Appendix Group Presentations 1 Presentations in and by Groups a Whether it is within a group on behalf of a group or by an entire group group presentations occur whenever a member speaks relatively uninterrupted to other group members or audience members b All group members should know how to prepare and give a successful presentation adapted to the needs and characteristics of their group and its goals c 3 types of presentations i Presentations to group members ii Presentations for nongroup or public awareness iii Presentations by groups 2 Presentation Guidelines a set of seven guiding principles to help you make critical decisions about your presentation from the minute you find out you will have to speak to the minute you ve said your last word a Purpose i The first step in developing a successful presentation is identifying your purpose much like the need for groups to identify and agree on a common goal ii Your presentation purpose is what you want your listeners to know think believe or do as a result of your presentation b Audience after determining the purpose of your presentation turn your attention to analyzing and adapting to your listeners the members of your group or an outside audience i Characteristics 1 Two types of audience characteristics demand your attention a Demographic traits include age gender race ethnicity religion educational level and marital status Take a good look at your listeners and not visible demographic traits such as age gender and race At the same time assume that there is more diversity than similarity among your audience members Individual attributes take into account the distinct features of particular group members such as job title and status special interests personality traits relationships with other members and length of group membership b 2 Demographic traits and individual attributes can affect how your listeners react to you and your message ii Opinions 1 Effective presenters try to predict who or how many listeners will agree disagree or be undecided 2 Then they look for communication strategies that adapt to the diversity of opinions c Credibility i Your credibility as a speaker represents the extent to which an audience believes you ii Confident speakers are also more credible presenters d Logistics logistics describes the strategic planning arranging and use of people facilities time and materials relevant to your presentation Adapting to the occasion and setting of a presentation requires more than taking a quick look at the seating arrangements for a meeting i Where 1 Where will you be delivering your presentation in a large conference room an auditorium a classroom a meeting room 2 What are the seating arrangements 3 Are there any distracting sounds or sights 4 Will you need a microphone 5 Once you have answered such questions figure out how to adapt to the location ii When 1 Will you be speaking in the morning or afternoon 2 Are you scheduled for 5 minutes 20 minutes or one hour 3 What comes before or after your presentation 4 The answers to such questions may require major adjustments to your presentation e Content i As soon as you know you have to make a presentation start collecting relevant ideas and information ii Gathering materials can be as simple as spending a few hours thinking about the purpose of your presentation or as complicated and time consuming as spending days doing research f Organization audiences react positively to well organized presentations and speakers and negatively to poorly organized ones Your ability to organize a presentation also depends on whether you have selected appropriate ideas and information based on your analysis of purpose audience and logistics i Organizational Patterns 1 Several commonly used organizational patterns can help you clarify your central idea and find an appropriate format for your presentation a Reason Giving b Time Arrangement c Space Arrangement d Problem Solution e Causes and Effects f g Compare Contrast Stories and Examples ii Outlining Your Presentation 1 Presentation outlines begin with a few basic building blocks 2 The introduction of a presentation is critical because when well crafted it gains audience attention and interest An effective beginning should focus audience attention on you and your message 3 The central idea or purpose section of a presentation lets you state your purpose and preview your main points This section should be brief 4 The heart of the presentation is the body Here you add your supporting material to each main point 5 The end of a presentation should have a strong and well planned conclusion An effective conclusion helps listeners remember the most important parts of your message g Delivery by the time you ask questions about delivery you should know what you want to say and have given a lot of thought to how you want to say it i Forms of Delivery 1 In many group and public audience settings you will speak impromptu a form of delivery without advance preparation or practice 2 When you do have advance notice you will be more effective if you speak extemporaneously Extemporaneous speaking the most common form of delivery involves using an outline or notes to guide you through your presentation 3 Your notes will reflect the decisions you have made during the preparation process but they will also give you the flexibility to adapt your presentation to the audience and the occasion 4 Unless the situation is very formal or your words are intended for publication avoid reading a manuscript version of your presentation ii Vocal and Physical Delivery 1 The key to a successful presentation is practice 2 You can control improve and practice vocal characteristics such as volume rate pitch articulation and pronunciation 3 Rehearse your presentation in a strong loud voice but without shouting 4 Also monitor your speaking rate 5 The single most important physical characteristic in an oral presentation is eye contact 6 Your gestures appearance and actions can add to or detract from your presentation 3 Group Presentations a Public Group Presentations b Team Presentations i Public groups are panel discussions symposiums forums and ii governance groups because group members speak to a public audience In addition to following the presentation guidelines described in this chapter make sure you have considered the unique requirements of a presentation by a public group for a public audience iii When you are participating in a public group remember that