Speech Appendix I Appendix Sample Presentations The Following Presentation Typical Informative Talks Given Every Business

APPENDIX IV

Sample Presentations

The following presentation is typical of informative talks given every business day. In this

scenario, the personnel specialist in a medium–sized company has gathered a group of staff

members together to describe the features of a tax–reduction plan as part of the employee benefits.

Notice how the speaker uses most of the strategies covered in Chapters 9–12 to make her ideas

clearer and to increase the attention of her audience.

The speaker’s goal is to help listeners decide whether they are interested enough in the benefits

[The promise of increasing

take–home pay is a guaranteed

attention–getter.]

I know you’re busy, but I don’t think you’ll mind taking a few

minutes away from work this morning. You see, I’m here today

to show you a way that you can increase the amount of money

you take home each month.

[This opening illustrates the

persuasive element that is

called for in many informative

presentations.]

No, I‘m not going to announce an across–the–board raise. But

increasing your salary isn’t the only way to boost your income.

Another way that works just as well is to reduce your taxes.

After all, every dollar you don’t pay in taxes is like having a

dollar more in your pocket.

[An overall view of the plan is

presented here.]

In the next few minutes, I’ll explain the company’s flexible

benefits plan. It’s a perfectly legal option that lets you increase

your real income by cutting the amount of taxes you pay, so that

your income will grow even without a raise. I know this sounds

too good to be true, but it really works! I’ve already signed up,

and I figure it will save me almost $2,000 a year. It can probably

save you a lot, too.

[A brief transition alerts

listeners to the first main point

in the body of the presentation:

the difference between before–

and after–tax dollars.]

Before you can appreciate how the flexible benefits plan works,

you must understand the difference between before–tax and

after–tax dollars. [The speaker shows Exhibit 1 here.] Before–tax

dollars are the amount that shows up every month in the “Gross

Amount” box on our paychecks, but we don‘t get to spend our

full salaries. There are several deductions: federal income tax

withholding, Social Security (the amount in the “F.I.C.A.” box),

state tax withholding, and disability insurance premiums (the

amount in the “S.D.I.” box). What’s left in the “Net Amount”

box is our pay in after–tax dollars.

[The enlarged display of a

familiar paycheck stub clarifies

the unfamiliar concepts of

before– and after–tax dollars.]

EXHIBIT 1 Paycheck Stub

different tax brackets.]

income is higher, then the difference between before– and after–

tax dollars is even bigger. This means that it takes at least

$136.33 in after–tax dollars to buy something that costs $100 in

before–tax dollars.

[The visual display increases

the clarity and impact of the

difference between before– and

after–tax dollars.]

EXHIBIT 2 Value of Before– and After–Tax Dollars

[The transition here makes

clear the movement to the

second part of the body.]

You can probably see now that it‘s better to buy things in before–

tax dollars whenever you can, and that‘s what the flexible

benefits plan lets you do. Let me explain how it works.

[An internal preview orients the

audience to the next two

points.]

The flexible benefits plan is great because it allows you to pay

for some important items in before–tax dollars. The plan lets you

set aside pay in two categories: medical costs and dependent

care. Let’s cover each of these in detail so you can see which

expenses are covered.

[The speaker generates

audience involvement by

inviting listeners to consider

their own expenses in the

following areas.]

A look at the chart entitled “Allowable Medical Expenses”

shows which items you can use under the flexible benefits plan.

[The speaker points to each item in Exhibit 3 as she discusses

it.] As I cover these expenses, think about how much you spend

in each area.

[The chart helps listeners

understand which expenses are

covered.]

EXHIBIT 3 Allowable Medical Expenses

[The hypothetical example

helps listeners understand how

the plan works in real life.]

First, we’ll talk about health–insurance deductibles and co–

payments. Under our company’s policy, you pay the first $300

of expenses for yourself and each dependent. You also make a

$10 co–payment for each visit to a doctor. Let’s say that you and

one dependent must pay the $300 deductible each year, and that

you made five visits to the doctor. That’s a total of $650 per year

you could have covered under the plan.

[A citation helps prove that the

cost of medicines is

considerable.]

Drugs and prescriptions include every kind of medicine you

buy, even if you buy it over the counter without a prescription.

Don’t forget that the plan also covers payments you make for

everyone you claim as a dependent: your kids, maybe your

spouse, and maybe even an older parent whom you’re caring for.

An article from Changing Times magazine says a family of three

spends an average of $240 per year on drugs. Maybe you spend

even more. Whatever you do spend on medicine can be included

in the plan, which means you will pay less for it than if you used

after–tax dollars.

[Examples of typical vision–

care fees illustrate the potential

costs in this area.]

Vision care and equipment include eyeglasses and contact lenses

as well as any fees you or your dependents pay to optometrists

or ophthalmologists. With a pair of reading glasses costing at

least $45 and a new set of contact lenses costing more than $80,

those expenses can really mount up.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are also covered, which

means that any counseling you receive will cost a lot less.

Dental care and orthodontia are covered, too. If you or your

dependents need major dental work, this difference can amount

to a lot of money. If you’re paying for your kids’ braces, you can

really save a bundle. We did some checking, and the average

orthodontic treatment today runs about $3,500 over 3 years—or

more than $1,000 per year.

[Comparing the unfamiliar

benefits plan to the familiar

notion of a discount helps make

the advantages clear.]

Nobody likes to spend money for medical expenses like these,

but paying for them with before–tax dollars under the flexible

benefits plan is like getting a discount of 20 percent or more—

clearly, a great deal.

[The transition here uses

signposts to mark a shift to the

second type of expense covered

by the plan.]

Medical costs aren’t the only expenses you can include in the

flexible benefits plan. There’s a second way you can boost your

take–home pay: by including dependent care in the plan.

[The example of potential

savings under the plan is a

guaranteed attention–getter for

working parents.]

For most people, dependents are children. Any costs of caring

for your kids can be paid for in before–tax dollars, meaning

you’ll pay a lot less. You can include day care services,

preschool fees, even in–home care for your child. We did some

checking and found that the cost of keeping a child in preschool

or day care in this area from 8:30 in the morning until 5 pm

averages about $5,000 per year. By shifting this amount into the

flexible benefits plan, the real cost drops by more than $1,000.

Not bad for filling out a few forms!

[A restatement of the thesis is

combined with the introduction

of an example to support its

claim.]

When you combine the savings on health care and dependents,

the potential savings that come from joining the flexible benefits

plan are impressive. Let’s look at a typical example of just how

much money the flexible benefits plan can save. Your personal

situation probably won’t be exactly like this one, but you can

still get a feeling for how good the plan is. [The speaker shows

Exhibit 4.]

[The chart provides a visual

outline of the example. Without

the exhibit, the dollar amounts

would be too confusing to

follow.]

EXHIBIT 4 Savings with Flexible Benefits Plan

Suppose your salary is $23,500 and you have a spouse and one

child. Let’s say that your health and dependent expenses are

pretty much like the ones we’ve been discussing here today.

[The speaker points to the “Salary Reductions” section of

chart.] Your health insurance deductibles and co–payments

amount to $650, and you spend $240 over the year on

prescriptions and drugs. Let’s say that one person in your family

needs one set of eyeglasses. You all get dental checkups, and

you don’t even have cavities! You spend $1,800 on child care—

not bad these days.

If we look at the top third of the chart, it might seem that

enrolling in the flexible benefits plan will cost you more. After

all, your salary would be $23,500 without the plan but only

$20,570 with your expenses deducted from the plan.

[As the speaker points to the

“Annual Savings” line on the

chart, the audience sees in real

dollars the potential advantage

of the plan.]

However, look what happens once we add taxes into the

equation. [The speaker points to “Taxes” section of chart.]

Since your pay with the plan is less, you pay less in taxes. A

little subtraction shows that the difference between the $6,204

you’d pay without the plan and the $5,481 you’d pay with it

amounts to a savings of $723.

This is just a small example of how much you can save. If

your expenses are higher—if you have more medical costs, for

example—the advantage is even greater. As your salary goes up

and you move into a higher tax bracket, the advantages grow,

too. And don‘t forget that the savings I’ve been talking about are

just for one year. As time goes by, your earning power will grow

even more.

[In a restatement of the thesis,

the speaker returns to the main

advantage of the plan.]

Now you can see why we‘re so glad to offer the flexible benefits

plan. It can boost your take–home pay even before you get a

raise. It costs you nothing.

[Listeners are told what to do

next if they are interested in the

plan.]

If you’re interested in learning more, we encourage you to read

the booklet I’ll hand out in a moment. It contains a worksheet

that will help you estimate how much you stand to save under

the plan. If the idea still interests you, please attend the

workshop we’ll be holding next Friday during the lunch hour in

the third–floor meeting room. At that time, we can answer your

questions and make an appointment for each of you to sign up at

the personnel office. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to answer

any questions you have now.

• Sample Sales Presentation

The following presentation (outlined in Figure A4.1) demonstrates most of the persuasive

EXHIBIT A4.1 Outline of Sample Presentation

The speaker’s company, Ablex Technologies, manufactures sophisticated electronic components.

One of its best customers is BioMedical Instruments (BMI), which produces a wide variety of

sophisticated medical diagnostic instruments. The company‘s biggest contracts with BMI are for

kidney–dialysis and blood–analyzer parts, which total almost $1 million per year.

Under a much smaller and older contract, Ablex also supplies BMI with parts for an X–ray unit.

BMI no longer makes the unit, but is committed to furnishing current users with replacement

parts until the machines drop out of use, and Ablex is obliged to supply BMI with these parts.

The audience is Mary Ann Hirsch, the buyer at BMI, and two production engineers. Although the

purchasing director and the chief project engineer are not attending the presentation, they will

rely on the information gathered by their subordinates and, ultimately, will be the ones to approve

or reject this idea—so in a way, they are part of the audience, too.

[Introduction: The introduction

emphasizes the positive aspects of the

relationship with the customer. Brief A:

brief sketch of the problem establishes

common ground. “We’re in this

together, and it’s no good for either of

us.”]

We’ve been involved in a long, positive relationship with

BMI. The only troubles we’ve ever encountered have

come from the X–ray parts. Even though they are just a

small part of our business with you, they seem to involve

the greatest headaches for both you and us. The timing of

these orders is impossible for you to predict, which

makes it hard for us to get parts from our suppliers and

deliver the product to you quickly. This leads to all sorts

of problems: unhappy customers who must wait for the

equipment they ordered and time spent by people at both

of our companies keeping in touch.

[Preview: The preview lists the main

advantages of the plan that will be

proposed.]

We think there’s a better way to handle the X–ray

problem. It’ll reduce frustration, cut costs, and let all of

us spend our time on more productive parts of our jobs.

Before we talk about this new plan, let me review why

the present arrangement for handling X–ray orders is

such a headache.

[Transition: A transition leads to the

“problem” section of the presentation.]

The main problem we face is irregular orders. A look at

the order history for the last year shows that there‘s no

pattern—and no way to predict when customers will

order replacement parts for their X–ray units. [The

speaker shows Exhibit 5 here.]

[Visual: The visual exhibit clearly

demonstrates the unpredictable nature

of customer orders.]

EXHIBIT 5 X-Ray Parts Ordering

Pattern

[Example: An example shows the

problems flowing from irregular

orders.]

This unpredictable pattern makes it tough for us to serve

you quickly. We must order parts from our suppliers,

which often can take a long time. For instance, with the

February 17 order, it took 6 weeks for our suppliers to

get us the parts we needed to manufacture the X–ray

components you needed. Once we had the parts, it took

us the usual 4 weeks to assemble them. As you said at

the time, this delay kept your customer waiting almost 3

months for the components needed to get its equipment

up and running, and that’s poison for customer relations.

[Example: An example highlights

amount of time wasted.]

Delays like this aren’t just bad for your relationship with

customers; they also waste time—yours and ours. Mary

Ann, do you remember how many phone calls and letters

it took to keep track of that February order? In fact,

every year we spend more time on these X–ray orders

that involve a few thousand dollars than we do on the

dialysis and blood–analyzer parts that involve about a

million dollars annually. That’s just not a good use of

time.

[Transition: A transition leads to the

second consequence of irregular

orders: wasted time. “Solution” part of

the presentation then introduced.]

So, we clearly have a situation that’s bad for everybody.

Fortunately, we believe there’s a better way—better for

you, for us, and for your customers. This plan involves

your giving us an annual purchasing forecast for X–ray

parts. Instead of waiting for your customers to place

individual orders, you would estimate the total sales

likely to occur in a year. Then we would acquire enough

parts from our suppliers to assemble those items so that

we could have them ready quickly as your customers

place orders.

[Advantages: The advantages of the

solution are previewed in the chart.]

This simple plan has several advantages. They’re

summarized on this chart, but let me explain them in a

little more detail. [The speaker shows Exhibit 6 here.]

EXHIBIT 6 Advantages of Annual

Forecasting for X–Ray Parts

[The strongest advantage to the

listeners is introduced first to develop a

positive impression early.]

The first advantage is that advance purchasing will speed

up delivery of your orders. Instead of waiting for our

suppliers to ship parts, we can begin to assemble your

order as soon as you send it. You can get an idea of the

time savings by looking at how much time this plan

would have saved on the order you placed in February.

[The speaker shows Exhibit 7.]

[Bar: A bar chart graphically

demonstrates the amount of time

saved.]

EXHIBIT 7 Annual Forecasting Speeds Delivery Time

[Transition: A transition leads to the

second advantage of the plan:

flexibility. A hypothetical example

helps the audience visualize this

advantage.]

Besides being quick, the plan is flexible. If you wind up

receiving more orders than you anticipated when you

made your original forecast, you can update the plan

every six months. That means we’ll never run out of parts

for the X–ray units. Suppose you projected 1,400 units in

your original forecast. If you’ve already ordered 1,000

units six months later, you could update your forecast at

that point to 2,000 units and we’d have the parts on hand

when you needed them.

[Transition: A transition leads to

anticipation of a possible listener

objection: What if orders decrease?

Credible authority is cited to support

this point.]

This semiannual revision of the forecast takes care of

increases in the number of orders, but you might be

wondering about the opposite situation—what would

happen if there are fewer orders than you expected. The

plan anticipates that possibility, too. We’re willing to

extend the date by which you’re obliged to use your

annual estimate of parts to 18 months. In other words,

with this plan you‘d have 18 months to use the parts you

expected to use in 12 months. That’s pretty safe, because

Ted Forester [BMI’s vice president of sales and

marketing] predicts that the existing X–ray machines will

be in use for at least the next 6 or 7six or seven years

before they’re replaced with newer models.

[Internal: An internal review reminds

listeners of the previously introduced

advantages and leads to identification

of a third benefit: less wasted time.]

Flexibility and speed are two good advantages, but there

are other benefits of this plan as well. It can save time for

both you and us. You know how much time we spend on

the phone every time there’s a surprise X–ray order, and I

can guarantee delivery within 3 weeks of receiving your

order. Think of the aggravation that will avoid!

[Second: The second most important

advantage is introduced last, where it

is likely to be remembered by

listeners.]

By now, you can see why we’re excited about this plan.

But there’s one final benefit as well: the plan will save

you money. When we order our parts in larger quantities,

the unit price is less than the one we’re charged with

smaller orders. We’re willing to pass along the savings to

you, which means that you’ll be paying less under this

plan than you are now. Notice how ordering a year’s

supply of parts drops the unit price considerably. [The

speaker shows Exhibit 8.]

EXHIBIT 8 Annual Forecasting

Reduces Unit Price

You can see that this plan is a real money saver.

Compare the savings you could have realized on last

year’s order of 597 units if this plan had been in effect.

[The speaker shows Exhibit 9.]

EXHIBIT 9 One Year’s Saving with

Annual Forecasting Plan

[Conclusion: The conclusion reviews

the plan’s advantages and makes an

appeal to the listeners to adopt it.]

So that’s the plan. It’s simple. It’s risk–free. It’s

convenient. It’s flexible. Along with all these advantages,

it can cut your costs. We’re prepared to start working

with you immediately to put this plan into action. If we

start soon, we’ll never have to deal with X–ray headaches

again. Then we can put our energy into the larger, more

satisfying projects that are more rewarding for both of

us.

This section includes a variety of critique forms that cover a range of uses: instructor evaluations,

peer evaluations, self–evaluations, and evaluations of students by professionals. Please use these

forms as a starting point. Mix and match the forms to suit your own purposes, and adapt them to

fit your own content and teaching style.

Instructor evaluation forms are a valuable tool for providing feedback to students when you return

The strategy of asking peers to evaluate one another offers several advantages. Students learn a

lot in the process of evaluating others. Students usually pay better attention to classmates’

presentations when they are held responsible for completing an evaluation. Students sometimes

give more credibility to classmates’ suggestions than to the instructors’ remarks. Moreover, if you

read each of the peer evaluations, you will gain additional viewpoints of the presenting students’

performances, which may enable you to write a richer and more impartial assessment. Some

students, however, are uncomfortable with the process of critiquing themselves or others. To help

A final aspect of critique relevant to this class is feedback from professionals with whom students

interact. Included here are two variations of an evaluation form that can be used if you assign

students to interview a professional outside class.

Ideas for using critique forms:

1. Hand out forms to students well before their presentations, even with the assignment. In

most cases, the quality of assignments improves measurably when students can see the

criteria from the start. Awareness of the exact criteria they will be graded on motivates

2. Encourage students to videotape themselves as a trial run, and to use the critique sheet to

critique themselves before presenting to the class. This helps them see themselves as you

3. Provide workshop time for students to present to one another in small groups and

4. On presentation day, assign two students to evaluate each presentation, and rotate so

every student gets two opportunities to evaluate. For group presentations, assign each

5. Elicit assessments of the critique forms. Ask students if any important elements of this

presentation are not adequately addressed on the forms or whether there are any elements

that seem not to apply. Again, by responding and modifying according to student input

6. To encourage an atmosphere of honest upward communication, you may wish to elicit

periodic evaluations of your own teaching and course content throughout the term.

List of Critique Forms

Critiquing Your Classmates

Continuous Feedback Form

Written Assignment Feedback

Team Participation Evaluation

Rating of Other Group Members

Group Report: Peer Assessment

Team Member Evaluation Form

Critique for Speech Outlines

Self–Critique

Persuasive Presentation Critique

Persuasive Presentation Evaluation

CRITIQUING YOUR CLASSMATES

Sometimes students feel discomfort when asked to critique their classmates, perhaps because the

term “critique” has a negative connotation associated only with criticism. This sheet is intended

to clarify your role as an observer/critic.

Throughout this term, you will be asked to critique your peers in terms of specific criteria set

forth by the instructor. The most honest feedback you can give a classmate is descriptive, not

evaluative. You can describe what you saw and heard and the impact the speaker had on you. As

Describe your reactions, the impact the speaker had on you:

“I had difficulty hearing you,” rather than “You weren’t loud enough.”

“I felt attacked when you said, ‘Hispanics don’t understand’ . . .’” rather than “You were unfair to

Hispanics.”

“I felt confused,” rather than “You were confusing,” or “You confused me.”

Possible sentence starters:

I felt It seemed to me

From my point of view My reaction was

I couldn’t see, hear, understand, etc. I got the impression

Give specific examples:

Describe exactly what you saw and heard so the speaker has a clear idea of what you are referring

to. Don’t evaluate or judge without describing; sometimes description is all that is needed for

feedback.

Speak for yourself. Don’t speak for the whole class. Avoid global generalizations:

Avoid: “None of us understood. . .,” “No one thought that was funny. . .,”

“We didn’t like your remarks about. . .”

Avoid comments on factors over which the speaker has no control.

You weren’t tall enough to see over the lectern.

I believe your strengths as a speaker are. . .

Please omit meaningless babble:

Awesome, dude.

You’re cool.

Great job.

Wish I were as good as you are.

Nice.

Continuous Feedback Form (from student to instructor)

Date / /

Today’s Class Seemed to Me:

Interesting

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Uninteresting

Useful to Me

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Not Useful to Me

Applicable to My Study/Life

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Not Applicable to My Study/Life

Lively

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Dull

Competently Taught

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Not Competently Taught

Organized

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Unorganized

Effective

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Ineffective

One thing I learned today . . .

One thing that is unclear . . .

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK*

Student/Group Name: _____________________

Course: Communication 101

Date: ______________________

Assignment:

Content/Development – 50 points

Subject Matter:

o Key elements of assignment covered

o Content is comprehensive/accurate/persuasive.

o Displays an understanding of relevant theory

o Major points supported by specific

details/examples

o Research is adequate/timely.

o Writer has gone beyond textbook for resources.

Higher–Order Thinking:

o Writer compares/contrasts/integrates

theory/subject matter with work

environment/experience.

o At an appropriate level, the writer analyzes and

synthesizes theory/practice to develop new

ideas and ways of conceptualizing and

performing.

Organization – 20 points

o Central theme/purpose is immediately clear.

o Structure is clear, logical, and easy to follow.

o Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.

GENERAL INTERVIEW CRITIQUE: INTERVIEWER

Student Name:

Observer/Evaluator:

Use the following scale in evaluating the interviewer: 1=weak to 5=excellent. Add

explanatory comments as appropriate.

Preparation of Questions

Appropriateness of Questions

Listening Skills

Follow-Up Questions

Communication Attitude

GENERAL INTERVIEW CRITIQUE: INTERVIEWEE

Student Name:

Observer/Evaluator

Use the following scale in evaluating the interviewee on each of the criteria:

1=weak to 5=excellent. Add explanatory comments as appropriate.

Preparation of Responses

Organization of Responses

Appropriateness of Responses

CAREER RESEARCH INTERVIEW EVALUATION FORM*

Name _________________________

(15)

1. Interviewee’s name, title, organization, address, phone, e–mail address.

(15)

2. Clear statement of career goals and how they led you to choose your

interviewee.

(15)

3. Quality of research findings on interviewee, his/her organization, and the field

you are exploring.

Insights gained about:

• Importance of pre–interview research

• Strategies for locating information before the interview

(15)

4. Method of contacting interviewee:

• Used effective contact strategy.

• Includes copy of contact and thank–you letters (proper business format,

as illustrated in text) and pre–interview list of questions for interviewee.

• Lessons learned about contacting strangers for informational interviews.

(15)

5. Goals for interview:

• Overall goal (“big question”) defined clearly.

• Topic areas defined to seek information on goal.

(15)

6. Interview questions designed and presented effectively:

• List of planned questions included, organized by topic area.

• Questions designed to achieve interview goals. (“How can I succeed

at…” instead of “How did you succeed at…”

• Description of how questions in interview differed from ones planned.

• Lessons learned about questioning strategies.

(15)

7. Description of effective and ineffective communication during:

• Opening phase: Ice breaking, explaining your goals, previewing topics

• Body of interview: time management, keeping control, dealing with

interviewee’s style, etc.

• Closing: Thank you, sharing lessons learned, explaining feedback form,

discussing future contacts.

• Lessons learned about structuring the interview: managing time,

controlling the conversation, creating a professional image, etc.

(15)

8. Results of the interview:

• Success of interview in accomplishing your goal. (How much of the

results were due to interviewee, and how much to your skill?)

• Value of future relationship with interviewee. (How can you maintain it?)

• Names, addresses, etc. for at least two referrals.

(15)

9. Insights gained about:

• Your interviewing style

• How you can use informational interviewing in the future. (Be specific.)

(15)

10. Quality of report document:

• Ideas presented clearly and free of errors in spelling, syntax, etc.

• Report follows format of assignment

____ POINTS

This form will be used by your instructor to evaluate your Career Research Interview.

* This form was contributed by Ron Adler

INTERVIEWER FEEDBACK FORM*

Name of Student Interviewer _______________________

Dear Interviewee:

The interview assignment the student is completing is an important part of a course in

business and professional communication. This experience provides a rare chance for

the student to receive candid, thoughtful feedback about the impression he or she makes

in a face-to-face interview. Thank you for providing this opportunity for the student.

Please complete the questions below after the interview, when the student is not in your

presence. Then, using the stamped and addressed envelope provided by the student,

mail this form directly back to the instructor. After reviewing your comments, the

instructor will pass along this sheet to the student.

Rest assured that nothing you say will affect the student’s grade in any way. The sole

purpose of this form is to provide the student with constructive comments from a

person outside the classroom.

Opening of the interview

Needs

Improvement

Basically O.K.

Well Done

1. Did the student arrive on time,

prepared for the interview?

2. Was the purpose of the interview

made clear?

3. Was the student poised?

4. Were you made to feel the

interview was worth your time and

energy?

5. Did the student make a good initial

impression? (Appearance, voice,

language, bodily behavior, etc.)

Additional comments on the first few minutes of the interview:

Interview questions

Needs

Improvement

Basically

OK

Well Done

6. Were questions and topics arranged in an

appropriate sequence?

7. Were the questions well chosen?

8. Were questions worded clearly?

9. Did the student follow up your answers

appropriately with additional questions?

10. Were the number and nature of questions

appropriate for the available time?

Additional comments on the interview questions:

Student characteristics

Needs

Improvement

Basically

OK

Well Done

11. How good a listener was the student?

12. Did the student seem sincerely interested in

your answers?

13. Did the student conclude the interview by

summarizing insights gained and thanking

you for your time?

Additional comments on student characteristics:

In conclusion

14. What particularly strong points should the student continue to stress?

15. What interviewing techniques or behaviors should the student try to correct in the future?

Please supply your name, position or title, and mailing address:

NAME:

POSITION OR TITLE: COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION:

MAILING ADDRESS: TELEPHONE:

* This form was contributed by Ron Adler

INTERVIEW EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Note to interviewee: Please complete this form and return it as soon as possible. Your comments will be of

greater value to the student if they are stated frankly. The student will benefit more by having her/his faults

called to attention then by merely receiving compliments. This report will have no bearing on the student’s

course grade. Its sole purpose is to provide objective feedback from a professional person outside the

classroom. Please use the back of this sheet if necessary.

Student’s Name:___________________________

1. What are your frank reactions to the manner in which the student initiated the

interview? (Did s/he give a clear explanation of the type of information s/he was seeking

and why s/he was seeking it?)

2. What is your reaction to the student’s self-presentation? What specific behaviors were

effective or not effective (e.g., confidence, eye contact, vocabulary, tone of voice, dress,

3. What is your reaction to the student’s organization of the interview as a whole? Did

the questions elicit information that you feel is important? Did s/he skip from topic to

topic too quickly? Did s/he allow you enough time to answer?

Signature____________________ Date:___________ Position_____________

Firm_____________________________ Address_______________________________

THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS STUDENT’S EDUCATION!

GROUP PRESENTATION SELF–CRITIQUE

After videotaping your group presentation, discuss these questions as you review it:

ORGANIZATION:

Was there an introduction?

Was the thesis clear?

Was the specific purpose clear?

Were the main points clear?

Were there transitions?

Was there coherence from one speaker to the next?

CONTENT:

Was there substance to the presentation?

Would the audience learn something new?

Was there information the class can use? Understand?

Did we explain how and why the information is relevant?

Was the presentation interesting?

Was specialized material footnoted orally (sources cited)?

DELIVERY:

Could everyone hear?

Could all speakers be understood?

Was the presentation lively and interesting?

Did the group look alive, relaxed, enjoyable?

Was the presentation spontaneous, natural, enthusiastic?