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Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)
Chapter 14 Developing and Delivering Business Presentations
1) Speeches and oral presentations are much like any other messages in that
A) they all require similar planning.
B) they are delivered to groups that are similar in size.
C) the interaction between the audience and speaker is similar.
D) they deal with emotional or personal issues to a similar extent.
E) they require little planning.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
2) When you prepare a speech or presentation, your first step involves
A) analyzing the situation.
B) choosing the right words.
C) planning the content, length, and style of your speech or presentation.
D) deciding on the right mix of visuals and text for your slides.
E) inviting audience members.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
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3) The two most common purposes of business presentations are to
A) analyze and synthesize.
B) regulate and validate.
C) inform and persuade.
D) illustrate and entertain.
E) observe and comment.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
4) One of the steps in analyzing your audience is to
A) determine their likely emotional state.
B) remember to keep your speech or oral presentation short.
C) define your purpose.
D) prepare a detailed, informative outline.
E) identifying the proper media and channel.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
3
5) Selecting the right medium for your presentation is
A) easy because you’re simply giving a speech.
B) an important decision since technology offers a number of choices.
C) only an issue when addressing audiences from other cultures.
D) not something you need to think about early on.
E) a secondary concern as long as your content is good.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
6) When organizing a speech or presentation, your first step is to
A) develop an outline.
B) define the main idea.
C) write the introduction.
D) decide on the delivery style.
E) complete all of your visuals.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
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7) The best way to clarify your main idea in a presentation is to
A) provide a lengthy handout for your audience to review during your presentation.
B) use jargon and complicated language to emphasize its importance.
C) develop a single sentence that links your subject and purpose to your audience’s frame of
reference.
D) develop a limited scope.
E) restate it in three identical sentences, one right after the other.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
8) For business presentations, time constraints are usually
A) rigid, permitting little or no flexibility.
B) meaningless since audiences expect presenters to take extra time.
C) imposed only on lower-level employees.
D) not important if you are presenting to your colleagues.
E) only a suggestion.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
5
9) You want to prepare a speaking outline for an upcoming presentation. Which one of the
following will help you get off to a good start?
A) Remove all transitions and key words from your planning outline.
B) Ignore your planning outline and chart a new course based on your personal agenda.
C) Start with the planning outline; then strip out anything you don’t plan to say to the audience.
D) Keyboard your script on your slides. That way, you can read the slides word-for-word.
E) Insert additional examples, details, and data into your original planning outline.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
10) If you are not given a time limit for your presentation, you should
A) make it as long as possible to ensure the audience understands the message.
B) keep the presentation as short as possible while accomplishing your purpose.
C) ask the audience how long they would like the presentation to take.
D) make sure it takes no less than 30 minutes, not including the question-and-answer session.
E) deliver the presentation impromptu, and end it whenever the audience appears to be losing
interest.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
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11) When planning an outline for your speech, keep in mind that
A) it can include delivery cues, such as where you plan to pause for emphasis or use visuals.
B) you should keep each item to two- to three-word descriptions of what you will say.
C) you can leave out all transitions.
D) this is not the place to include “stage directions.”
E) you should start with the opening and close.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
12) If the audience for a presentation will be interested in, but neutral to, what you have to say,
A) reward their goodwill by speaking in a relaxed, confident manner.
B) dismiss their concerns and persuade them that they are mistaken for feeling that way.
C) consider the indirect approach to establish common ground and diffuse skepticism.
D) build your credibility as you present compelling reasons to accept your message.
E) limit the use of visuals.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
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13) One advantage of developing a presentation as a webcast is
A) the low cost.
B) the ability to tweet the message.
C) the use of an audio voiceover.
D) the ability to download it and view at later.
E) the interaction with a live audience.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
14) Organized like a printed document, a ________ is appropriate for technical presentations and
presentations in which you want to build a conclusion following logical steps.
A) direct format presentation
B) nonlinear presentation
C) slide deck
D) Prezi
E) linear presentation
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
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15) When the goal is to show complicated relationships between multiple ideas, it is most
appropriate to use a(n)
A) slide deck.
B) indirect format.
C) linear format.
D) nonlinear format.
E) narrative flow.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
16) The purpose of most business presentations is to inform or persuade.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
17) You should be able to summarize the main idea for a speech in a single sentence that links
your subject and purpose to the audience’s frame of reference.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
9
18) If your purpose is to analyze, persuade, or collaborate, you should organize your speech
around conclusions and recommendations or a logical argument.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
19) The speaking outline is not an appropriate place to include notes about the visual aids you
plan to use.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
20) List the four steps involved in planning an oral presentation.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
10
21) You’ve been asked to give a presentation on cybercrime. List two steps that can help you
define the main idea of your presentation, and then provide an example of the second step.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
22) In a longer presentation, how does your purpose influence the way you organize your
material?
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations
23) Briefly explain the difference between a planning outline and a speaking outline.
adapt the planning step of the three-step process to presentations.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations