Developing Oral and Online Presentations

Test Your Knowledge 1-5 pg 330

1. Oral presentations give you the opportunity to practice research, planning, writing, visual design, and interpersonal and nonverbal communications. Oral presentations give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to think on your feet, grasp complex business issues, and handle challenging situations.

2. During the introduction you must make sure you arouse the audiences interest, build your credibility, and preview your message.

3. The six techniques you can use to grab your audience's attention during the introduction are to:
- unite the audience around a common goal
- tell a story
- pass around a sample
- ask a question
- state a startling statistic
- use humor

4. In the close of your presentation you must restate your main points, describe the next steps, and end on a strong note.

5. Here are several steps to ensure the success with an online presentation:
- consider sending preview study materials ahead of time
- keep your presentation as simple as possible
- ask for feedback frequently
- consider the viewing experience from the audience members' point of view
- make sure your audience can receive the sort of content you intend to use
- allow plenty of time for everyone to get connected and familiar with the screen they're viewing

Understandng and Planning Reports and Proposals

Test your knowledge 1-5
1. How are reports for monitoring and controlling operations used?
They are used by managers to see how well their companies are functioning.

2. How does primary research differ from secondary research?
Primary research contains information that you gather specifically for a new research project and secondary research contains information that other have gathered.

3. What makes a survey reliable and valid?
A survey is reliable if it would produce identical results if repeated and it is valid if it measures what it is supposed to measure.

4. How does a conclusion differ from a recommendation?
A conclusion is a logical interpretation of facts and other information. A recommendation suggests what to do about the information.

5. How do proposal writers use a RFP?
A RFP includes guidelines for a proposal writer. The request includes instructions that specify exactly the type of work to be performed or products to be delivered, along with budgets, deadlines, and other requirements that help the writer create the proposal.

Writing Persuasive Messages

Test your knowledge 1-5
1. What are some questions to ask when gauging the audiences' needs during the planning of a persuasive message?
- Who is my audience?
- What are my audience members' needs?
- What do I want them to do?
- How might they resist?
- Are there alternative positions I need to examine?
- What does the decision maker consider to be the most important issue?
- How might the organization's culture influence my strategy?

2. What role do demographics and psycho-graphics play in audience analysis during the planning of a persuasive message?
You must take into account the audiences' demographics (gender, age, occupation, income, and education) and psycho-graphics (personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and other psychological characteristics) so that you don't undermine your persuasive message by using inappropriate appeal or by organizing your message in a way that seems unfamiliar or uncomfortable to your readers.

3. How do emotional appeals differ from logical appeals?
An emotional appeal calls on feelings or audience sympathies. A logical appeal are based on the reader's notions of reason.

4. What three types of reasoning can you use in logical appeals?
You can use analogy, induction, or deduction in logical appeals.

5. What is the AIDA model, and what are its limitations?
The AIDA model is a useful approach for many persuasive messages which organizes your presentation into four phases: attention, interest, desire, and action. There are 2 limitation to the AIDA approach:
- it essentially talks at the audiences, not with them
- it focuses on one-time events not long-term relationships

Writing Negative Messages

Test your Knowledge 1-5
1. The five main goals in delivering negative messages are to give bad news, ensure its acceptance, maintain a reader's goodwill, maintain the organization's good image, and reduce future correspondence on the matter.

2. There are several questions you should ask yourself when deciding whether to use the direct of indirect approach. They include:
- Will the bad news come as a shock?
- Does the reader prefer short messages that get right to the point?
- How important is this news to the reader?
- Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader?
- Do you need to get the reader's attention?
- What is your organization's preferred style?

3. The first step in using the indirect approach to convey a negative message is to write a buffer. Then provide reasons and additional information that will convey your bad news. Continue from there with a clear statement of the bad news and close with a positive note.

4. A buffer is a neutral, noncontroversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message and which establishes common ground with your reader. Some critics believe buffers are unethical because they can be written as insincere and deceptive.

5. By presenting your reasons before explaining the decision itself, you help maintain focus on the issues at hand and defuse the emotions that always accompany significantly bad news.

Routine and Positive Messages

1. Choose 1-4 pg 160-161
2. 9 pg 163-164

1. 2.Analyze this Message
Dear Customer Service Representative,

I recently purchased your "Negotiator Pro" for my computer at a local business-supply store. Unfortunately, when I inserted the CD into my computer it did not work.

Since the business supply company does not offer exchanges or refunds on products that have already been opened, they suggested I contact you to resolve my issue.

I request a copy of the disk that is compatible with my operating system, if not I please refund my $79.95.

Thank you for your help,
Disappointed Customer

9.
5493 Beechwood Drive
Tenton, NJ 08608
April 12, 2009

Florida Resort Bureau
1555 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Dear Sir,

I recently saw your advertisement about Florida resorts in the April 2009 issue of Smithsonian magazine. I am writing to get your opinion on which resorts would suit a vacation for myself, my wife, and my two teenage children.

We are looking for a resort that is
- located close to the beach, golf courses, large cities, and other entertainment for the entire family
- reached by public transportation
- near attractions for teenagers

I am also wondering if the off-season rates include all the amenities? Additionally, what is the weather like in Florida during September? I would appreciate it if you could get me the information within the next two weeks so I can schedule my time off from work in the fall.

Thank you,
Frank C. Atlas

E-mail Assignment

Routine Business Communication

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