CHAPTER TEN: MANAGING PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE
Objectives
Identify the common audience elements in order to know your audience and thus develop
confidence in making presentations
Define and express credibility by understanding factors of credibility and their impact on
listeners
Assess your level of presentational apprehension and identify ways to alter
communication apprehension and create personal speaking confidence
Develop an audience member profile in order to align a speech with audience attitudes,
values, and demographics
Key Words:
Presentations, speech foundations, communicator credibility, competence, character, charisma,
co-orientation, communication confidence, communication apprehension, audience analysis,
audience profile
On the Internet
Chapter Teaching Notes
I. The Foundation of Communicator Credibility – The four of
credibility
A. Competence the perceived expertise an audience believes about a speaker
2. Cite expert testimony
4. Have confidence and poise
5. Know the content and order of material
B. Character the trustworthiness an audience feels about a speaker
1. Indicate a sense of fairness
3. Indicate concern for long-abiding traditions and values
C. Charisma speaker enthusiasm for the audience, the occasion, and the message
itself
1. Have vocal enthusiasm
3. Show that you are unique and can resist opposition
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1. Stress areas of similar attitudes, beliefs, and values
2. Illustrating areas of similar experiences can build rapport
II. The Foundation of Confidence
A. The symptoms of communication apprehension
2. Butterflies in the stomach
4. Vocal cracks
5. Poor physiological responses
B. Overcoming Communication Apprehension
1. Preparation – eliminate the reasons for anxiety before the presentation
3. Positive self-talk fill the mind with positives instead of anxieties
5. Physical activity warm-ups can reduce anxiety
III. The Foundation of Consultation About the
Audience
A. Audience history with the topic
B. Audience knowledge of the subject
C. Audience knowledge of the presenter
D. Audience values, motivation, and expectations
1. Motivation why are they here? What are their expectations?
2. Values long enduring topics held as worthy or truthful for individuals
E. The occasion for their gathering
F. Audience demographics
1. Gender
2. Age
3. Employee position in the organization
5. Education
6. Residence
7. Culture
9. Socio-economic status
10. Religious affiliation
11. Political affiliation
13. Hobbies or interests
G. Conducting an Audience Profile audience info comes from:
1.
The host
2.
C
o
p
any
newsletters
3.
Indust
r
y
ne
w
s
and
trends
4.
C
o
p
etitors
or
bench
ark
orgs
5.
A
sa
p
ling
of
the
e
m
plo
y
e
es
H.
Environ
m
ental
Traits
1.
Audience
si
z
e
Ph
y
sical
sett
i
ng
3.
Seating
5. Time of day
6. Distractions
I. Adapting to
Audiences
1. Choice of main point and support
3. Delivery adaptation
4. Attention in the introduction
Class Exercises
1. Objective: Identify individual communication apprehension. (see text for the PRCA-24)
Time: 60 minutes
2. Objective: Identify the components of speaker credibility.
Time: 45-60 minutes out of class
Directions: Ask students to attend a lecture of some sort (beyond a classroom lecture). They could
listen to a sermon, attend a community seminar, or attend a lecture given by a guest speaker at their
school. Ask them to go and evaluate the credibility of the speaker. They should chart
the
competence, character, charisma, and co-orientation throughout the message in terms of
3. Objective: To identify personal credibility.
Time: 60-75 minutes out of class, 45 minutes in class
Directions: This activity is best done following in-class speeches. After the class has given a
4. Objective: Create and understanding of how to do audience analysis.
Time: Both in class and out of class time needed varies
Directions: Assign each student a different possible audience that they might be asked to speak to
in their community. For each audience, students should do research and then write up an
Discussion Questions
1. Think about the last two speakers that you heard. How would you rate their credibility?
2. Think of a speaker whom you have heard recently that you trusted. Why did you trust the
message that this person presented?
3. Which do you more tend to evaluate credibility on competence, character, charisma, or
co-orientation? Which of these four do you believe you are generally the best at
portraying?
4. From the text: Speaking to the Sales Team
Suppose you are speaking to a sales team who just completed two quarters with poor
performance. If you are aware of this situation before you prepare your message, you
can include helpful information and avoid harmful information.
In this case, what would you consider helpful? Harmful? Why would you emphasize
certain choices? How could you use narrative and story to make a compelling point? How
can you inspire the group who feels beaten down? Epson Corporation s Presenters Online
(2000).
5. Think about the last time that you experienced communication apprehension before
giving a speech or presentation. How could you have lessened that apprehension the most
more practice, preparation, positive self-talk, etc?
6. Look around your classroom. How would you analyze this audience? What are your
findings?
7. How can you increase your credibility if you are asked to give a speech or presentation
on a subject that you know little or nothing about?
9. How can you overcome cultural differences within an audience when preparing for a
speech or presentation?