A presentation is a powerful and interactive communication medium.

A presentation is a two-way exchange of information, not a one-way data dump. Even if there are no questions or comments from the audience, you can gauge their reactions from their facial expression and body language.

A written communication such as a memo or report has certain advantages over a live conversation. You can prepare in advance. You can check your facts, edit, and polish your style. You can take the time to make it nearly perfect.

However, a written communication has two serious drawbacks. First, you cannot tell if the recipient has read it. And second, you may never know what they really think about your message.

A phone call or a face-to-face conversation has advantages over a written communication. You can get immediate feedback from your listener's tone of voice or facial expression. You can question one another. You know that your message has been received, and you may have some idea of whether it was accepted.

The problem with an oral communication is you may not be well prepared. Questions arise, there may be interruptions, and the conversation veers off course. You give up some control to other people and your surroundings.

A presentation combines the best of both worlds. You can prepare and polish your presentation, just like you can prepare a strong written document. You also get the benefit of instant feedback present in a face-to-face communication. If your audience looks like they are confused, you can clarify your meaning. If they look like they not buying your message, you can try another approach. Unlike a written communication, you can adapt on the fly.

A presentation is your chance to shine!

Finally, a presentation is your golden opportunity to impress your boss and colleagues. People are watching you, and they will judge whether you have what it takes to get ahead in the organization. Do you communicate effectively and confidently? Have you mastered your material? Can you handle questions and think on your feet? Are you persuasive? Do you have the right stuff?

A business presentation is more than just a platform to convey information. It is more than a vehicle to persuade. It is your chance to shine!

The main achievement of your studying this course is the presentation of your job portfolio at the exam. You have already kept materials of your Self Study Units from Chapters 1 and 2. Organize all materials including job advertisement, resume with summary, the list of communicative skills you mastered, written examples of your achievements into your portfolio and make a presentation exercise given below.

The presentation exercise is a great opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd. Giving a presentation offers you a much better platform than is normally available when simply answering an interviewer's questions. You also have far more control in this exercise than in any of the others. Firstly, you don’t need to consider other participants, as you would in a group discussion or role-play exercise. Secondly, you do have control over how you present your given topic or theme. So if you are asked to give a presentation, be prepared to make the most of this opportunity to show what you can do and have to offer. The most obvious competency that you are being asked to demonstrate is ‘interpersonal communication’, especially your ability to communicate a message in a clear and persuasive way. This covers three separate areas: 1. How you organize the material. 2. How you actually present it. 3. How you handle and answer questions.

However, there are two other areas that are often tested implicitly during the presentation exercise. These are:

1 - Enthusiasm for the Role. Do you sound as though you really want to be there delivering the message? This aspect of job selection is often overlooked by candidates but most employers want someone who has a genuine enthusiasm for what they do. You need to deliver your presentation with a certain amount of passion – don’t go over the top but you must engage the audience of assessors. They may be listening to a whole series of presentations on the same or similar topics so don’t underestimate how much energy you need to put in if you are going to capture and hold their attention.

2 - Organizational/Strategic Interpretation. Try to demonstrate that you can add value beyond that which the employer expects from the role. This is easier in some presentations than others, it depends on the topic you’re given, but it is often this ‘added value’ that marks out the successful candidates.

The Six Point Plan

Whichever format a presentation is going to take, you can give yourself a huge advantage by knowing how to prepare properly. It does not matter whether the preparation time is several weeks or half an hour, if you have a system that you have practiced using you will have far more chance of success than a candidate who just improvises and hopes for the best. This also demonstrates another competency to the assessor how well you plan and organize your presentation. For example, depending on the nature and topic of your presentation you need to show how your role contributes to the overall objective i.e. implementation of a new system or procedure into your department. You will also need to illustrate how you plan to communicate and monitor progress to all involved parties in your presentation. In some instances you may have to also demonstrate another competency - how you will manage resources. The six-point plan below is both logical and flexible. It is designed to make sure that you don’t waste time thinking about what to do, and that you spend whatever preparation time you have as efficiently as possible. There are some qualities that a coherent presentation simply must have and by following this plan you can be confident that your presentation will have these qualities. This plan will work just as well whether you have three weeks or thirty minutes to prepare. Obviously, with only half an hour to prepare you really can’t afford to waste any time and using the six-point plan below will ensure that you make the best use of every minute that you have. The six stages are:

1. Identifying the Aim

2. Identifying the Key Points

3. Planning the Structure

4. Planning the Content

5. Preparing Visual Aids

6. Preparing for Questions.

GLOSSARY

1. attachment (a computer file that is sent together with an email message)- прилагаемый файл, вложение

attached to the letter – приложенный к письму

1. audience [ + sing/pl verb] (the group of people together in one place to watch or listen to a play, film, someone speaking, etc) – публика, аудитория

The audience was/were clearly delighted with the performance.

audience research – изучение аудитории

1. file (accumulation of related records or documents maintained as one physical unit (file folder) and commonly stored (filed) under a particular classification issue) – хранение документов в определенном порядке

file an action- подать иск

file a request – подать запрос

file of documents – архив документов

1. layout (the way in which the parts of something are arranged or laid out) - схема размещения, планировка

layout of a business letter – расположение частей делового письма

1. nuance (a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound) – нюанс, оттенок
2. salutation (a standard formula of words used in a letter to address the person being written to) – приветствие, обращение

opening salutation – обращение в начале письма

closing salutation – вежливое прощание в письме

1. style (a particular procedure by which something is done; a manner or way) – стиль, манера изложения

formal style of communication – официальный стиль общения

casual style – небрежный стиль

polish the style – оттачивать стиль

1. tailor (make or adapt for a particular purpose or person) - приспосабливать, подгонять
2. portray (describe someone or something in a particular way) - изображать, описывать

portray sbd’s opinion – описать, представить чью-либо точку зрения

1. profanity (blasphemous or obscene language) – ненормативная лексика, сквернословие

profanity laced correspondence – письмо, подкрепленное крепким словцом

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