Ch. 12 Business Communication

As you plan your presentation, you'll need to consider what tools you want to use and what materials you can provide to help your audience understand your message. Structural Sound has over 2,000 employees at headquarters on two shifts, and you need to deliver the presentation to all of them. There are 1,400 employees on the 1st shift and 600 employees on the 2nd shift. The auditorium is large enough to accommodate all 2nd-shift employees, but it's not large enough to accommodate all 1st-shift employees at once. Given the space limitations, which of the following media and channels would be most appropriate for your presentation to the employees at Structural Sound's headquarters?

Deliver a face-to-face presentation to 2nd-shift employees at the beginning of the shift and deliver two face-to-face presentations at different times of the day for 1st-shift employees.

Now that you've chosen the indirect approach for your presentation, it's time to develop an outline to serve as the foundation for delivering your presentation. Which of the following outlines would be most appropriate for your chosen approach?

I. Reasons for the reorganization A. Decreased product development time B. Better utilization of human resources through job specialization C. More teamwork/better communication among groups of employees focused on a specific product line II. Explanation of the reorganization A. What is is product departmentalization? B. The current organizational chart C. What the new organizational chart will look like D. How reporting relationships within the company will change E. How job responsibilities will change F. When the reorganization will take place III. Questions and Answers

The second—and perhaps most important—part of your presentation is next: developing your main point and presenting examples and evidence. This is where you'll deliver the content you previously outlined: I. Reasons for the reorganization A. Decreased product development time B. Better utilization of human resources through job specialization C. More teamwork/better communication among groups of employees focused on a specific product line II. Explanation of the reorganization A. What is is product departmentalization? B. The current organizational chart C. What the new organizational chart will look like D. How reporting relationships within the company will change E. How job responsibilities will change F. When the reorganization will take place You've got a lot of material to present in a relatively short period of time. How should you deliver your presentation so that it runs smoothly and you cover all of the necessary points?

Speak from your notes. You will have bulleted lists or notecards.

Like many other forms of business communication, presentations should have three distinct phases: the opening, the body, and the closing. Let's start with your opening. Ideally, your opening should capture the audience's attention, establish rapport with them, and build your credibility. Of the following, which would be the most appropriate opening?

Start your presentation by asking members of the audience to raise their hands if they're skeptical about the reorganization.

You have a planning meeting with Marissa. She tells you that she recommends the advice of leadership expert Stephen Covey: "Begin with the end in mind," meaning that good presentations have both a specific purpose and a specific intended outcome." If you want your audience to know something, inform them," she says. "If you want them to believe or do something, persuade them. If you want them to know how to do something, instruct them." Based on Marissa's advice, which of the following best describes the purpose of your presentation?

The purpose of your presentation is not only to inform employees about the details of the new organizational structure, but also to emphasize the benefits of the reorganization for both them and the company.

You've previously defined the main idea or purpose of your presentation: informing the employees about the details of the new organizational structure. Now it's time to decide whether you will use a direct approach or an indirect approach in your presentation. As with other forms of communication, a direct approach arranges the content in your presentation to introduce your main point before the supporting details. An indirect approach would present the supporting information before you state your main point. Having analyzed your audience, which approach would be most appropriate for your presentation?

You will use an indirect approach and begin your presentation with supporting information before introducing your main point (the reorganization).

It's time to close your presentation before you open the floor to questions from the audience. Of the following, which would be the most effective closing for your presentation about the reorganization?

You've already explained your content well and in an engaging way. There's no need to summarize again. You'll thank the audience for their time and open the floor to questions.

As you ponder how to begin preparing your persuasive presentation, you wonder how your audience will react to your presentation. You consult with Lloyd Baskin, Chairman of the Executive Committee. He has been with the company for over 30 years, and you're confident that if anyone has insight into the mindset of Structural Sound employees, it's Lloyd. He tells you, "People, by nature, are resistant to change, and a lot of our employees have been here for years. Many of them probably don't know what product departmentalization is, much less how they'll fit in and how it will benefit them as well as the company." Based on Lloyd's advice, which of the following would appear to be the most accurate analysis of your audience?

Your audience is likely to be highly resistant or even hostile to the organizational change.