Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
8. Whenever possible, video clips should be imported into slides or saved into files prior to the
presentation.
9. Pauses should be avoided at all costs during a presentation.
10. Practice audiences should be critical when giving feedback to your presentation.
11. People don’t really fear public speaking; they fear the unknown.
12. An adrenaline rush creates energy that manifests in a variety of ways.
13. When giving a presentation, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is boxing yourself
into a small space.
14. A speaking rate slightly slower than average may actually be preferred.
15. Most audiences are initially interested in your speech.
16. It is easy to speak from a manuscript and use a conversational style.
17. Even when you are slowly and deliberately walking from one side of the room to the other,
you should maintain eye contact with the entire audience during the presentation.
18. While Phil is presenting to the business group that invited him to speak, he is slowing
moving from one side of the podium to the other. It would be recommended that Phil maintain
eye contact with one person in the front row so that he knows where he is in relation to that
room.
19. When you begin speaking, you should focus on one audience member in the front row
presentation and make sure that he or she can hear you, and you should maintain this volume
throughout the presentation.
20. Kirk is presenting to the city seniors’ club and wants to make certain that all the audience
members can hear him. As he speaks, he focuses on an audience member in the back corner of
the room and projects his voice to that person and works very hard to maintain this volume
throughout the presentation. This is good idea for Kirk to do.
21. Randall is very nervous about speaking tonight and can barely control his nerves. Randall
should be aware that nervousness might cause an increase in speaking rate.
22. Because Randall is very nervous about delivering his speech tonight, he should keep in mind
that deliberate breathing will slow his rate of speech and will help reduce his nervousness in
general.
23. Anita knows that she wants her clothing to work for her and she has some large, very
noticeable earrings and a large bracelet that slides down to her wrist every time she moves
hands. These items are good for Anita to wear because they maintain the attention of the
audience.
24. A speaker wants her clothes and jewelry to be appropriate for the speaking occasion. It is a
good idea to remember that a watch or small earrings are fine but wearing dangling bracelets
that clank together every time the hands move are distracting for both the speaker and the
audience.
25. Public speaking is an extremely valuable skill and one you should work to master.
26. With regard to the final step in the KEYS approach, you should reflect on your own speeches
and ask yourself if you moved your audience to action.
27. With regard to the final step in the KEYS approach, in a business environment, you should
ask yourself if your presentation demonstrated professional excellence and if it motivated the
audience and people around you to take action.
28. Some of Kevin’s audience members are visual learners and he recognizes this fact. To
accommodate them, he should make sure that they can see key points, demonstrations, or
other supporting materials as the speech goes on so that they can better understand his points.
29. One option for a team presentation is to have the organizer give the introduction and the
conclusion and to have the speakers provide the transitions between each individual’s speech.
30. The principles for effective individual presentations differ greatly for group presentations.
31. When we are called upon to deliver a team presentation, we should keep in mind the fact
that a group presentation is just a series of individual speeches put together.
32. In a team presentation, in order to make sure all the points are covered, it is acceptable to
have a good deal of overlap.
33. If the organizer in a team presentation establishes his or her credibility, the other members
of the team need not establish theirs.
34. Teams that fail to plan together or don’t run through the presentation as a group often
stumble and do not exhibit excellence in front of the audience.
35. A conversational delivery quality includes an extemporaneous speaking style and good eye
contact.
36. When you use PowerPoint, you no longer need a speaking outline.
37. A speaker should not use an outline because it eliminates the possibility of reading the
presentation.
38. When delivering a speech, you should have it memorized because it’s so easy to lose your
place in a manuscript.
39. A detailed practice outline of your presentation is known as your speaking notes.
40. A well-designed supporting aid helps the audience by increasing understanding, enhancing
retention, and facilitating listening.
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Short Answer
1. ______ occur(s) when the speaker should pause but instead fills the silence.
2. In the first option of organizing a team presentation, the ______ will present the
introduction, provide the transitions between the other speakers and their content areas, and
give the conclusion.
3. Clarence’s team has decided that he should be in the role of ______, should present the
introduction, should provide transitions between the other speakers, and should deliver the
conclusion.
4. Precious understands the presented material when she can see key points and any
demonstrations, or other supporting materials, because she is a ______.
5. Todd has decided to commit his presentation to memory and the result is a ______ speaking
style that deters from his over presentation.
6. When you get up to deliver a presentation, you experience a(n) ______.
7. Most audiences are ______, friendly, and initially interested.
8. Making eye contact with your audience is one of the best ways to reduce ______.
9. Raquel knows that prior to giving any speech, she should do her research, design an ______
message, and practice.
10. No one enjoys having a presentation read to them. It’s called ______ and not public reading
for a reason.
11. Skip knows that supporting aids not only increase understanding, enhance retention, and
facilitate listening, but they also help ______ meetings.
12. Corky started his speech with these words: “Like, I’m really happy to, like, be here today
and, like, I want to like thank Mr. Jackson and like Ms. Reid for like having me speak her today.”
Corky has a difficult time reducing or eliminating ______.
13. Cam was describing the accident to the police officer who answered the call, and he told
her “Umm, so the red car, umm, uh, seemed to, uh, maybe, umm, maybe it ran the, umm, red
light.” Cam’s description was filled with ______.
Essay
1. Describe the process of outlining a presentation.
2. What kinds of things should speakers think about when considering the use of some type of
supporting aid?
Ans: Answers should include the following: When deciding on the use of visual aids, ask the
following:
a. Will it enhance the presentation?
b. Will it increase the audience’s understanding?
3. How can a speaker use a demonstration to effectively aid his or her presentation?
4. Explain why speaking from a manuscript is not a desirable delivery option.
5. Discuss two options for using a person known as an organizer in a team presentation.
6. Describe how to reduce the negative effects of nervousness on speaking rate.
Ans: Answers may begin by noting that a rate slightly faster than average may actually be
preferred. Then, answers should note that those who are already “fast talkers” may experience
7. Discuss how the use of supporting aids can help the speaker overcome his or her dislike of
public speaking.
