Answers to Chapter Review Questions
1. How do speaking skills affect promotions and career success? (Obj. 1)
Excellent communication skills are key to a successful career. The No. 1 predictor of success
and upward mobility, according to an AT&T and Stanford University study, is how much you
2. List and describe five types of presentations a business professional might make. (Obj. 1)
a. Briefing: a concise overview or summary of an issue, proposal, or problem
b. Report: oral progress, status, convention, or other informative reports
3. Why are analyzing an audience and anticipating its reactions particularly important
before business presentations, and how would you adapt to the four categories of
listeners? (Obj. 1)
By anticipating your audience, you have a better idea of how to organize your presentation.
A friendly audience will respond to humor and personal experiences. A neutral audience
requires an even, controlled delivery style. The talk would probably be filled with facts,
4. In the introduction of an oral presentation, you can establish your credibility by using
what two methods? (Obj. 2)
Two methods that you can use to establish your credibility in the introduction of an oral
5. What are the three main goals of the conclusion of your presentation? (Obj. 2)
a. Summarize the main themes of the presentation.
6. List six techniques for creating effective imagery in a presentation. Be prepared to
discuss each. (Obj. 2)
a. Analogies
b. Similes
7. List suggestions that would ensure that your nonverbal messages reinforce your
verbal messages effectively. (Obj. 3)
a. Look terrific.
b. Animate your body.
8. Good visual aids have many purposes. List five of these purposes. (Obj. 3)
Student can include any of the following purposes:
a. To emphasize and clarify main points, thus improving comprehension and retention
b. To increase audience interest
9. Name specific advantages and disadvantages of multimedia presentation software such
as PowerPoint, SlideRocket, and Prezi. (Obj. 3)
Speakers use electronic presentation software because it provides visual aids that are
10. How is the 6-x-6 rule applied in preparing bulleted points in a multimedia slideshow?
(Obj. 3)
11. What delivery method is most effective for speakers? (Obj. 4)
The most effective delivery method is the extemporaneous delivery method.
12. Why should speakers deliver the first sentence from memory? (Obj. 4)
13. How might presentations before intercultural audiences be altered to be most effective?
(Obj. 5)
When presenting to an intercultural audience, you must speak slowly, choose simple
English, avoid jargon and clichés, use short sentences, and pause frequently. In organizing a
14. Which five issues should be resolved before a team can collaborate productively?
(Obj. 5)
At the outset, the team should (1) name a leader, (2) establish how it will make decisions,
15. Discuss five tips for using smartphones courteously, safely, and responsibly. (Obj. 6)
Student can discuss any of the following tips:
a. Be courteous to those around you.
b. Observe wireless-free quiet areas.
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions
1. Communication expert Dianna Booher claims that enthusiasm is infectious and
“boredom is contagious.” What does this mean for you as a presenter? How can you
avoid being a boring speaker? (Obj. 2)
If you want to stay in control during the talk, build credibility, and engage the audience,
you must try to move naturally, use visual aids effectively, and radiate enthusiasm. The
2. “Communicate—don’t decorate.” This principle is one of 20 rules that graphic
designer and educator Timothy Samara discusses in his 2007 book Design Elements:
A Graphic Style Manual. How could you apply this principle to the design of your
PowerPoint presentations? (Obj. 3)
Although an image carries more meaning and emotion than text does, this rule suggests that
3. How can speakers prevent multimedia presentation software from stealing their
thunder? (Obj. 3)
You can avoid being upstaged by not relying totally on your slides or canvases. Help the
audience visualize your points by using other techniques. For example, drawing a diagram
4. Discuss effective techniques for reducing stage fright. (Obj. 5)
a. Breathe deeply.
b. Convert your fear.
c. Know your topic and come prepared.
5. Ethical Issue: Critics of PowerPoint claim that flashy graphics, sound effects, and
animation often conceal thin content. Consider, for example, the findings regarding
the space shuttle Challenger accident that killed seven astronauts. Report authors
charged that NASA scientists had used PowerPoint presentations to make it look as
though they had done analyses that they hadn’t. Overreliance on presentations
instead of analysis may have contributed to the shuttle disaster. What lessons about
ethical responsibilities when using PowerPoint can be learned from this catastrophe in
communication? (Objs. 1, 2, and 4)
When presenters minimize or ignore altogether the importance of the basics of knowing
their purpose and knowing their audience, they can spend too much time preparing an
Whether it was true in this instance is unknown; however, another ethical responsibility can
ZOOMING IN
Guy Kawasaki and the 10/20/30 Rule of Presenting
Critical Thinking
What kinds of oral presentations might you have to make in your chosen career field?
Would Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule work for the presentations you anticipate?
Many students believe they will never have to make presentations. But nearly every job
requires presenting skills, from a salesperson talking to a client, to an entry-level employee
Why are most people fearful of making presentations?
Many people are self-conscious about being in the limelight. However, careful preparation is
How do you think people become effective speakers?
The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” will resonate with students, who are used to
ZOOMING IN
Your Turn: Applying Your Skills
Students will enjoy reading about Kawasaki as an author and speaker. Some may view his
Ethics Check Solutions
Ethics Check, page 527
The Robot Presenter
In one of your courses, you are witnessing a PowerPoint presentation, during which it
becomes obvious that the speaker has completely memorized her talk. However, she
stumbles badly a few times, struggling to remember her lines. Worse yet, you perceive her
accent as nearly impenetrable. How should the instructor and the class handle the
evaluation of such a presentation?
This sensitive subject should lead to a lively discussion. Perhaps not surprisingly, nonnative
speaker students struggling with English hate public speaking even more than many U.S.-born
students do. As a result, they sometimes resort to memorization in the hope of receiving a better
presentation grade than if they attempted extemporaneous delivery. In the absence of
Ethics Check, page 531
Telling White Lies
Obviously, you wouldn’t want to tell callers that your colleague went to the restroom or
that your boss is responding to e-mail from a golf course in Hilo, Hawaii. But what about
people who, for instance, hide behind voice mail and want you to lie about it? When is it
acceptable to tell “white lies” on the phone to maintain confidentiality and decorum, and
when is lying for others wrong?
Answers will vary as students may perceive the exact boundaries of propriety and impropriety
differently. They may suggest that it depends on the relationship between the caller and the
Photo Essay Solutions
Photo Essay, page 519
For Kiva founder Jessica Flannery, delivering inspirational presentations is about speaking
extemporaneously, knowing the topic, and using engaging visuals. Flannery’s powerful delivery
does not consist in rote memorization or over-rehearsed lines, but in sharing Kiva’s social