TEXTBOOK: Part 8 - Online, Group, and Business Contexts

*Proposals*

*__________________* offer ("propose") a product, procedure, or policy to a client or company and typically seek to persuade the audience to accept the speaker's recommendations. Organizations must constantly make decisions such as whether to switch to a new health plan or implement a new employee grievance procedure, and proposals offer a plan on how to proceed. Generally, proposals advocate for a specific solution, with the presenter arguing in favor of one course of action over another. Careful adaptation to the audience is therefore critical to an effective presentation.

*Online presentations*

Apply Your Knowledge of Face-to-Face Speaking: *___________________________* require the same basic elements of planning and delivery as in-person presentations. As in traditional public speaking, an online speaker will select among the 3 general speech purposes of informing, persuading, or marking a special occasion. Both kinds of speaking call for careful audience analysis, credible supporting materials, a clear organizational structure, and a natural style of delivery. And whether presenting electronically or in person, as a speaker you must continually engage the audience; when separated physically, this focus becomes all the more critical.

*report*

Become Familiar with Reports and Proposals: The majority of business and professional presentations (both oral and written) take the form of reports or proposals. Corporations and nonprofit, educational, and government organizations alike depend on reports and proposals, both formal and informal, to supply information and shape decisions. A *______________* is a systematic and objective description of facts and observations related to business or professional interests; it may or may not contain recommendations. Reports without recommendations are strictly informative; those that offer analysis and recommendations combine both informative and persuasive intent. Reports address literally thousands of different topics, audiences, and objectives; some require extensive research and offer lengthy analyses while others may simply summarize weekly changes in personnel or projects. Formats for reports vary accordingly, but many reports include the following: 1. Preview/summary of reasons for the report; including its scope, methods, and limitations; and main conclusions and recommendations 2. Discussion of the findings/presentation of evidence 3. Key conclusions drawn from evidence 4. Recommendations based on the evidence

*presentational speaking*

Business and Professional Presentations: In many business and professional positions, delivering presentations is part of the job. Whether pitching a service to customers or informing managers of a project's progress, the skilled speaker will get noticed and, often, promoted. Rather than being formal public speeches, business and professional presentations are forms of *______________________________* — oral presentations delivered by individuals or teams addressing people in the classroom, workplace, or other group settings. Presentational speaking has much in common with formal public speaking, yet important differences exist: "Degree of formality." Presentational speaking is less formal than public speaking; on a continuum, it would lie midway between public speaking at one end and conversational speaking at the other. " Audience factors". Public-speaking audiences tend to be self-selected or voluntary participants, and they regard the speech as a onetime event. Attendees of oral presentations are more likely to be part of a "captive" audience, as in the workplace or classroom, and may be required to attend frequent presentations. Due to the ongoing relationship among the participants, attendees also share more information with one another than those who attend a public speech and thus can be considered to have a common knowledge base. "Speaker expertise". Listeners generally assume that a public speaker has more expertise or firsthand knowledge than they do on a topic. Presentational speakers, by contrast, are more properly thought of as " first among equals." Apart from these differences, the public speaking guidelines described throughout this Pocket Guide apply equally to oral presentations and public speeches.

*productive conflict*

Center Disagreements Around Issues: Whenever people come together to consider an important issue, conflict is inevitable. But conflict doesn't have to be destructive. In fact, the best decisions are usually those that emerge from productive conflict. In *_____________________*, group members clarify questions, challenge ideas, present counterexamples, consider worst-case scenarios, and reformulate proposals. Productive conflict centers disagreements around issues rather than personalities. Rather than wasting time arguing with one another over personal motives or perceived shortcomings, productive conflict encourages members to rigorously test and debate ideas and potential solutions.

*small groups*

Communicating in Groups: Most of us will spend a substantial portion of our educational and professional lives participating in *____________________* or teams (usually between 3 and 20 people); and many of the experiences we have as speakers — in the classroom, workforce, and in "virtual groups" online — occur in a group setting.

*Group presentations*

Delivering Group Presentations: *_____________________________* are oral presentations prepared and delivered by a group of 3 or more individuals. Regularly assigned in the classroom and frequently delivered in the workplace, successful group presentations require close cooperation and planning.

*vocal variety*

Focus on Vocal Variety: In an online presentation, the audience cannot interact with your physical presence, making your voice an even more critical conduit of communication. In place of body movement, *_____________________* — alterations in volume, pitch, speaking rate, pauses, and pronunciation and articulation — must hold audience interest. Especially important to eliminate are vocal fillers such as "umm" and " aww." In place of these, use strategic pauses to help audience members process information.

*panel discussion* *moderator*

Panel Discussions: In a *______________________*, a group of people (at least 3, and generally not more than 9) discusses a topic in the presence of an audience. Panel discussions do not feature formally prepared speeches. Instead, they require the presence of a skilled chairperson or *___________________* to direct the discussion, who begins by describing the purpose of the panel and introducing panel members. The moderator then launches the discussion by directing a question to one or more of the participants. At the conclusion of the panel, the moderator summarizes the discussion and directs questions from the audience. Prior to the presentation, a good moderator will circulate an agenda and list of ground rules to the participants. When preparing remarks for a panel discussion, or when preparing to serve as a moderator, consider the following: -Who is your audience, and what do they know about the topic? What ideas can be emphasized to encourage greater understanding? -What aspects of the topic will the other participants address? What are their areas of expertise? -How much time is allotted for the question-and-answer session? You will need to plan accordingly. -Which key points should be reviewed in conclusion?

*Task roles* *Social roles*

Plan on Assuming Dual Roles: In a work group, you will generally assume a task role and a social role, and sometimes both. *________________* are the hands on roles that directly relate to the group's accomplishment of its objectives. Examples include "recording secretary" (takes notes) and "moderator" (facilitates discussion). Members also adopt various social roles reflecting individual members' personality traits. *________________* function to help facilitate effective group interaction, such as the "harmonizer" (smoothes over tension by settling differences) and "gatekeeper" (keeps the discussion moving and gets everyone's input).

*podcast* *vodcast*

Podcasts & Vodcasts: A *________________* is a digital audio recording of a speech or presentation captured and stored in a form that is accessible via the Web. A *_______________* (also called vidcast and video podcasting) is a podcast containing video clips. Recording, storing, and delivering a speech via podcast requires a microphone attached to a computer; simple, cost-free digital audio recording software (e.g., Audacity); and a website to host the podcast and provide your audience with access to it. Using PowerPoint, you can use the "Record Narration" feature in the slide creation function to produce a podcast-like presentation file; the file can be used and distributed as you would any PowerPoint file, even via e-mail.

*forum* *town hall meeting*

Public Forums: A *______________* is an assembly for the discussion of issues of public interest. Public forums often are convened to help policymakers and voters alike deliberate about key policy issues. These forums can take place in a physical space, such as a town hall, on television, or online. Forums may feature a panel or a symposium, followed by an extensive question-and-answer period with the audience. One well-known forum is the *___________________________*, in which citizens deliberate on issues of importance to the community. City and state governments sponsor town hall meetings to gather citizen input about issues that affect them, using this input to formulate policy. When participating in public forums as a member of the audience, consider the following: -Organize your thoughts as much as possible in advance by jotting down your question or comment on a piece of paper. -Do not duplicate someone else's questions or comments unless it adds to the discussion. -Use no more time than necessary to make your points. -If appropriate, include a call to action at the conclusion of your comments.

*Real-time presentations*; *synchronous communication*

Real-Time Presentations: *______________________________* connect presenter and audience live, in *_________________________________________*. Interactivity is a chief advantage of this type of presentation: Speaker and audience can respond to one another in real time even though they are not in the same location. As in traditional speaking situations, audience feedback allows you to adapt topic coverage according to audience input and questions, for example, or adjust technical issues as they occur.

*recorded presentation*; *asynchronous communication*

Recorded Presentations: In a *________________________________*, transmission and reception occur at different times, in *___________________________________*. Viewers can access the presentation at their convenience, such as listening to a podcast at night. Lack of direct interaction with the audience poses challenges, however. Without immediate feedback from the audience to enliven the presentation, you must work harder to produce something polished and engaging, especially by providing compelling content, delivery style, and presentation aids.

*groupthink*

Resist Groupthink: For groups to be truly effective, its members need to form a ncohesive unit with a common goal. At the same time, they must avoid *________________________*, the tendency to minimize conflict by refusing to examine ideas critically or test solutions. Groups prone to groupthink typically exhibit these behaviors: Participants reach a consensus and avoid conflict in order not to hurt others' feelings, but without genuinely agreeing. Members who do not agree with the majority feel pressured to conform. Disagreement, tough questions, and counterproposals are discouraged. More effort is spent justifying the decision than testing it.

*Anti-group roles*

Sometimes, group members focus on individual needs irrelevant to the task at hand. *____________________* such as "floor hogger" (not allowing others to speak), "blocker" (being overly negative about group ideas; raising issues that have been settled), and "recognition seeker" (calling attention to oneself rather than to group tasks) do not further the group's goals and should be avoided.

*symposium*

Symposia and Colloquium: A *________________* is a meeting or conference at which several speakers deliver prepared remarks on different aspects of the same topic. Symposia provide audiences with in-depth and varied perspectives on a topic. Sometimes the symposium concludes with a question-and-answer period; at other times, it is followed by a panel discussion among symposium participants. Following symposia, the presentations may be published. When preparing a presentation for a symposium, consider the following: -Who is your audience? -What aspects of the topic will the other participants address? -In what order will the speakers address the audience? -What are your time constraints for your prepared remarks? -Will you engage in questions and answers with the other speakers, or just with the audience?

*progress report*

The Progress Report: A progress report is similar to a staff report, with the exception that the audience can include people outside the organization as well as within it. A *__________________* updates clients or principals on developments in an ongoing project. On long-term projects, progress reports may be given at designated intervals or at the time of specific task completions. On short-term projects, reports can occur daily. Progress reports have become increasingly important to managers as a means to determine the value of employees and uncover hidden costs of doing business. AUDIENCE: The audience for a progress report might be supervisers, clients, or customers; developers and investors; company officers; media representatives; or same-level co-workers. Progress reports are commonplace in staff and committee meetings in which subcommittees report on their designated tasks. ORGANIZATION: Different audiences may want different kinds of reports, so establish expectations with your intended audience, then modify the following accordingly: 1. Briefly review progress made up to the time of the previous report. 2. Describe new developments since the previous report. 3. Describe the personnel involved and their activities. 4. Detail the time spent on tasks. 5. Explain supplies used and costs incurred. 6. Explain any problems and recommendations for their resolution. 7. Provide an estimate of tasks to be completed for the next reporting period.

*sales proposal* *motivated sequence*

The Sales Proposal: A *__________________* or *sales pitch* is a presentation that attempts to lead a potential buyer to purchase a service or a product. Successful sales pitches, which are persuasive by nature, clearly show how the product or service meets the needs of the potential buyer and demonstrate how it surpasses other options available. AUDIENCE: The target audience for a sales presentation depends on who has the authority to make the purchase under consideration. Some sales presentations are invited by the potential buyer; others are "cold sales" in which the presenter/ seller approaches a first-time potential buyer with a product or a service. In some cases the audience might be an intermediary — a firm's office manager, for example, who then makes a recommendation to the company's director. ORGANIZATION: Plan on organizing a sales presentation as you would a persuasive speech, selecting among the motivated sequence, problem-solution/problem-cause-solution, or comparative advantages patterns. The "comparative advantage pattern" works well when the buyer must choose between competing products and seeks reassurance that the product being presented is indeed superior. The "problem-solution" or "problem-cause-solution" pattern is especially effective when selling to a buyer who needs a product to solve a problem. Sometimes called the "basic sales technique", the *______________________*, with its focus on audience needs, offers an excellent means of appealing to buyer psychology. To use it to organize a sales presentation, do the following: 1. Draw the potential buyer's attention to the product. 2. Isolate and clarify the buyer's need for the product. 3. Describe how the product will satisfy the buyer's need. 4. Invite the buyer to purchase the product.

*staff report*

The Staff Report: A *__________________* informs managers and other employees of new developments that affect them and their work, or reports on the completion of a project or task. AUDIENCE: The audience for a staff report is usually a group, but it can be an individual. The recipients of a staff report then use the information to implement new policy, to coordinate other plans, or to make other reports to other groups. ORGANIZATION: Formal staff reports are typically organized as follows: 1. State the problem or question under consideration (sometimes called a "charge" to a committee or a subcommittee). 2. Provide a description of procedures and facts used to address the issue. 3. Discuss and analyze the facts that are most pertinent to the issue. 4. Provide a concluding statement. 5. Offer recommendations.

*case study*

Use the Case Study to Demonstrate Critical Thinking: An exciting and effective learning tool, a *________________* documents a real (or realistic) situation, relating to business, law, medicine, science, or other discipline, which poses difficult dilemmas or problems requiring solutions. Students read a detailed account and then apply what they have studied to analyze and resolve the problems. Instructors typically ask students to report orally on the case study, either alone or in teams. Students are expected to consider the case carefully and then report on the following items: 1. Description/overview of the major issues involved in the case 2. Statement of the major problems and issues involved 3. Identification of any relevant alternatives to the case 4. Presentation of the best solutions to the case, with a brief explanation of the logic behind them 5. Recommendations for implementing the solutions, along with acknowledgment of any impediments

*video capture software* *screencast*

Video: Many people get their message out by presenting it visually via video: from individuals using a smartphone camera or Webcam, to professional companies sending out messages using high definition digital video cameras. With *____________________________*, such as Camtasia or Adobe Audition, you can seamlessly incorporate video clips into an online presentation. You can also use video capture software or dedicated screen casting software to create screencasts. A *_________________* captures whatever is displayed on your computer screen, from text to slides to streaming video. Screencasts can be streamed in real time, recorded for playback, or exported to a hosting website. The screencast format is especially useful for training purposes. For example, a presentation relying on screen captures can be used to demonstrate how to create a screencast using QuickTime Player on the Mac.

*Webinars*

Webinars: *________________* are real-time seminars, meetings, training sessions, or other presentations that connect presenters and audiences from their computers or mobile devices. Webinars typically include video capture and screencasting, as well as interactive functions such as chat and polling. As in any speech or presentation, planning a Webinar starts with considering the audience's needs and wants. Many Webinars are "team presentations." 1. Start with a title that indicates what the Webinar will do for the audience (e.g., "How the Affordable Care Act Will Affect You"). 2. Time each aspect of the Webinar and distribute the following information to each presenter: -Introduction of speaker(s) and purpose -Length and order of each speaker's remarks -Length of question-and-answer session, if separate 3. Rehearse the Webinar (remotely if necessary). 4. Check meeting room for noise and visual distractions; check equipment. 5. Create a backup plan in case of technical problems.