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People in global organizations must make formal presentations to people from many cultures. Typically the language is English. Research indicates that presenting face-to-face – to people from your own country and in your own language – is one of life’s most anxious experiences. When the speaker or even a writer is from one country, the audience multicultural, and the language English (especially if it his/her second language), the communication challenge increases further.
This paper provides 13 practical guidelines along with examples for making an effective English presentation. But the success of the presentation is not simply about English language competency. It relies on understanding communication dynamics that help both the native and non-native English speakers be more effective in conveying meaning – intellectual, emotional and spiritual – and interacting with their audience. This system will help you communicate with one, a small group, or a large audience comprised of people from different cultures and who have varying English listening and speaking levels.
The type of English used is Global English. This transcultural English provides a standard that can be attained by people from with one of several native-English cultures (American, British, Australian, etc.) and from the many countries with English as a second language. While it is said that the most used language in the world is broken English, presenting according to the Global English guidelines helps compensate for the challenges facing both speakers and audience members who are not strong, fast or confident with English.
To help you build your understanding and application of the 13 presentation guidelines, they are organized into these three parts:
- Structuring the presentation – guidelines 1 to 4.
- Linguistic communication delivery – guidelines 5 to 9.
- Supporting communication behaviors – guidelines 10 to 13.
1. Open with Positive Mood
Before you begin your main message, speak in order to create a good feeling with the audience. Smile freely and make a lot of eye contact with everyone or various dispersed members of the audience. Let them get used to your voice and style of speaking. Make positive and pleasant personal and relationship-related comments. Also, you can use humor. For example: This is my third time in your exciting city and I have enjoyed every visit! Each time here I have had wonderful surprises, such as when…
2. Organize Presentations into Three Parts
The three-part structure includes: (1) Introduction – tell them about what you plan to tell them – prepare the audience with an overview of the message (5-10% of the presentation). (2) Body – say to them what you want to tell them – explain the message fully (80-90%). (3) Summary – tell them what you just told them – reinforce the key points with repetition (5-10%). These parts in outline form provide a useful agenda (a handed out), or a visual (on a board, PowerPoint, overhead projector, or large paper). Here is an example of the three parts: (1) My aim is to tell you the five main requirements of a marketing plan, which are… (2) Now I would like to explain fully the five main parts of the marketing plan: (2a) A ripe target market... (2b) An innovative product... (3) To conclude, the marketing plan will be successful when it does five things…
3. Close to Stimulate Conversation
In wrapping up your presentation, make comments related to personal and relationship matters. Invite the audience to respond – with their comments, questions, and suggestions. Your purpose should be to encourage a dialogue with them, for during and after the presentation. Here are two examples: (a) Now that we are about to finish this presentation, maybe you are as thirsty as I. (b) I look forward to hearing your comments and answering your questions.
4. Base Main Points on Audience’s Main Needs
Your message usually consists of several main points, which you want the audience to understand, and at times to change their minds to what you believe (persuasion). The way you select and develop the points is to connect them to main needs of the audience. Needs may also take the form of questions, problems, areas of confusion. Matching your key points to the basic needs of the audience helps the audience get your message, because it is based on who and where they are. For example: I invite you to sponsor a series of prestige sporting events. Many men in your target market would think well of your name. This image will enhance your company’s high-quality image. Also, each main point should be strongly supported. For each of the points you want to make, specify sufficient evidence and give concrete examples. For example: New York is a great place to do business. Let me tell you why. Many major companies and information resources are there in a relatively compact space.
5. Speak Slowly and Pause
A slow speed of speaking is essential for listeners who know English as their second language. Because nervousness may cause speakers to speak faster than they realize, one needs to concentrate of maintaining a slow speed. Pausing in your delivery involves the use of brief silences to help the audience understand your presentation’s structure, flow, and key points. Here is where pauses are useful: (1) before beginning major structural parts – such as listed topics, paragraphs, and sections; (2) before important statements to make them more dramatic; and (3) after key statements to give the audience, especially those with not-strong English, more time to catch up, digest, understand, draw implications, and evaluate your message. In the following example, one slash mark (/) represents a half-second pause: London is a great place to do business. Here you will find three prime assets: // Most of the U.K.’s major companies, // government agencies, and // information resources. /// Because of the excellent train network, it is easy to get around. //// Now let’s talk about Paris...
6. Use Many, Vivid Sensory Terms
We live a large part of our lives in our five senses – sight, hearing, touch (both emotional and tactile), taste, and smell. When used in a presentation, sensory words evoke associations that create a more emotional, intimate, and vivid communication. They help others to understand and remember key abstract terms. Use sensory words especially in the opening and closing sections. Imagine something positive – a thing or process. Alternatively stimulate the group’s right-brain side (with sensory words affecting images and feelings) and left-brain side (with abstract, logical, and rational terms). This usually results in greater attention and interest (right brain), and more understanding (left brain). Examples of sensory terms include: look, feel, touch, soft, abrasive, warm, hear, loud, musical, salty, sweet, kiss, perfumed, open heart, knee-deep snow, fire bright, firm hand shake, razor sharp, sauna heat, and full stomach. Here is how these sensory terms can be used: (a) Sales are rising like a wave. We now reach a market of five million thirsty consumers. We must delight them with new product. (b) Walking into this new market is a slow mountain climb for this company. It is exciting to grasp how our customers are itching for novelty.
7. Delight with Situational Humor
Humor should be natural to your and the group’s shared situation. The essence of humor is surprise! It may relate to what happened before the session. It may relate to what happens during the session, planned or spontaneously. It may relate to what is expected to happen after the session. Be very careful about telling jokes, as they often do not cross cultures well. For sources of humor topics, search for well-known, worldwide-shared objects and information – such as people, music, movies, foods/drinks, ideas, sports, brands, and places. Here are two examples: (a) I promise not to say anything as upsetting as yesterday’s earthquake! (b) Don’t let those window washers see your notes; I think they are spies from your major competitor!
8. Create Metaphorical Stories
Metaphors are words from one context applied to someone or something in a second context that helps us understand the latter context, but is not meant to be taken literally – such as the stock market is like a roller coaster. Metaphors are effective when your message is new to the audience, relates to one of your primary points, consists of a complex point, and you sense the audience may disagree. For sources of metaphors, explore well-known topics: people, music, movies, foods/drinks, sports, ideas, brands, and places. The story elements – characters, plot, and resolution – should parallel your message. Here are two examples: (a) A driver of a car travels a road. But he can look only in his rear-view mirror. Perhaps he can drive successfully. But would you want to be in his car? Stonebridge Corp. says it wants to succeed, but it has been doing business the same way for 10 years! (b) Madonna keeps reinventing her career. That is how we must renew our strategy for the next few years.
9. Match Your Body Language to Your Key Words
Body (nonverbal) language involves positioning and moving your body (stand, sit, and bend), face (eyes and mouth), voice (loudness, speed, and emphasis), breathing (depth, speed, and position), shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. As you speak the words of your presentation, you can use your body language repertoire to bring the words alive and reinforce your intended meaning. Each key concept is being expressed in two parallel languages – digital content and analog nonverbal. Thus, audience members have a better chance of understanding the message from two sources, especially when they form a synergy. Here are two examples: (a) Do you see the big picture? [make a wide circle with hands and arms]. (b) I want you to consider [slow voice from here on] very, very carefully how to prevent [emphasize with your voice] this situation from ever happening again.
10. Represent Key Information Visually
To be better understood, use visual representations of important words, technical words, unfamiliar words, names (people, places, and objects) numbers (quantities and dates), important relationships, and complex systems. They can take the form of matrices, flowcharts, graphs, maps, and layouts Put them on the board, overhead projector, PowerPoint, or large paper. Try to use a variety of shapes and colors. Either the visual is taken from another source, prepared before the presentation, or created as you speak or obtain input from the audience. Here are two examples: (a) Sales are going up dramatically, but profits are gradually declining [visual: sales and profit curves]. (b) My concern is what resources, or input, the company obtained; how the company conducted its business; and what the results have been [visual: input arrow, operations box, and output arrow].
11. Demonstrate with Relevant Props
Props are objects that relate to and supports important parts of your message. They are effective in expressing metaphors in your presentation, and in adding spice to your key abstract points. Props can be objects found in most meeting rooms (table, chair, plant, and water glass), normally on your person (pen, wristwatch, keys, and mobile phone), or items that you bring in for a specific purpose (bell, hourglass, model sailboat, kaleidoscope, rope, and seashell). Here are two examples: (a) Globalization and localization are like two sides of the same coin [show: a large coin]. (b) Losing customers for our company is like not being able to reattach a flower’s petals [show: flower with petals off].
12. Express Your Enjoyment
It is important that you show that you are comfortable, confident and happy in making the presentation to the people in the audience. If you are having some fun, then similar good feelings about the entire experience will spread throughout the audience. This will make them more receptive to understanding and appreciating your message, especially if you are typing to do something novel and provocative. You should use words that show you very much like your topic and the audience. Also, be sure your body language reinforces what you say. There will be times when you cannot enjoy all aspects of a topic and audience members too. Try to find something important to you that you value and like, and build on that. Here are two examples: (a) I am really happy to share these secrets with you [smile, bouncy voice]. (b) What a thrill for me to be here with you [arms out].
13. Interact with Audience Members
With all or some members of the audience, you invite them to make comments and ask questions – anytime during the presentation, at announced points, and typically at the end. You can conduct a short survey for information by asking them their opinion on an issue, and then inviting them to raise hands or stand up. Another approach is to make physical contact with certain members of the audience – exchanging words with them, shaking their hands, and borrowing their pen. A more dramatic method is to ask one or more persons from the audience to play the role of someone (such as a customer, executive, or banker) – either using their body to show you in relationship to someone, or briefly interviewing them. Here are three examples: (a) What would you do if you arrive at the airport and your flight just left? (b) How many people here have been to a Disney theme park? (c) You have to make contact with one new customer at a time [shake hands with several persons in the audience].
This paper explained 13 guidelines for improving effective presentations – using Global English with a multicultural audience. The guidelines represent a map for making powerful presentations under challenging cultural and linguistic circumstances. The goal is to practice and integrate all 13 guidelines into presentations, formal and even informal, with large and small groups, and one on one.
From a learning viewpoint, concentrate on one or two guidelines at a time, become skilled and natural in expressing them, and then add more guidelines to your presentations. Persevere in using this know-how to develop your own presentation style, and your global organizational life should become more successful and satisfying.
A command of the presentation guidelines should give you more competence and confidence in communicating in Global English and with diverse cultural audiences. They will thank you, aloud or silently, for having made the effort to use Global English with them. |
