Helpful Hints for Exceptional Presentations
Sales presentations are more than just about selling a product with a strong beginning or end. In creating a winning presentation, it is imperative to present in a savvy, strong, and articulate manner. Not only is how one presents themselves important; but the vocabulary they use when presenting. To have a million dollar vocabulary when presenting a subject, there are certain pre-requisites that one must consider.
First, conducting thorough research is essential. While a subject matter expert may think they know what is important to present or not, understanding the prospective business clients need is something that may not be transparent. Researching the topic methodically as if you are studying for a standardized test like the GRE’s or GMAT’s is an approach many great presenters take because they must comprehend essential knowledge, be able to articulate a range of business vocabulary, and apply qualitative skills to bring the pieces together to make a presentation tick. Following such a methodology shows the thoroughness of the presenter and that the prospective client is important. It will be easy to answer such questions, “says who” and “based on what.” In other words, as a presenter, a person will be able to answer the “why is this important?”
In the medical area, presentation must be clear and articulate. Haber and Lingard (2001) stated that “Oral presentation skills are central to physician-physician communication; however, little is known about how these skills are learned. Rhetoric is a social science which studies communication in terms of context and explores the action of language on knowledge, attitudes, and values.” (p. 308). What we do know; however, is that it is important to make sure that the presenter does not continue to speak without breaks, clearly explains all ambiguous words, and captivates the audience so that they do not deviate their attention from focusing on subject matter other than the topic at hand.
Being able to grab the executive’s attention, whether it is a doctor or a CEO can be done in three key ways: use executive vocabulary, understand business terminology, and be well spoken by presenting the presentation with proper English grammar. According to St. John (1998), “there is further proliferation of terms within Business English; some focus on people, some on purpose and some on jobs. So you may hear of English for Professionals, English for Professional Purposes, and English for Secretaries or Secretarial English.” (p. 4). Furthermore, “Research requires data, people and time. While research time is not the prerogative of lecturers, they at least are paid for it. One limitation on research, whatever our position, is the availability of data, particularly for spoken interactions.” (p. 4). Therefore, it is important to recognize that when developing an executive presentation regardless of profession, the intended audience must be considered as well as the level of research conducted prior to the presentation. A presentation is not just about selling an idea; it is about understanding the data that relates to the topic and the value of the people and their time which are involved in the study.
References Cited
Haber R J & Lingard L A (2001). Learning oral presentation skills: a rhetorical analysis with pedagogical and professional implications. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(5), 308-314
St. John, M. (1998). Business is booming: Business English in the 1990s. English for Specific Purposes, 15(1), 3-18.
