BUSI 300 Homework 7 Aplia Communication Through Business Presentations Assignment solutions answers

BUSI 300 Homework 7 Aplia Communication Through Business Presentations Assignment solutions complete answers 

 

1. Planning an Effective Business Presentation

To get your message across in business, you must be able to make presentations as well as communicate in writing. Presentations require authentic, authoritative communication.

 

Which of these are common reasons for making business presentations? Check all that apply.

To report to the audience all of the numbers contained in a spreadsheet

To share goals and visions

To exchange information for decision making

To explain the benefits of services being offered

 

Read the scenario about planning a presentation, and then answer the question.

Maria is a motivational speaker who speaks at seminars on how workers can take charge of their careers. Her presentation includes several examples of people who successfully changed from jobs that made them unhappy to careers they love. She wants to give potential career changers confidence. Still, she knows career transitions don’t always work.

 

What is the central message of Maria’s presentation?

You can be anything you want to be!

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a motivational speaker. And now I am!

With careful planning, you can find a path from your current job to the one you want.

 

Understanding the context of the presentation you’ve been asked to give is important. Which of these questions should you should ask when you are invited to make a presentation? Check all that apply.

Why is this information important to the audience?

Who requested the presentation?

Who is the audience? Are they required to attend this presentation?

Will I be invited to speak again in the future?

 

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about environmental factors that may affect the presentation.

Barry works in human resources for a company that sells consumer electronics. He is preparing a presentation for his company’s managers about upcoming changes to the benefits package. He hopes his audience will be alert and receptive to his message.

 

Which of these situations would most likely ensure that the audience is alert and receptive?

The person running the meeting is still deciding how much time to give Barry for his presentation and exactly when it will be.

Managers have been inundating the HR department with questions about the changes, and Barry’s presentation is scheduled in place of the department’s regular 10 a.m. staff meeting on Tuesday.

Managers already have all the details of the benefits changes, and Barry will be speaking at the end of the department’s weekly staff meeting on Friday afternoon.

 

Which of these are examples of informal presentations or oral briefings? Check all that apply.

A short pitch by a sales representative about a new product

A brief explanation of a current problem given to your supervisor when she walks past your office

A speech made at a meeting of a professional association

An update on a current project requested at a meeting without advance notice

 

Felicia works as a salesperson for a craft and fabric store that sells sewing machines and supplies. The store is holding a special event for people who want to learn how to sew, and Felicia’s boss has asked her to make a presentation that will help customers decide which sewing machine to buy.

 

What should be the central message of Felicia’s sales presentation?

I love sewing, and last month I made myself this stylish new dress.

We have a variety of sewing machines that work well for beginners.

If you buy one of our top-of-the-line machines, you’ll be able to sew yourself a new suit.

 

Understanding the context of the presentation you’ve been asked to give is important. Which of these questions will help you assess environmental factors that may affect your presentation? Check all that apply.

Will I be the only speaker?

Why is this topic important to the audience?

How much time will I have to present?

How far will the audience be from the speaker?

 

Becky works as an IT manager for a company that sells consumer electronics. She is preparing a presentation for her company’s sales team on the basics of how to use social media in sales. She is concerned that her audience may be tired and not receptive to her message.

 

In which of these situations would Becky’s audience most likely be tired and unreceptive?

Becky is unsure why social media was chosen as a topic, and the speaking schedule is still being set up.

Becky is speaking right after lunch, and most of the sales team has been using social media for the past year.

Becky is speaking first thing in the morning, and most of the sales team has requested information on using social media.

 

Why do presentations reduce message distortion and misunderstandings? Check all that apply.

The audience can immediately ask for clarification if something isn’t clear.

The speaker always has more time to prepare.

Multiple people receive the message at the same time.

The audience always knows the content ahead of time.

 

John is the CEO of a company that is struggling to remain profitable. He is going to address his employees at a meeting following the company’s quarterly earnings release. His purpose is to encourage employees and keep their spirits up. Although the company has laid off workers in the past year, it is not currently planning to cut any more jobs. John is cautiously optimistic that the worst times are over and that business will start to improve soon.

 

What should be the central message of the presentation John is going to give in his address after the quarterly earnings release?

Thanks to your hard work, we appear to be making it through these difficult times.

Tough times are over—you can stop worrying about your jobs!

Last quarter our profit was down slightly from the year before.

 

Understanding the context of the presentation you’ve been asked to give is important. Which of these factors can you find out about your presentation by asking the right questions ahead of time? Check all that apply.

Whether the speaking environment will be intimate or remote

Whether the audience will enjoy the talk

Whether the audience is likely to be alert or tired

Whether you will accomplish your goal with your presentation

 

Philippe works in product development for a company that sells consumer electronics. He is preparing a presentation for his company’s sales team about upcoming product releases. He hopes his audience will be alert and receptive to his message.

 

Which of these situations would most likely ensure that Philippe’s audience is alert and receptive?

Philippe will be the first speaker of the morning, and the sales staff specifically requested a presentation on upcoming product releases.

The sales meeting schedule is still being made, and Philippe may be asked to change topics at the last minute.

Philippe will be speaking right after lunch on the second day of the sales meeting. New media training was the presentation topic most requested by the sales staff.

 

2. Organizing the Content

Once you have analyzed the audience and purpose of your presentation, you can focus on outlining the presentation and including appropriate content. A well-organized presentation will help capture and hold your audience’s interest throughout.

The introduction of your presentation should gain the audience’s attention by setting the stage and building rapport. Which of these are good attention-getting techniques? Check all that apply.

 Tell an appropriate joke.

 Explain how you almost got lost on your way to the presentation.

 Give a demonstration of something related to your presentation.

 Give the audience a startling statistic.

Each presentation has a unique audience, purpose, and context. Your introduction should reflect this. Which of these would be the best introduction for a presentation on why every household should consider installing solar panels?

 My name is Mariko, and I have been installing solar panels for the past three years.

 Homeowners who install solar panels save more than $2,000 per year, on average, on their power bills.

 If you want to put solar panels on your home, let me know soon, so I can plan my workload for next month.

The body of your presentation should focus on only a few major points for the audience to remember because they make an emotional connection.

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about presenting supporting material.

Sanjay is a vice president of a large manufacturing company and is responsible for the company’s three main factories. The company has decided to close one factory and consolidate manufacturing at the other two. Some employees will lose their jobs; others will be offered a job at one of the two remaining factories. Company executives used three criteria to decide which plant to close: equipment age, capacity, and the cost of labor.

What would be the best way for Sanjay to explain this in his presentation to employees?

 When examining the age of the equipment, the production capacity, and the labor costs at our three plants, we found that the plant we ultimately selected for closure was 11.8 percent more expensive than the others, with only 91 percent of their operating capacity.

 We had to choose one of our three factories to close. We chose the one with the oldest equipment, the smallest production capacity, and the highest expenses.

 The reasons we chose which factory to close are too numerous to mention.

The closing provides support and unity for your presentation. Why is practicing the close of a presentation important? Check all that apply.

 You must commit every word you’re going to say to memory.

 You won’t fade out as inexperienced speakers often do.

 You will be able to deliver it without stumbling.

 You will communicate your important idea clearly, emphatically, and sincerely.

 

Once you have analyzed the audience and purpose of your presentation, you can focus on outlining the presentation and including appropriate content. A well-organized presentation will help capture and hold your audience’s interest throughout.

The introduction of your presentation should gain the audience’s attention by setting the stage and building rapport. Which of these are good attention-getting techniques? Check all that apply.

 Tell an anecdote or timely story related to your topic.

 Ask for a show of hands in response to a question.

 Begin with your name and qualifications.

 Explain who asked you to speak and how long it took you to agree on the time and length of the presentation.

Each presentation has a unique audience, purpose, and context. Your introduction should reflect this. Which of these would be the best introduction for a presentation on why you should use a travel agent to plan your vacation?

 If you’re planning a cruise to Mexico, a travel agent can save you thousands of dollars and hours of time.

 Travel agents need your business—now that it’s easy to buy tickets on the Internet, fewer people are using them.

 My name is Barbara, and I love working as a travel agent.

The body of your presentation should encourage your audience to , which will help them remember your major points.

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about presenting supporting material.

Kim is an IT manager who is presenting a new contact management system to a group of administrative staff. She wants to explain that, with previous rollouts of this system, it hasn’t taken long for users to get up to speed though the system is initially confusing.

How can Kim best make her point in a way that is clear but not overly simple?

 You will not be confused by this new system.

 In previous situations in which we have installed this system for a similar group of users, 59.2 percent of them have rated the system easy or somewhat easy to use after 45 days.

 We know from previous groups of users that using this system will be an uphill climb for you at first, but, within a few weeks, it will level off, and you’ll feel more comfortable.

The closing provides support and unity for your presentation. Which of the following are likely to be part of a strong close to a presentation? Check all that apply.

 If the education of our community’s children is important to you, please contact your local school board members and ask them to balance the district’s budget.

 I know you’ve been listening a while; however, you should support this issue.

 Your children are important. Thank you for listening.

 That’s all I have. We’re ready for questions.

 

Once you have analyzed the audience and purpose of your presentation, you can focus on outlining the presentation and including appropriate content. A well-organized presentation will help capture and hold your audience’s interest throughout.

The introduction sets the stage for your entire presentation. Which of these are goals for the introduction? Check all that apply.

 Explain why the speaker wanted to make this presentation.

 Capture the audience’s attention.

 Present the purpose statement and preview the main points.

 Establish the speaker’s rapport with the audience.

Each presentation has a unique audience, purpose, and context. Your introduction should reflect this. Which of these would be the best opening for a presentation on how to get a government job?

 Our state government hires more than 3,000 workers each year. With a little planning, becoming one of them isn’t as hard as you may think!

 Today I’ll be talking to you about the steps you should take to get a government job.

 Good afternoon! My name is Mario, and I’ve been working for the government for 15 years.

The body of your presentation should focus on only a few major points. To make sure the supporting material in your presentation is easy to understand, use 

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about presenting supporting material.

Olaf is a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. He is preparing a presentation for a group of marketing consultants who will help the company with a new ad campaign explaining why his company’s migraine drug is better than its primary competitor.

What is the best way for Olaf to make this point in his presentation?

 In our studies of 1,510 men and 875 women, 78.2 percent of men and 51.7 percent of women said our drug was more effective in treating migraines than our competitor’s.

 Eight out of 10 men who tried our drug said it took care of their migraine better than that of the leading competitor. More than half of the women who tried it said the same thing.

 Our drug works really well.

The closing provides support and unity for your presentation. Which of these are important tips for crafting a strong close for a presentation? Check all that apply.

 Tie the close to the introduction.

 Just say, “That’s all we’ve got,” and then open the floor to questions.

 Use transition words to signal that you are getting to the close.

 Develop a creative, memorable conclusion.

 

3. Designing Compelling Presentation Visuals

When preparing your presentation, consider the use of visual aids. Speakers who use visual aids are more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. Visuals help reach the audience through double impact—through the eyes and the ears.

Presentation visuals provide many advantages. Which of these are advantages of using effective visual aids? Check all that apply.

 They clarify the speaker’s ideas.

 They will distract the audience from the speaker’s delivery style.

 They help the audience remember the key ideas.

 They reduce the need for the speaker to prepare.

Choosing the appropriate type of presentation visual is important. Which type of visual aid can be expensive, time-consuming to produce, and derailed by technology failure?

 Electronic presentations

 Models and physical objects

 Handouts

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about choosing effective visual aids.

Lydia is preparing a presentation for her human resources department’s annual staff retreat. She is going to ask her audience to help brainstorm possible departmental goals for the next year. She wants to be able to list all the ideas for the group to consider and then to narrow down the list.

What would be the best type of visual aid for Lydia to use?

 Handouts

 Flip chart

 Electronic presentation

When designing visuals, your goal is to create an easy-to-read design that supports your main points without being overwhelming. As you design the text to use in your visuals, what should you remember? Check all that apply.

 Use several different fonts on each slide.

 Avoid delicate or decorative fonts.

 Avoid abbreviations and hyphenations that could be confusing.

 Use capital letters sparingly.

Consider this presentation visual, and then answer the corresponding question about designing compelling slides.

Which of the following would make a presentation slide more effective for a formal presentation?

 Limit slide content to key ideas presented in as few words as possible (or better yet, visually).

 Proofread carefully for errors that damage credibility.

 Use a brightly colored background to highlight the graphic.

Read the scenario about preparing presentation visuals, and then answer the corresponding question.

Laura has been hired as a sales representative for a clothing company. She is preparing her first sales presentation and has made visual slides to go along with it. She wants to make 15 important points about the company’s line of new, spring swimwear, and she has chosen a different, fresh spring color as the background for each slide. She shows it to you for feedback before presenting it to customers.

What advice would you give Laura? Check all that apply.

 Add a similar set of slides about the company’s new line of shoes.

 Narrow the focus. Fifteen points is too many.

 Choose a coherent color scheme.

 

When preparing your presentation, consider the use of visual aids. Speakers who use visual aids are more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. Visuals help reach the audience through double impact—through the eyes and the ears.

Presentation visuals provide many advantages. Why should a speaker try to use visual aids during a presentation? Check all that apply.

 They reduce the speaker’s presentation time.

 They help the audience visualize the message.

 They reduce the time required to present a concept.

 They increase the chances that the audience will reach a consensus.

Choosing the appropriate type of presentation visual is important. Which of the following should be your goal when creating a presentation using presentation software?

 reating an appealing visual that enhances your main point.

 Creating a colorful visual that adds interest to the presentation.

 Creating a visual that will replace the need for spoken words.

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about choosing effective visual aids.

Paul is planning to present a writing review at his sales team’s training session. He wants to use a typical letter sent to customers as an example and correct it as part of the training session.

What type of visual aid would work best for Paul’s presentation?

 Handout

 Both a handout and an overhead projector

 Overhead projector

When designing visuals, your goal is to create an easy-to-read design that supports your main points without being overwhelming. As you work on your visuals, what is important to remember? Check all that apply.

 Present key ideas in as few words as possible.

 Use an effective color scheme.

 Don’t use too many visual aids.

 Use all the available space on each slide.

Consider this presentation visual, and then answer the corresponding question about designing compelling slides.

Which of the following would make a presentation slide more effective for a formal presentation?

 Use a template with more visual movement to excite viewers.

 Provide a short descriptive title that provides the main idea of the slide.

 Place source information for clip art images on the slide.

Read the scenario about preparing presentation visuals, and then answer the corresponding question.

Claire is a financial adviser who is creating a presentation to show a large group of clients the performance of the financial markets for the past 10 years. The presentation visuals will be projected on a large screen in an auditorium. Claire has created some slides with graphs and others with very detailed tables. To make the tables fit, she had to use small type. Claire shows you her presentation and asks for feedback.

What suggestions would you give Claire? Check all that apply.

 Make the font on the tables larger, and spread some of them over two slides, if necessary.

 Don’t use extremely detailed tables in your slides. If you must give clients the complex tables, use a handout.

 Color-code the tables to make them easier to read.

 

When preparing your presentation, consider the use of visual aids. Speakers who use visual aids are more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. Visuals help reach the audience through double impact—through the eyes and the ears.

Presentation visuals provide many advantages. Which of these are advantages of using visual aids during a presentation? Check all that apply.

 Visual aids increase the impact by engaging the audience’s eyes and ears.

 Visual aids emphasize important points.

 Presentations with visual aids are faster to prepare than presentations without visuals.

 Visual aids make it less likely that the presentation will achieve the speaker’s goals.

Choosing the appropriate type of presentation visual is important. Which type of visual aid tends to be expensive but provides detailed information that the audience can examine closely?

 35 mm slides

 Handouts

 Electronic presentations

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about choosing effective visual aids.

Angelo is preparing a presentation for a group of physical therapists about how to help elderly patients learn to use a cane or walker. He will have a relatively small audience and plenty of room around his podium.

What type of visual aid should Angelo choose?

 A slide presentation on the benefits of canes and walkers

 A cane and a walker

 35 mm slides showing people using canes and walkers

When designing visuals, your goal is to create an easy-to-read design that supports your main points without being overwhelming. A well-thought-out color scheme can provide unity for your visual aids. What should you remember when selecting colors? Check all that apply.

 Use similar colors for the text and the background.

 Use cool, muted background colors for formal presentations.

 Use a minimum of three colors per slide to trigger memory.

 Avoid using red and green to distinguish important points from each other.

Consider this presentation visual, and then answer the corresponding question about designing compelling slides.

Which of the following would make a presentation slide more effective for a formal presentation?

 Collapse relevant content into a few parallel bullet points.

 Place slide titles in all capital letters to emphasize content.

 Use a high-contrast option, such as bright text on a bright background.

Read the scenario about preparing presentation visuals, and then answer the corresponding question.

Victor is the manager of a hotel chain that prides itself on its old-fashioned, professional image. He is preparing a presentation for a group of travel agents and wants his slides to project the company’s brand image. He chooses an ornate font that is difficult to read but looks fancy and old-fashioned—exactly the tone he wants. He also chooses a bright orange background for the slides. Victor asks you for feedback on his slide design.

What would you suggest to Victor? Check all that apply.

 Make sure to have at least 20 slides, each with three key points.

 Use a more muted, cooler color for the background.

 Choose a font that is easier to read, even if it doesn’t look as fancy.

 

4. Refining Your Delivery

After organizing your presentation, you need to determine how to deliver it using appropriate methods, vocal qualities, and style. The style you use to deliver your presentation will determine how your audience receives your message.

Read this scenario about presentation delivery, and then answer the question.

Irene is the CEO of a small company that has just laid off 20 percent of its staff. She is meeting with the remaining staff to give them her vision of how the company can be successful moving forward. It’s very important that she connect with her audience on a personal level to help boost morale.

Which delivery method would be most appropriate in this situation?

 Impromptu

 Memorized

 Extemporaneous

 Scripted

Your vocal qualities can be used to maximize the delivery of your message. If you’re speaking at an appropriate volume, you should be easy to hear but not too loud. Vary your volume to .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about improving vocal delivery.

Nilita is a member of a sales team who has to give frequent presentations about her company’s accounting software. As part of sales training, she watches a videotape of one of her presentations. She is surprised by the number of times she uses “you know” and “okay” as verbal fillers.

You are the speech coach helping the sales team. What would you recommend that Nilita do?

 Use a wider variety of fillers so the audience doesn’t get bored.

 Focus on replacing the fillers (or nonwords) with a brief pause.

 Talk faster so there will be less need for fillers.

Standing with straight posture will help you breathe correctly from your diaphragm. Why does breathing correctly help improve your delivery? Check all that apply.

 It allows you to speak more quickly.

 It helps you project your voice.

 It allows you to use your mouth to form sounds precisely.

 It eliminates verbal fillers such as umm and uh.

Speaking effectively in public requires preparation and skill. Proper preparation and following best practices before, during, and after the presentation will improve the reception of your message.

Becoming a better speaker requires .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about preparing for a presentation.

Alice works in human resources for a pharmaceutical company. She is preparing a presentation for her company’s employees on changes to the company retirement plan. She has spent quite a bit of time preparing but still feels nervous.

What else should Alice do? Check all that apply.

 Request a lectern if she thinks she will be nervous at the presentation.

 Ask a colleague or her boss for feedback on the presentation ahead of time.

 Arrive early to be sure the equipment is working.

 Dress professionally to bolster her self-confidence.

One way to communicate confidence, warmth, and enthusiasm is to smile genuinely .

Read the scenario about handling questions, and then answer the question.

Victoria is presenting a speech at a scientific conference about archeological research she has just completed. She is in the middle of explaining how she set up her research when an audience member raises his hand and asks an insightful question about other possible applications of this methodology.

How should Victoria respond to this question?

 Victoria should engage him in a detailed discussion about how he thinks the methodology could be applied.

 Victoria should tell him the question is outside the scope of her presentation.

 Victoria should give him a brief answer and add that she’ll try to address that question further at the end of the presentation.

After the presentation, it is important to make certain you continue to meet your audience’s needs. What are good practices for the end of a presentation? Check all that apply.

 Don’t take questions.

 Distribute handouts.

 Answer questions from the audience.

 Leave immediately.

 

After organizing your presentation, you need to determine how to deliver it using appropriate methods, vocal qualities, and style. The style you use to deliver your presentation will determine how your audience receives your message.

Read this scenario about presentation delivery, and then answer the question.

Tom is a structural engineer who works for a construction company. He is accompanying a sales representative on a sales call when a customer asks how the company’s buildings would survive an earthquake. Tom didn’t know the customer would ask this, but it is an area he has studied in depth. The sales rep asks Tom to respond.

Which delivery method would be most appropriate in this situation?

 Memorized

 Scripted

 Extemporaneous

 Impromptu

Your vocal qualities can be used to maximize the delivery of your message. The highness or lowness of your voice is called .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about improving vocal delivery.

Emily is an executive with a nonprofit organization. She frequently gives presentations to potential donors. Emily has received feedback that her presentations are difficult to understand because she talks too fast and sounds nervous.

You are a speech coach who has been asked to help Emily. What advice would you give her?

 Breathe properly and relax.

 Talk louder to project confidence.

 Read the speech from a script.

One way to improve your speech is to obtain formal training. Which of these formal training methods may help to improve your vocal delivery? Check all that apply.

 Enroll in a diction course.

 Practice presentations in front of a mirror.

 Purchase recordings that help you reduce your dialect.

 Take private lessons from a voice coach.

Speaking effectively in public requires preparation and skill. Proper preparation and following best practices before, during, and after the presentation will improve the reception of your message.

Being well prepared for your presentation will .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about preparing for a presentation.

As a sales representative for an office supply distributor, Chris gives lots of presentations. He usually practices only the introduction and the conclusion. His boss suggests that he should also practice the presentations all the way through.

Why might this be a good idea? Check all that apply.

 It will help Chris identify flaws in the organization.

 It will help Chris find phrases he might stumble over or words he has trouble pronouncing.

 It will help Chris eliminate long, complex sentences.

 It will keep Chris’s mind off the rest of his work.

Watching your audience is important. Talking, moving chairs, and other signs of discomfort are examples of .

Read the scenario about handling questions, and then answer the question.

Kai is giving a slide presentation to a group of adult English learners about the history of jazz. A member of the audience raises her hand and asks a question that Kai had already planned to answer—just not quite yet.

How should Kai respond to this question?

 Kai should say that he’ll answer the question in just a minute.

 Kai should answer the question, then go over the same material again when he comes to that slide.

 Kai should ask her to not ask questions until the end.

During the presentation, it is important to keep your audience focused on your message. How can you keep handouts from distracting your audience during a presentation? Check all that apply.

 If a handout is needed for reference during the presentation, clarify when the audience should be looking at it.

 Distribute handouts at the end of the presentation.

 Never use handouts with a presentation.

 Make the handouts difficult to read.

 

After organizing your presentation, you need to determine how to deliver it using appropriate methods, vocal qualities, and style. The style you use to deliver your presentation will determine how your audience receives your message.

Read this scenario about presentation delivery, and then answer the question.

Mike is a busy executive who gives presentations almost every day. His company has recently become embroiled in several lawsuits with competitors. Mike has a busy day of meetings coming up, with several presentations and speeches in a row. He has little time to prepare, and it’s critical that he not say anything that could jeopardize the company’s chances of winning the lawsuits.

Which delivery method would be most appropriate in this situation?

 Scripted

 Impromptu

 Extemporaneous

 Memorized

Your vocal qualities can be used to maximize the delivery of your message. Your rate of speech depends on the situation. Speak at a slower rate .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about improving vocal delivery.

Steven works as a computer technician and rarely gives presentations. He has been asked to present a new billing system to his company’s accounting department. He is worried about how he will sound and whether the audience will understand him.

You are Steven’s boss. What advice would you give him?

 Concentrate on speaking as slowly as possible.

 Read the speech from a script.

 Record the presentation, and listen to it ahead of time.

Effective articulation is clear, smooth, and pleasant to listen to. How can you improve the clarity and expressiveness of your voice and reduce strain and voice distortion? Check all that apply.

 Breathe from your diaphragm, rather than your chest.

 Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

 Obtain formal training to improve your speech.

 Don’t prepare for presentations at all so your speech sounds conversational.

Speaking effectively in public requires preparation and skill. Proper preparation and following best practices before, during, and after the presentation will improve the reception of your message.

If you have an opportunity to gain public speaking experience, .

Read the scenario, and then answer the question about preparing for a presentation.

Julia is a nurse who teaches health education classes at a community hospital. She is working on a new presentation about lowering cholesterol. She has prepared presentation slides and has practiced her introduction and conclusion several times.

How else should Julia prepare? Check all that apply.

 Julia should practice the entire presentation all the way through.

 Julia should prepare a backup plan for the presentation slides in case her computer doesn’t work.

 Julia should memorize every word of the speech so she can recite it without notes.

 Julia should practice using the presentation slides.

Practice your posture and gestures as well as the words. Playing with a pen, clenching your hands, and jingling keys are examples of .

Read the scenario about handling questions, and then answer the question.

Luis is giving a presentation to his colleagues about the new email system the company is about to install. A member of the audience raises her hand and asks what a term means that Luis has just used.

How should Luis respond to this audience member’s question?

 Luis should define the term and resume the presentation, making an extra effort to define technical terms.

 Luis should quickly define the term then pause the presentation for additional questions.

 Luis should tell her he’ll answer questions only at the end.

After the presentation, it is important to make certain you continue to meet your audience’s needs. What are some ways to make sure your question-and-answer period works well? Check all that apply.

 Paraphrase the question before answering.

 Keep answering questions for as long as the audience asks them.

 Be polite, even to hostile questioners.

 Encourage the audience to ask questions.

 

5. Adapting to Alternate Delivery Situations

In addition to preparing and practicing for a compelling presentation, you need to be able to adapt your delivery depending on the situation. For example, you may need to alter your presentation for a culturally diverse audience, adjust to accommodate teammates’ presentation styles, or learn how to deliver a distance presentation through videoconferencing.

Which of the following are good suggestions when presenting to people from outside your culture? Check all that apply.

  Always make direct eye contact with your audience.

  Tell a funny story or joke to break the ice.

 Speak slowly and clearly.

 Make your dress and style fit the formality of the culture.

Match the crisis communications steps with the definitions:

Answers
Crisis Communications Steps
 
Definition
 
Get control of the situation.
1.
Meet with the media promptly and stay on-topic with what is known and what the company is doing about it.
 
Gather information about the situation.
2.
Define the problem, set measurable communication goals, and identify sources of information.
 
Communicate early and often.
3.
Establish a crisis center to direct and prepare a constant stream of updates so representatives are briefed and prepared to share important updates.
 
Communicate directly with affected parties.
4.
Explain what is happening, what the company is doing, and direct affected groups to resources available.
Much work in business today is done in teams. Experts say that when team presentations fail to persuade their audiences, it’s usually because:

 The handouts that accompanied the presentation were confusing

 The team members didn’t spend enough time preparing and rehearsing

 One of the team members was a better public speaker than the others

Read the scenario about delivering team presentations, and then answer the question.

Hari works in human resources for a pharmaceutical company. He and his colleagues are giving a presentation on updates to the company’s benefits package. Hari’s part of the presentation is on ways to save for retirement. He also knows a lot about the new health insurance options because he has been working on a plan to process the paperwork employees will turn in, but his colleague Anne will present that topic.

During the question and answer section, an employee asks what she will need to do if she wants to change health insurance plans. Anne answers because this was her topic in the presentation, but she mistakenly gives the deadline as December 1 rather than November 30.

What should Hari do when he hears this mistake?

 Interrupt Anne and say, “Clearly Anne doesn’t read her email—the deadline is November 30.”

 Wait for Anne to conclude her answer, and then say, “Anne, we’ve actually moved the deadline. It’s now November 30.”

 Say nothing now, but plan to send an email to everyone later correcting Anne’s mistake.

 Say nothing because it would be rude to correct Anne in front of such a large audience.

Which of the following is typically the focus of discussions of crisis management in organizations? Check all that apply.

 How the organization will behave during a crisis

 How to communicate with important publics during the crisis

 How to identify who is to blame for the crisis

 Planning and preparing for crisis events

 

In addition to preparing and practicing for a compelling presentation, you need to be able to adapt your delivery depending on the situation. For example, you may need to alter your presentation for a culturally diverse audience, adjust to accommodate teammates’ presentation styles, or learn how to deliver a distance presentation through videoconferencing.

Some cultures appreciate more formality than casual North American culture. If you’re addressing an audience who will expect you to be formal, what should you do? Check all that apply.

 Use a flip chart to draw illustrations as you go.

 Make your manner formal and reserved.

 Open with a funny story.

 Dress conservatively.

Not all cultures use or interpret silence in the same way. If you are doing business in a culture where people tend to remain silent, when your proposal is met with silence, you should keep.

Much work in business today is done in teams. For team presentations to be effective, team members need to agree on:

 A limit of two practice sessions before the presentation

 A standard design for the presentation visuals

 Who is the best public speaker in the group

Read the scenario about delivering team presentations, and then answer the question.

Crystal works in human resources for a large bank. The bank has just undergone a major reorganization, and Crystal is working with the CEO and three executives on a presentation to the company about the new organizational structure. The presentation will be given six times, once for each major division of the bank. Crystal’s part of the presentation is short—about 3 minutes out of 20 total—and preparing for it has caused her to fall behind on her other work.

Crystal is considering bringing her laptop to the presentations, so she can catch up on her email while the others are doing their parts of the presentation. She mentions this to her colleague.

What should her colleague tell Crystal?

 Crystal should pay close attention to the others’ parts of the presentation to show that the team is unified and that she cares about what the others are saying.

 That’s a great way for Crystal to work efficiently.

 Crystal should not only catch up on her email, she should bring some performance reviews to work on as well.

 It’s fine as long as Crystal doesn’t miss her turn to present.

Which of the following should be included in a crisis communication plan? Check all that apply.

 A timeline of when to contact media, local agencies and employees to provide crisis updates.

 A process for communicating with all employees.

 Establishing communication lines with local communities and agencies.

 Training for working with the media during a crisis.

 

In addition to preparing and practicing for a compelling presentation, you need to be able to adapt your delivery depending on the situation. For example, you may need to alter your presentation for a culturally diverse audience, adjust to accommodate teammates’ presentation styles, or learn how to deliver a distance presentation through videoconferencing.

Which of these are good suggestions when presenting to people from outside your culture? Check all that apply.

 Speak slowly and clearly.

 Always use an indirect presentation.

 Tell a joke to break the ice.

 Make your language as simple as possible.

One source of potential frustration can be differences in how cultures view and use time. If you are doing business in a culture that has a different time-consciousness than your own, 

Much work in business today is done in teams. For team presentations to be effective, much of the team’s rehearsal time should be devoted to:

 Coordinating what everyone will wear

 Proofreading the handouts

 Verbal and physical transitions between team members

Read the scenario about planning team presentations, and then answer the question.

Mark, Seth, and Abby work in research and development for a company that makes computer hardware. They are working on a presentation for the CEO and executive staff about three possible new products they have been developing. They need to decide who will give the introduction and conclusion to the presentation.

Mark just joined the company from a job in which he gave frequent presentations. Seth has worked closely with several members of the executive team in the past and is also an experienced presenter. Abby made the biggest contribution to the research they’ll be presenting, but she has never given a presentation before.

Who should give the introduction and conclusion?

 Mark should give the introduction and conclusion.

 Seth should give the introduction and conclusion.

 They should choose a name at random to be fair to everyone.

 Abby should give the introduction and conclusion.

When developing a response to a crisis, organizations should identify a spokesperson to share information with stakeholders. What are some of the key points to remember when sharing information with stakeholders and the public? Check all that apply.

 Use complex and technical language design to hide critical information

 Anticipate questions and determine who will answer them

 Don’t speculate or make predictions

 Be honest

 

6. Chapter Review

To prepare an effective business presentation, keep the audience and purpose in mind when selecting and organizing the content, creating visuals, and practicing the delivery.

 

To deliver a presentation that focuses on the audience’s expectations, what do you need to know? Check all that apply.

How the audience members make decisions

What speech they will hear after yours

What motivates the audience members

Who is in the audience

 

In the introduction to your presentation, tell the listeners what you’re going to tell them. In the body, tell them. In the close, summarize what you told them. Why is this repetition helpful?

You save preparation time because you repeat the same material three times.

When the audience is processing spoken language, they can’t slow the speaker down if they don’t understand.

Most presentations are boring, so the audience will likely stop listening partway through.

 

If you want to adjust a visual aid while you’re speaking, you should use      in your presentation.

 

Which of the following can you do to improve the clarity of your voice and increase your expressiveness? Check all that apply.

Prepare thoughtfully and eliminate nervousness

Focus on completing the endings of all words

Stand up straight with your shoulders back

Obtain training to minimize dialect and accents

 

What communication should you have with the person who will be introducing you before you give a formal talk or presentation? Check all that apply.

Be certain the person knows how to pronounce your name.

Provide the person with information about you and the topic.

Check in daily by phone in the weeks leading up to the presentation.

Thank the person for the introduction before you begin your presentation.

 

What is the role of graphics in a distance presentation?

It is even more critical in a distance presentation to use graphics to give the audience a break from seeing the speaker on the screen.

Using graphics in a distance presentation is no different from using them in a live presentation.

They are too difficult to use, so you should do without them.

 

What information can you obtain about your audience to better shape your presentation? Check all that apply.

 

What should your introduction tell your audience?

How long you spent preparing the presentation

That you hope they’ll enjoy the presentation

What you are going to tell them

 

Many audiences today expect      as visual aids.

 

Good vocal delivery is very important in presentations. Which of these are examples of problems with articulation that make a presenter difficult to understand? Check all that apply.

 

A proper introduction can go a long way in establishing rapport with the audience. What information should be included when you introduce a speaker before a presentation? Check all that apply.

How long the speaker’s trip was to get there

Who the speaker is

What is on the schedule immediately following this speaker

Why the subject is relevant

 

A department meeting in which one of the participants works in a distant office

A discussion of potential corporate crisis

A confidential discussion of upcoming layoffs

 

What common preparation mistakes make it more difficult to communicate your message effectively? Check all that apply.

Developing the visuals before outlining the content

Making visual aids to go with the presentation

Practicing your delivery

Assuming you know the audience without doing any research

 

In addition to an introduction and a closing, what should be developed when preparing for a presentation?

The body of the presentation

As many statistics to prove your point as possible

Five main points to guide your audience

 

Visual aids can improve audience comprehension. You should use handouts with your presentation if you want     .

 

Good vocal delivery is very important in presentations. Which of these are examples of articulation problems that make presenters difficult to understand? Check all that apply.

 

When you are introduced before a presentation, how can you be sure that the introduction includes relevant, accurate information? Check all that apply.

Give the person introducing you concise information about yourself and the topic.

Prepare your own introduction and give it to the person introducing you to read.

Provide the person introducing you with only your name and where you’re from.

Let the person introducing you look you up on social networking sites to get your biography.

 

Which of these is the best example of a situation in which videoconferencing would be appropriate?

A confidential look at possible upcoming acquisitions

A major company announcement by the CEO to all the company’s locations

A brainstorming session whose participants have never met each other