocab

• Know your audience

• Assume the presentation will be recorded

• Speak one language and then another. Do not mix them in a presentation.

Tips in Effective Presentations

Face Your Audience.• Make frequent eye contact. Write your whole speech out

so you can read robotically if you blank out, but know your material well enough that you can look at your audience as you speak.

• Position your visual aids or keyboard so that you never turn your back to your audience.

Don't hide behind the computer monitor when you run your PowerPoint presentation.

Don't stare down into the overhead projector, either; your audience isn't down there.

Tips in Effective Presentations

• Don't think about "delivering a speech".• Don't try to recite from memory.• Don't read word-for-word from a stack of papers.• Instead, think about "talking to people“• Use visuals to help you explain, not as substitute

s for explanation.• Watch the time!• Take questions in the middle, not at the end?

What has Steve Jobs done right?

2010 World’s Best Presentation

Why is it the best?

• Comment from the CEO of SlideShare's on the winner of its annual "World's Best Presentation" contest – change the way you think about presentations – Using sketches and yes, napkins, the presentation se

eks to explain the current state of health care, health-care reform proposals, and what the various options mean to Americans.

– Four napkins introduce each of four sections of the presentation but the entire deck is made up of 51 slides. Fifty-one slides with sketches, however, are far easier to understand than the current thousand-page bills winding their way through Congress.

Guy Kawasaki’s comment

• "I learned long ago that when helping executives clarify their ideas, nothing is more powerful than a simple hand-drawn sketch. The less polished, the better; the more "human," the better,“ "Business presentations have way, way, way too much detail and information,"

Why do you want to keep listening?What message was he delivering?