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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises
Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Teaching Suggestions
Teaching oral communication is best done through application exercises and problems. Even so, you will
probably want to review the techniques for each type of presentation presented in the text first. As you
will note, many kinds of presentations and speeches exist. This chapter follows on naturally from the last
two, in which students focused on written reports. In the business world, people often are called on to
present information and research that starts out as written materials.
We suggest that your review of techniques be a summary of text content. The slides provided for the
lecture notes can help with this review. Also, you can supplement your review with discussion, using the
critical-thinking questions at the end of the chapter.
In our classes, we emphasize oral presentations. As our classes are rather large, we limit presentation time
to five minutes. Allowing some time for comment between presentations, we can handle about seven
during a 50-minute class. Much the same approach can be taken with formal speeches. Lately one of us
has been using virtual presentations, since students have already completed a basic speech course. It not
only gives them more to offer an employer but it also gives them confidence that they can handle this type
of technology in the workplace.
The following page is an evaluation form we have used. One of us combines its use with a rubric her
college is using for assessment purposes. The rubric describes more fully what level of skill constitutes
various numbers ranges for each category. Today’s students are generally appreciative to see these before
they present.
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Oral Presentation Evaluation
Presenter
Topic
Date
Four aspects of an oral presentation are listed below. Under each of these headings are descriptions.
Circle aspects that are excellent; underline aspects that need improvement; do nothing with aspects
that are average; cross out aspects that are not applicable. Comment on aspects that are circled or
underlined; circle the appropriate rating for each aspect.
Comments:
HIGH
10 9
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 1
LOW
Comments:
HIGH
10 9
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 1
LOW
Comments:
HIGH
10 9
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 1
LOW
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
VISUALS
Comments:
HIGH
Contribution to presentation
10 9
Neatness
8 7
Visibility
6 5
Clarity
4 3
Correctness
2 1
Use
LOW
OTHER COMMENTS:
TOTAL POINTS
Learning Objectives
LO 13-1 Prepare the right kind of presentation for your purpose and audience.
LO 13-2 Determine the appropriate topic, purpose, structure, delivery method, and means of audience
interaction for a presentation or speech.
Key Terms
oral report
informative presentation
persuasive talk
speeches
hybrid presentation
scope
duration
structure
personal connection
opening remarks
transitions
informality
extemporaneous presentation
memorized presentation
read speeches
interaction
grids
contrast
repetition
alignment
proximity
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
storyboard
handouts
ethos
eye contact
pitch
fillers
pace
volume
speaking voice
webcast
web meeting
webinar
physical staging
Text Summary, Lecture Outline
Slides 13-1, 13-2, 13-3
Researchers consistently note the growing importance of oral communication skills even as technologies
such as email, blogs, and social networking tools demand more of our writing skills. One heavily used
Problem-Solving Challenge
You have to present a special oral report to Sunfield Cereal’s executive committee concerning the results
of survey your department conducted. What purposes will this speech have? Could it have more than one?
Preparing the Right Kind of Talk
Slide 13-4
When you’re preparing a business presentation, a decision you’ll need to make wisely, and early, is what
kind of presentation you should make. In the words of Bob Adams, publisher of a series of business
Slide 13-5
There are many different kinds of presentations, but for this course we will focus on three of the main
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
kinds, and then also look at what happens when you have a mix.
Informative: Considerations
1. What is the point of an informative speech? (to inform the audience) So, what is the primary
question you need to ask yourself as you prepare this type of speech? (What do they need to
know?)
Structure/Features
1. In general, oral reports are delivered indirectly, with the story building up to the main point. The
structural patterns for written reports discussed in Chapter 11 can also help you structure this kind
of presentation.
Persuasive: Considerations
1. What is the main point of persuasive presentations? (to sell) So, what question do you need to ask
yourself as you prepare this talk? (What will move my listeners from lack of interest to “yes”?)
Structure/Features
1. Your tone will depend on what you are selling. A talk selling financial services may be serious
and respectful. A talk selling a new children’s game may be filled with fun breaks, interaction,
and colorful visuals.
Entertaining/Ceremonial: Considerations
1. What is the main point of these presentations? (engage the audience and reward participation)
What do you need to ask yourself? (What feeling/thought/inspiration do I want my audience to
walk away with?)
Structure/Features
1. For this kind of speech, most likely all eyes will be on you, with very little breaks, visual helps, or
other interruptions. Your listeners don’t want to work hard to take in information in this kind of
Slide 13-6
You Make the Call
Hybrid Presentations
Sometimes you will be asked to give a talk that has more than one purpose. At such times, it’s more
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
important than ever to be clear about your purposes, and to think about what your audience will need or
want to get out of your talk. For example, a community health worker might be asked to give a talk to
You could follow up this challenge by assigning them a brief speech to present the following class
period—one that would serve two purposes, taken from one of the student suggestions, if possible.
Planning the Content and Delivery
Slide 13-7
The first step in preparing a speech or presentation is selecting a topic. In some cases, you will be
In other cases, you will need to select your topic. Three factors should guide you:
• Background and knowledge—select a topic you know and are comfortable with.
• Interests of audience—choose a topic your audience can understand and appreciate.
As a fun exercise, ask several students to tell their top three choices for speaking topics (ask in rapid-fire
style—don’t let them think too much about it). Then pick one or two students to speak on their number
one topic right then—give them two minutes each to talk, but no prep time.
Slide 13-8
This slide outlines the oral report preparation process and special features of an oral presentation’s
structure. Use it to support your discussion of this topic.
Planning for informal oral reports is just as important and involved as planning for written reports. You
Select either the direct or indirect order. Usually, oral reports use indirect order. Introductory comments
are needed to prepare listeners to become interested in the message and to be prepared to receive it. Time
pressure, though, may force the direct order in oral reports.
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
The most significant difference in written and oral reports is in the ending. The oral report is likely to
have a final summary after any ending summary/conclusion/recommendation.
The final summary is similar to an executive summary. It recaps the total report in miniature.
Slide 13-9
Give students two minutes to come up with their introductory remarks. If you have a large group, break
the group into a few small groups and let each group choose a spokesperson. (Online students can time
themselves and provide their introductory statements via a cell-phone video clip or through the
Presentation Capture tool in Connect.)
Audience Interaction
Slide 13-10
In the past, presentations were largely one-way communication, with the presenter delivering a well-
prepared talk and restricting audience participation to applause or questions at the end. This kind of talk is
still appropriate in many circumstances, but today’s speakers often invite two-way communication while
they’re speaking.
What kind of audience participation will be feasible depends somewhat on the topic and your delivery
style. But no matter whether you aim for the conversational feel of an extemporaneous talk (using an
In training talks it’s often helpful to let your attendees participate in some act or exercise as you speak (or
allow breaks for this to happen). Or you may wish to divide your audience into groups to work on some
simple task together.
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
13-1a
Learning Objectives: 13-01, 13-02, 13-03, 13-05, 13-06
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
13-1b
Learning Objective: 13-02
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
13-1c
Learning Objectives: 13-02, 13-04
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
13-1d
Learning Objectives: 13-03, 13-06
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
13-1e
Learning Objectives: 13-02, 13-04, 13-06
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
Planning the Visuals to Support Your Talk
Slide 13-11
Audiences have become much more visually oriented than they used to be. They expect most
Slide 13-12
Spoken words need visual support because sound is so impermanent and fleeting. Visuals help increase
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
room where the presentation is delivered. Though visuals should look nice, they are functional, not
decorative.
Good visuals will help your audience tune in. Bad visuals can turn them off. Check out this list of
mistakes people make with presentation slides. Which ones have your students experienced? Are there
any they would add to the list?
▪ Too much or too small content: Slides need to be readable. If there’s too much content, or the
content is too small, your audience will be straining to see the information, instead of listening to
you.
Remember also to keep accessibility in mind as you prepare your slides. Some who have visual
impairments may need to view your presentation using a reader. If this is the case, make sure all your text
can be read in this way.
Slide 13-13
This slide shows a sample PowerPoint slide with some good rules to follow.
Connect Assignment 13-2 (a-e): Increasing Business at Hot Wings
Summary: In this exercise about making a presentation to an audience of business professionals, students
will practice planning an oral report and designing effective supporting visuals.
13-2a
Learning Objectives: 13-01, 13-02, 13-03
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
13-2b
Learning Objective: 13-03
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Blooms: Apply
13-2c
Learning Objective: 13-03
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Blooms: Apply
13-2d
Learning Objectives: 13-01, 13-02, 13-04, 13-06
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
13-2e
Learning Objectives: 13-02, 13-03, 13-05
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
Slide 13-14
You Make the Call: Handouts or No?
Ask your students to think about what kinds of topics might especially need written materials along with
the oral presentation. What kinds of audiences might appreciate handouts?
Delivering Your Talk
Slide 13-15
Confidence
Develop confidence in yourself and from your audience by preparing earnestly, practicing, dressing
appropriately, and speaking in strong, clear tones.
Competence
Audiences expect speakers to know their subject matter. Doing your homework is critical.
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Sincerity
Avoid any type of insincerity; be sincere throughout your speech. You cannot expect an audience to be
committed to your topic if you are not. Audiences are quite perceptive when it comes to gauging a
speaker’s sincerity and authenticity.
Friendliness
Smile, make eye contact. Learn and use audience members’ names. It’s a simple fact: Audiences are
generally more receptive to friendly people.
Connect Assignment 13-3: Planning a Job Talk
Summary: Students may be required to give a presentation as part of an interviewing process for a job.
This exercise will help students consider the kinds of strategies that can be effective in presenting an
interesting talk.
Learning Objectives: 13-01, 13-02, 13-03, 13-04, 13-06
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
Follow-Up Activity: Students can select three of the weaker strategies and describe what the problems are
with using those strategies.
Slide 13-16
Audiences see many things the speaker may be unaware of during a speech.
The Communication Environment
This refers to the physical setting of your speech—the stage, lighting, etc.— that is part of what your
audience sees. This setting, including outside noises, should help—not hinder—your presentation.
Posture
Walking
A strong, sure walk to your position of speaking portrays confidence. Walk during the speech only to
create the effect you want.
Facial Expressions
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Chapter 13: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Gestures
Gestures add meaning to messages, but their meanings are vague. Use them as natural, strong
supplements to speeches.
Slide 13-17
Slide 13-18
Voice quality primarily refers to pitch and resonance of vocal sounds. Voices vary widely. Although not
all voices are good, we can all work to improve our voice quality.
Slide 13-19
Whether you use physical props, charts, or maps, or you use digital slide presentations, you’ll want to
make sure to follow simple dos and don’ts:
Slide 13-20
Managing Audience Interactions
It’s opposite day! Invite your students to correct these bad pieces of advice (on the slide) for managing the
following audience interactions.
You’re asked something you don’t know. Don’t try to fake an answer. Instead, acknowledge that you don’t
know the answer and invite others to share their ideas.
Someone disagrees with you. Stay calm and objective, and when you get a chance to speak, acknowledge
why the person might think that way, reiterate why you think the way you do, and then move on.