II. Think of successful talks you’ve been to in the past. What made them so successful? Complete the following list of elements that make a good presentation using the words in the boxes.

a-e humour talk appearance knowledge f-j preparation language attitude voice visuals

To be a good presenter you need …

1. a well-structured _____________
2. thorough subject _____________
3. a smart and professional _______
4. a good sense of ______________
5. good eye ___________________
6. an enthusiastic ______________
7. a strong ____________________
8. a creative use of _____________
9. expressive body _____________
10. careful_____________________

III. With a partner, discuss the elements in 1 and number them in order of importance. Use the phrases below in your discussion.

What you need most of all is … Another important thing is … I think … is pretty important too

… can make a real difference It helps if …, but it’s not essential You don’t need …, as long as …

IV. Add your own ideas to the list in 3

Reading

I. Read the text below. Is it a good advice? Why?

Did you know … that almost thirty million of business presentations are given every day? And yet, in surveys, most managers say that are most afraid of public speaking than anything else – even death! To overcome nerves, a lot of presentation trainers advise you to “just be yourself”.

Listening

1. Listen to three people speaking. Concentrate on the way they sound. Are they having a conversation or giving a presentation? How do you know?

Conversation 1.q 2.q 3.q Presentation q q q Conversation 4.q 5.q 6.q Presentation q q q

II. Discuss with a partner. How is speaking to the audience – even a small one – different from speaking to a group of friends? Think about the following:

how clearly you speak how often you pause

how quickly you speak how emphatic you are

III. Look at this famous toast to Albert Einstein by writer, George Bernard Shaw. The extract is unpunctuated. Mark (|) where you think the speaker paused. Then listen and check.

I have said that great men are a mixed lot but there are orders of great men there are great men who are great amongst all men but there are also great men who are great amongst great men and that is the sort of great man whom you have amongst you tonight I go back 2,500 years and how many of them can I count in that period I can count them on the fingers of my two hands Pythagoras Ptolemy Aristotle Copernicus Kepler Galileo Newton Einstein and I still have two fingers left vacant my lords ladies and gentlemen are you ready for the toast health and length of days to the greatest of our contemporaries Einstein

 

From In Company Intermediate

IV. a. Listen again and underline the stressed words.

B. Is there a connection between what we stress and where we pause?

C. What is the effect of pausing

less often?_____________________________________________________________________

more often?____________________________________________________________________

V. Write a toast to your famous contemporary

A Team Presentation

I. Look at the following information from First Direct. With a partner first ‘present’ the information clearly and professionally. Then ‘present’ the information enthusiastically and dramatically. Which sounds better?

Presenter 1 When you join First Direct you experience something unbelievable. A bank designed around you, which doesn’t expect you to fit round it	Presenter 2 A bank which recruits people who like to talk. A bank which gives its people all the information they need to enable them to help you. A bank which believes in sorting your money out for you without you having to ask.
Presenter 1 Funny kind of bank? Unbelievable? Even a little magical? Yes, but also efficient, safe and secure.	Presenter 2 You can, naturally, choose when, where and how to deal with your money. We’re open 24 hours a day. Our people are ready to talk to you, whenever you call.
Presenter 1 And wherever you might be in the world, you can bank online.	Presenter 2 Join First Direct and feel good about your bank; it’s your money, after all.

From In Company Intermediate

II. In the extract above find the examples of

1. repetition
2. rhetorical questions
3. grouping points in threes
4. pairs of contrasting points

III. Match the items in 2 to why they are effective.

• You invite your audience to try to anticipate your answer q
• You create a satisfying set of completeness q
• You make sure your audience doesn’t miss your main points q
• You emphasise what you are saying by using the power of opposites q

Lexical exercises