The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 11

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses oral reports. This chapter begins by providing several steps for planning an oral presentation. There is an emphasis on knowing your audience. The use of visuals in presentations is examined and several examples are provided.  Questions for planning a presentation are listed by category.  The chapter then explains many techniques for effectively presenting your material to the audience. 

Introduction

Oral reports are a very critical part of business communication. Your ability to give good oral reports will be a major determining factor in how you are perceived by your superiors and peers. An effective oral report should follow the same guidelines as a written report. In addition, you must also pay attention to your style of speaking. This should be appropriate for your role in the organization, your audience, and the subject of the report. You should also decide how to use text and visuals to enhance your audiences’ understanding of the presentation. 

Constructing an Effective Presentation

First, you should analyze the audience. You should consider their level of knowledge, attitude toward you, attitude toward the subject, as well as their economic, political, and religious views. This information will help you to create a presentation style that will resonate with your audience in a positive way. Even hand gestures and the way you dress should be chosen based on the type of audience. The context in which you will be presenting can also have an important effect on your presentation. The presentations of other speakers, the physical location, and the events taking place in the organization can all affect the audience’s reaction to your oral report.

It is important that your presentation have a clear goal. All the content of the presentation, including any visual aids, should be focused on accomplishing the stated goal. The best approach for accomplishing your goal should be chosen based on the audience. The type of information used (statistics, illustrations, etc…) should be chosen based on what you think will help your audience best understand your message.

An oral report should be well organized and concise, just like a written report. In fact, organization is probably even more critical in an oral report because your audience can’t “rewind” you and listen again the same way they can reread confusing parts of a written report.  As with written documents, you should state your goal early on in the introduction and restate it concisely in the conclusion. 

Your speaking style will depend greatly on your relationship with the audience. Factors such as your position in the organization relative to the audience, the conventional level of formality within the organization, and whether you know the audience personally will all help determine the speaking style that is appropriate.

Visuals can enhance a presentation, but they should be clear, and relevant to the topic of the presentation. Avoid using overly complex visuals that will confuse and distract the audience form the goal of the presentation. 

Delivery of the Presentation

When speaking, avoid very long sentences and use concrete language. Be careful not to use jargon that your audience won’t understand. You should also try to use short, active voice sentences. In short, the same rules of written style also apply to oral delivery. You should write and practice your speech before hand to avoid stumbling during the presentation. It is also important to be confident during the presentation and make eye contact with your audience. Record yourself practicing the speech and listen for distinct breaks between sections and revise any sentences that sound awkward or hard to follow.