Page 58 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Unit 2: Presentation Skill

Who Notes

Who is my listener? Knowledge about the co-participant goes a long way in meeting
communication demands. This is somewhat similar to an interviewee getting familiar with the
organisation to effectively answer probable questions relating to the organisation. Similarly,
the personality, education, age, status, and knowledge level of the listener helps in deciding the
format, tone and manner of presentation.

Example: Speaking to a group of young executives could entail a lecture-cum-
demonstration methodology. For that matter, a lively and active encounter with the speaker
would be the need/expectation of a young audience. On the other hand, a boring presentation
would amply suit a moronic boss. One important question which you should keep in mind at
the time of making a presentation is: to gauge the reaction of the participants towards the
content of the message prior to commencing the presentation. The response of the participants
would be contingent upon their knowledge of the subject. If their information level is high. You
would be forewarned to go through your presentation minutely.

Where and When

These imply the place and the context. After your message is formulated, try and visualize the
position of your receiver. Where would he be when he receives it? The format and tone of your
message should change in accordance with the place where it is going to be delivered. For
example, if a need so arises to talk of a hike in the pay structure, the place of broaching the issue
is bound to make a difference. Let us take an example of talking to the boss.
1. At the work place: It is always transaction-oriented, i.e., geared towards the accomplishment
of a particular task.
2. At home: It is a combination of transaction and relationship oriented (i.e., furthering and
cementing of social relationships) communication.

While the first situation is extremely formal and precise, in the other, it is casual and can range
from formal to informal depending on the relationship you share with the co-communicator.
While an informal relationship can bypass certain unwarranted slips, a formal relationship can
land you in a soup. The relationship shared by the sender and receiver is contingent upon the
exact positioning of your message in the context of communication.

What

This obviously focuses round the subject matter on the message. What exactly, do you wish to
communicate and what is the need to do so? The answer to these queries can be determined by
studying the profile of the audience. This will help to gain insight into their anticipated responses.
Sufficient information about the listener would enable you to discern between the essential and
redundant areas of the material to be presented and it prepares you for what needs to be used or
done away with at the time of presentation.

How

How do we achieve the right effect? To what purpose can we use the five W's so as to secure the
undivided attention of the audience? We can achieve this effect by the tone at the delivery which
we adopt to deliver the message. How would you organize the points? They should be organized
in the order of importance, the main point followed by subsidiary points. While organizing the
issues to be discussed, the needs of the audience should necessarily be kept in mind.

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