Chapter 13:

Delivering Presentations

Communicating in the Workplace, First Edition

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.
All rights reserved

Delivery is Important

Fear of public speaking is the

number one fear

You can learn to manage your

apprehensions

Public speaking is a necessary skill

Companies expect employees to

convey information before groups of
all sizes

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Coping With Speaker Anxiety

Physical sensations associated with

speaker anxiety are the most difficult to
bear.

Heart rate increases

Breathing rate increases
Blood pressure rises
Metabolism increases
Sweat is produced

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Coping With Speaker Anxiety

Examine unrealistic beliefs you may have

The audience will sense your nervousness.

Your delivery must be perfect.

Most audiences are not as aware of this as you are.

You do not have to be perfect.

Audiences respond to speakers who are genuine.

You cannot deliver an effective speech

because you are not a professional speaker.

Even those who are not experience can deliver a

memorable, heart-felt presentation with sincerity.

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Coping With Speaker Anxiety

Guidelines for coping with anxiety

Be well prepared.

Practice can reduce anxiety by 75%.

Some tension is natural.

Practice slow, deep breathing prior to

speaking.

Can slow heart rate and reduce nervousness

Practice positive self-talk.

Have a strong introduction.

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Delivery Styles

Manuscript

Read word-for-word off the printed page

Makes for a dull, lifeless presentation
Audiences become bored by speakers who
read to them
Speaker has little to no eye contact
Speakers can become overly reliant on
Power Point, resulting in reading from the
slides
Slides should be brief and complement the
spoken message

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Delivery Styles

Memorized

Memorized speeches sound artificial

Increases anxiety by worrying about

forgetting the information you memorized

Memorize a short quote or brief facts

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Delivery Styles

Extemporaneous

Well-prepared and well-rehearsed

speeches
Delivered in a conversational style
with few notes
Audience feels that you speak to
them directly and personally
You must have a sound grasp of your
subject
Most effective delivery style

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Delivery Styles

Impromptu

Unexpected or off-the-cuff
Voice your opinion at a meeting
Guidelines for impromptu:

State your point briefly

Offer information necessary to clarify your point
Create a concise closing statement

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Develop a speaking outline

Avoid speaking from the detailed outline

Detailed outline can tempt you to read it
with little audience eye contact
Speakers outline: abbreviated form of the
detailed outline your prepared
Include central idea, main points, key words
and phrases to remind you
This outline discourages dependence upon
notes

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Note cards

Number then sequentially

Keep information brief
Write legibly or type
Use bold, underline or colors
Practice with your note cards
Use them inconspicuously

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Map

Visual representation of your information

Main points orbit around a central idea or

Resembles an organizational chart with

boxes arranged in a linear pattern

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Practice out loud

Dont just read your note cards silently

Develop a conversational style
Incorporate eye contact, gestures, posture,
facial expressions

Practice in front of an audience if you can

Friends, family and coworkers

Videotape
Schedule a rehearsal in the room where
youre presenting

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Practice with your visuals

Creates a smooth flow as you move from

your text to visuals
Ensure equipment needed is in working
order
Print out slides to use on a projector if the
computer malfunctions

Time your speech

To determine if you need to add or delete

information, slow down or increase your rate

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Practice Delivery

Use visualization

Picture yourself delivering your speech in

front of an audience

Be specific and detailed

Talk through your entire speech

Observe positive feedback

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Vocal Elements of Delivery

Watch your pitch, rate and volume

Pitch: how high or low you speak

Rate: speed at which you speak
Volume: loudness or softness of the voice
Enhance your voice by varying pitch, rate and
volume
Many speakers speak too rapidly if theyre
nervous
Speak slower than your conversational rate
Speak loudly enough to be heard
Vary your volume

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Vocal Elements of Delivery

Pay attention to articulation and

pronunciation

Articulation: clarity with which you speak

your words
Pronunciation: placing correct emphasis on
the syllables of a word

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Vocal Elements of Delivery

Choose language carefully

Informal: language when communicating with

classmates, coworkers, family and friends
Formal: public speaking

Avoid non-fluencies

Words or vocalizations that serve no purpose

you know, um, uh
Repeated use is distracting and may be a
lack of confidence
Record your speech and play it back

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Nonverbal Elements of Delivery

Speech delivery begins the moment you

leave your seat
Stand tall, walk confidently
Balance your weight, dont cross ankles
Dont grip the lectern
Gesture naturally
Insert cues into your outline for gestures
Practice your gestures

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved

Nonverbal Elements of Delivery

Avoid fidgeting, nervous or distracting

gestures
Keep hands out of pockets
Smile with eye contact
Facial expressions change with different
thoughts and experiences

Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios: Communicating in the Workplace, 1e.

2010 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.

All rights reserved