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ROLES OF BUSINESS PRESENTATION

Companies and organizations often utilize business presentations as a means of selling an idea or
product, for training purposes, or to motivate the audience. Since a lot can ride on a presentation,
the presenter should prepare and rehearse until hes confident that hes ready to present. Several
factors determine the effectiveness on the intended audience.
1) Inform
Listeners want to know core nuggets of information, such as how to overcome obstacles, or
learn tricks of the trade to improve performance or productivity. Good presentations leave the
audience with new information thats often enlightening and eye-opening. The most useful
presentations are often those that include practical information thats applicable to the audience
such as how to make cold calls, or how to be a better manager. The most effective ones are often
based on the direct experiences of the presenter because the delivery is then genuine and
heartfelt.
2) Inspire
It's essential that a business presentation capture the audience's attention. A compelling
presentation is anything but a lecture; it contains the elements of a story, complete with conflicts,
resolutions, anecdotes, and lessons. To capture the audience's attention, the presentation also
needs to focus on the most important points from the start -- rambling away from the key issues
results in a loss of impact.
3) Make an Appearance
Using physical or visual props during a presentation also affect its impact on the audience.
Screen projectors, slides, handouts, colorful posters, as well as the body language of the
presenter, all add up to make a presentation stand out. However, the effectiveness of the props
really depends on their relevance to the presented information. The presenter shouldnt make the
props the focus of the presentation; he should use them as tools to help get the point across,
while keeping the focus on key issues.
4) Connect
Business presentations that are interactive and involve the audience -- such as question-
and-answer sessions, games, role-playing, and contests that include small prizes -- create a
memorable bonding experience between the presenter and the audience, as well as among the
audience members. The camaraderie generated by such activities helps drive home the overall
message of the presentation. After all, the whole point of a presentation is to inform the audience
in a way that also stimulates and uplifts them.
5) Entertain
An entertaining presentation is a presentation that is light hearted, casual and fun. The
emphasis is catching and holding the attention of the audience. Humor, stories, or subtle irony
could be the focus. Unless you are a professional stand-up comedian, you probably wont be
making solely to entertain. For most business speakers, this is a rarity, and a very difficult type of
speech to deliver.
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6) Persuade
A persuasive presentation is an effort to change/influence the opinions, beliefs, or behaviors
of the audience. For example, Maries presentation could be an effort to get the audience to try
out for the hurdles or petition to have the hurdles as a track and field event at the high school
level. Here she would present her most convincing arguments.

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING
Informative speaking generally centers on talking about people, events, processes,
places, or things. The main goal is to increase the audience's understanding or awareness by
imparting knowledge. You have to provide the audience with new info, new insights, and new
ways of thinking about a topic.
An effective informative speech requires the speaker to aim for a series of goals. One of
the goals of an informative speech is to enhance the understanding of the audience.
Informative speech are to help explain a specific subject and to help the audience remember
the knowledge later. One of the goals, perhaps the most essential goal that drives all informative
speeches, is for the speaker to inform the audience about a particular topic. In order to aim for
this specific goal, a speaker should consider how best to package the complex understanding that
they have cultivated of the topic, from personal experience and research, into an easily
communicable form for the audience.
Another goal of an informative speech is to maintain the interest of the audience. Tips for
informative speaking:
Analyze the audience. What can the audience be reasonably expected to know? If talking to a
field of medical professional about cloning, they likely know the basics of DNA. An audience of
lay people might not be so fluent in the language of biomedical engineering, and so basic
concepts like this will have to be explained. Never presume that an audience has a thorough
background in the subject.
Use appropriate language. What are the norms for speaking style for the audience? If they
expect lots of jargon and specialized language, the speech should be peppered with such
language or else the audience will feel like they are being talked down to. If the audience is
unfamiliar with these technical terms, avoid using them or introduce them with an explanation of
what they mean.
Explain the importance of the topic. Why should the audience listen? Will this information
improve their lives in some meaningful way? Especially with a captive--involuntary--audience, a
speaker must establish a connection between their topic and the interests of the audience.
Express interest in the subject material. Why should an audience listen if the speaker seems
just as bored as they do? A speaker who confesses their own interest in the topic might activate
the audience to share a similar interest.
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Show, don't tell. Don't most people learn through doing or seeing? Being told about a process,
like cloning, could be informative, but probably not have as great an impact as being shown the
process with pictures or perhaps even lab equipment. Informative speeches often benefit from a
demonstration or visual aid. Technology can assist "showing" when the subject is not easily
brought physically into the room (imagine the troubles of an informative speech on the sun if a
prop was required!)
Be specific. Informative speeches thrive on detail, and dive on generalities. If speaking about
basket weaving, carefully note what types of weaving materials work and do not work for basket
making. Audiences are often impressed by detail, but be careful not to become so detail-oriented
that the big picture of the speech is lost (missing the forest for the trees).
A final, significant goal an effective informative speech is to make the audience
remember. Most memorable speeches have emotional appeals that audiences continue to talk
about long after the speech is delivered, and sometimes even after the life of the speaker. To
make sure that the information contained in a speech is remembered by the audience, the
deliverer of an informative speech should combine organization, repetition and focused
visualizations to increase the effectiveness of the speech and the likelihood that the audience will
leave informed. One way to help an audience remember the details of an informative speech is to
maintain the interest of the audience. The challenge of an informative speech is delivering
information in a neutral way that does not bore the audience. Informing an audience about one of
these subjects without being persuasive is often a difficult task to complete. Unlike
persuasive speeches, which rely heavily on emotional appeal, informative speeches have to
demonstrate why the audience should care about the information contained in the speech without
compromising a neutral tone.

FOUR TYPES OF INFORMATIVE SPEECH

1) Speech of Description
help audiences get a clear picture of a subject. Precision, color and clarity are
essential. A speaker may use presentational aids like powerpoint presentation, pictures
but the speaker mustnt rely on them. It is the speakers role to describe the subject or
topic using his/her own words. Therefore, the speaker must take great pains in choosing
his/her language. The visuals are just there to add a clarifying touch. (Ex: advertisements)
2) Speech of Demonstration
aims to teach an audience how something works or how to do something. It is
more about the how or process. Most speeches of demonstration involve the use of
visuals to show, clarify and make demonstration more memorable. There are certain
things that are not easy to remember especially when listening to a speech, therefore,
these visuals are used to make the procedures be easy to remember. (Ex: Kitchen Demo)

3) Speech of Explanation
helps the audience understand concepts that are complicated, abstract or
unfamiliar. A speaker must not only be able to define the concepts main features or parts
but also explain their importance. The speaker must not forget to offer examples that
illustrate them. If only theories are being thrown to the audiences, they might really not
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understand for certain what a speaker is trying to explain. But with the use of examples, it
will be easier to understand. (Ex: State-of-the-Nation Addresses)

4) Informative Oral Report

Usually provides background that a group will use in making decisions or
solving problems. To sustain the interest of the audience the speech must be interesting
both in subject and in delivery. Some are informal and brief, while other occasions
require a more formal presentation, often technical in nature, like to inform others in the
organization of recent events, discoveries, or other vital information. (Ex: media reports
that says there will be roads closed off due to some circumstances: informal; reports
made by an accountant in front of the board of directors: formal)

GUIDELINE OF INFORMATIVE SPEAKING

1) Dont overestimate what the audience knows
Careful of thinking the audience knows more than it actually does. In most cases
the audience doesnt know a lot about your topic. Think about it this way. Would they be
able to understand what you were talking about if they were hearing about it for the first
time?
2) Relate the subject directly to the audience
Choose a topic that could possibly be interesting to your listener, and then relate it
to them. Remember that what is interesting to you isnt interesting to everyone. You
have to work to get them interested. Start with a creative introduction and connect the
topic with the interests of the audience.
3) Dont be too technical
Know what can be explained to an ordinary audience and what cannot.
Sometimes the topic is too specialized for the audience. It could also be because you use
too much jargon or obscure language.
4) Avoid abstractions
Try to describe items or events in concrete language or saying things. You can
also communicate your feelings well with description. Comparing or contrasting one item
to another is also a good way to avoid abstractions. The way to avoid abstractions:
Description- A statement that depicts a person, event, idea, or the like with clarity
and vividness. It is like you are there with the speaker.
Comparing- A statement of the similarities among two or more people, events,
ideas, etc.
Contrast- A statement of the differences among two or more people, events,
ideas, etc.

5) Personalize your ideas

Listeners want to be entertained as they are being enlightened. Try to dramatize
your ideas in human terms. Make it fun.
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