Chapter 12 "Test Your Knowledge"

1. What skills do oral presentations give you the opportunity to practice and demonstrate?
Oral presentations, delivered in person or online, offer important opportunities to put all your communication skills on display, including research, planning, writing, visual design, and interpersonal and nonverbal communication.

Presentations also let you demonstrate your ability to think on your feet, grasp complex business issues, and handle challenging situations-all attributes that executives look for when searching for talented employees to promote.

2. What three goals should you accomplish during the introduction of an oral presentation?
An effective introduction arouses interest in your topic, establishes your credibility, and prepares the audience for the body of your presentation.

3. What techniques can you use to get an audience's attention during your introduction?
Six ways to get the audience's attention during your introduction: unite the audience around a common goal, tell a story, pass around a simple, ask a question, state a starting statistic, and use humor.

4. What three tasks should you accomplish in the close of your presentation?
In the close of your presentation make sure to restate the main points, describe next steps, and end on a strong note.

5. What steps can you take to ensure success with online presentations?
To ensure success with online presentations: consider sending preview study materials ahead of time, keep your presentation as simple as possible, ask for feedback frequently, consider the viewing experience from the audience members' point of view, make sure your audience can receive the sort of content you intend to use, and allow plenty of time for everyone to get connected and familiar with the screen they're viewing.