Reasons for Unclear Writing

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Unclear written communication in business can cause misunderstandings,

delays, and damaged relationships. But what makes writing unclear?

Many people will answer this question by saying, "Grammatical errors and a lack of vocabulary." While it's
true that grammatical errors and incorrect word choice can be problematic, there are other factors that can
affect the clarity of written communication. While it may take time for you to improve your grammar and
vocabulary, you can do something about these other factors right away.

Content and Context

Have you included all necessary elements in your message? Have you included too much information?

Sometimes writers forget to evaluate their messages objectively. They may assume that the reader knows
the same background information that they do, so they leave it out. The resulting message might be unclear
due to insufficient context. For example, if you refer to a meeting that the reader did not attend, the reader
probably won't know what you are talking about.

On the other hand, a writer might go into too much detail. The important points may get lost in long
paragraphs of text.

In order to know how much information to include, it is important to think about your reader. What does
your reader need to know? What does your reader know already? Will your reader have an opportunity to
ask for more details? How much information is enough will depend on the answers to these questions. Here
is a general rule of thumb: The more context a reader has, the less content may be necessary. On the other
hand, if a reader has little context, it may be necessary to include more content. It is almost always safer to
assume that the reader has less context than you think.

Organization
Whether messages are short or long, they will be easier to understand if they are organized clearly. There
are many ways to organize your message:

Use visual cues. Break text into paragraphs, with one important point per paragraph. Use numbers or bullet
points for a list or series of points. In longer messages or documents, use subheadings to help the reader
find sections quickly.

Use the "inverted pyramid" structure in your messages. This means that you should state your key message
first, before going into details. For example, if you are emailing someone to request something, state the
request at the beginning of the message, immediately after the greeting. Then explain the reason for your
request, when you need a response, and any other necessary information.

To follow the inverted pyramid approach in longer documents, you should state your key message, and then
provide a brief outline of supporting points. Put the most important point first. Then explain each point with
necessary details. Conclude with a concise summary.

Make your organization clear to the reader. You can use connectors (like so, because, even though) and
transition words (like first, however, in conclusion), both within paragraphs and between paragraphs.
Connectors and transition words show the relationship between two ideas or paragraphs.
For example, which connecting or transition words would you use in the following blanks?

however because in addition as a result

1. The directions were not clear. ________, many people got lost.

2. The directions were not clear ________ there was a lot of missing information.

3. The directions were not clear. _______, everyone arrived on time.

4. The directions were not clear. ______, the map was outdated.

Answers: 1) As a result; 2) because; 3) However; 4) In addition

Connectors and transition words clearly show whether one idea is a result (1), a reason (2), an unexpected
result (3), or additional information (4). Connectors and transition words show whether ideas are similar or
different (similarly, in contrast). They show how ideas are related to each other in time (before, after, while).

Connectors are the "glue" of English, and that is one reason why we emphasize them in the GlobalEnglish
courses. By mastering the use of connectors, you can improve the clarity of your writing. You can find
activities to practice connectors in the following GlobalEnglish courses:

Connectors that show cause/effect:

Level 6, Assignment 8, Activity 6
Level 7, Assignment 8, Activity 4

Connectors that show contrast/opposition:

Level 5, Assignment 14, Activity 5
Level 8, Assignment 4, Activity 6

Connectors that show time relationships:

Level 6, Assignment 7, Activity 7
Level 8, Assignment 4, Activity 6

Connectors that show similarities or differences:

Level 10, Assignment 6, Activity 5

Connectors that show addition of information:

Level 5, Assignment 15, Activity 4

Basic Writing Errors

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 To write well in English, it's important to have the big picture: you must
include the right information and organize it clearly. However, it's also important to write sentences correctly.
If the big picture is full of small mistakes, you will probably not get your ideas across.

Small grammar mistakes can add up and make your meaning unclear. Here is one common writing error that
drives readers crazy (or worse, makes them laugh).

Using Pronouns Unclearly

Pronouns are words like he, she, it, and they. We use pronouns in the place of nouns to avoid repeating the
noun. Every pronoun refers to a specific noun, which is called an antecedent.

Clear example: We are excited about the new chip. It is a dual-core microprocessor.

In this example, the pronoun "It" refers to the noun "chip." The pronoun is used immediately after its
antecedent, so the reference is clear.

When the antecedent is not clear, the reader may be confused.

Example #1

Unclear:The parking permits can be used by local residents until they expire.

Does the above sentence mean "until the permits expire" or "until the residents expire (die)"? Because the
phrase "until they expire" immediately follows "residents," it would seem that the writer means "until the
residents die."

Alternative #1: Until the parking permits expire, they can be used by local residents.
Alternative #2: Until the parking permits expire, local residents can use them.

Example #2

Unclear: Salespeople must understand customers' needs. Sometimes they don't know what theyare
themselves.

In Example #2, it isn't clear whether "they" refers to "salespeople" or "needs." It is also unclear whether
both pronouns refer to the same antecedent or to two different antecedents. In fact, the writer's intention
was as follows:

Alternative: Sometimes customers themselves don't know what those needs are.

Some Tips
* Proximity. Keep the pronoun close to, if not next to, its antecedent, as in the first alternative of Example
#1 above. If there are intervening nouns, the reader may not know which noun you are referring to.

* Order of phrases. You can make a sentence clearer by switching the order of the phrases and the position
of the pronoun and its antecedent, as in the first alternative of Example #1 above.
* Use the noun again. In some cases, as in Example #2, it may be better to use the noun again instead of
using a pronoun.

Practice: Revise the following sentences to make them clearer. Possible solutions are provided below.

1. The patients continued to use the stairs as long as they remained in good condition.

2. You must keep these dogs away from children, as they are prone to bite.

3. Bob didn't visit Harry because he was too busy.

Possible solutions:

1. If the writer's intention was to talk about the patient's condition:

As long as the patients remained in good condition, they continued to use the stairs.
If the writer's intention was to talk about the condition of the stairs:
As long as the stairs remained in good condition, the patients continued to use them.
2. As these dogs are prone to bite, you must keep them away from children.
3. If the writer was referring to Bob: Bob was too busy, so he didn't visit Harry.
If the writer was referring to Harry: Harry was too busy, so Bob didn't visit him.

Problems with Verbs

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To write well in English, it isn't enough to understand the meanings of

words. You must also be able to use the words correctly in sentences. In English there are many words that
are similar to each other. Sometimes they have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably. But
sometimes one is correct while the other is not.

Can you choose the correct verb in the following sentences?

(Answers appear below.)

1. The sun (raises/rises) at 6:45 a.m.

2. My landlord is going to (raise/rise) my rent.
3. (Lay/Lie) the map on the table.
4. My cat (lays/lies) in the sun all day.
5. The mayor's plan (decreased/reduced) violent crime in the city last year.
6. California's population is (decreasing/reducing).
7. New York's team (won/beat).
8. Joe's team (won/beat) the other team.
Two kinds of verbs
There are two kinds of verbs: transitive verbs (v.t.) and intransitive verbs (v.i.).

Transitive verbs have direct objects. For example, in the sentence "My landlord is going to raise my
rent," the word "rent" is the direct object. "Raise" is a transitive verb. It always has an object.

Intransitive verbs do not have direct objects. In the sentence "The sun rises at 6:45 a.m.," there is no direct
object. The sun rises by itself, and it is not causing anything else to go up. "Rise" is an intransitive verb.

Sometimes a verb can be used in both ways. For example, the verb "increase" can be used with and without
a direct object:

The population in my city is increasing.

(intransitive; no direct object)

My company is increasing its budget for research.

(transitive; "budget" is the direct object)

The pair "lie" and "lay" can be especially confusing. "Lie" is intransitive and "lay" is transitive;
however, "lay" is also the past tense form of the verb "lie." When "lay" is the past tense form of"lie," it is
intransitive.

You should lay your surfboard on the ground.

(present tense of "lay" = transitive; "surfboard" is the direct object)

The map lay on the table.

(past tense of "lie" = intransitive; no direct object)

Understanding the nature of verbs can help you use them correctly. When you learn a new verb, notice
whether it is transitive or intransitive.

Answers:
1. "Rises" is correct. It is intransitive. There is no direct object in this sentence. "At 6:45 a.m." tells us when
the sun rose (by itself). "Rise" is always intransitive; you cannot "rise something."
2. "Raise" is correct. It is transitive. "My rent" is the direct object. It answers the question, "What is my
landlord going to raise?"
3. "Lay" is correct. It is transitive. "Surfboard" is the direct object. It answers the question, "What should
you lay on the table?"
4. "Lie" is correct. It is intransitive. There's no direct object. "In the sun" tells us where, not what.
5. "Reduced" is correct. It is transitive. "Violent crime" is the direct object. It answers the question, "What
did the mayor's plan reduce?"
6. "Decreasing" is correct. It is intransitive. There's no direct object. 7. "Won" is correct. It is intransitive.
There's no direct object. The verb "win" can be both intransitive and transitive. If the sentence were "New
York's team won the game," "won" would be transitive because the direct object is "game."
8. "Beat" is correct. It is transitive. The direct object is "the other team". It answers the question,"Whom did
Joe's team beat?"
GENERAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Directness in Business Communication
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Communication styles vary across cultures. Some cultures value

directness, while others value indirectness. Cultures that value relationships, group harmony, and saving
face tend to have indirect communication styles. On the other hand, cultures that prioritize efficiency and
individualism usually prefer a more direct style.

Non-native English speakers from cultures that value indirectness are often advised to "be more direct" when
communicating in English with Americans. This is easier said than done, however. Indirectness is often
related to politeness, while directness can all too easily sound rude. Even non-native speakers from cultures
that value directness may run into problems by sounding overly forceful.

The important thing to keep in mind is that directness should be combined with tact.

Common Mistakes
Common mistakes people sometimes make when trying to be direct in English include:

* Giving commands rather than making polite requests; sounding too "bossy"

"Please review this report as soon as possible."

We are often told that saying "please" is polite; however, "Review this report as soon as possible" is still a
command, not a request. Americans have a historical dislike of hierarchy and usually try to be as democratic
as possible in their language. A more acceptable alternative might be, "Could you review this report? I need
to send it off by the end of today."

Exception: When giving instructions, it's appropriate to use the command form. For example,"First, review
the recommendations. Then, identify all the necessary changes. Finally, estimate the time needed to make
the changes."

* Stating criticism or negative feedback too negatively and making people feel hurt or angry

"You did not interpret the data correctly."

It may be true, but this direct statement may sound like a personal attack. A more tactful approach might be
to ask questions. For example, "Is this the pre-tax total?" or "Let me confirm what these numbers
mean." Another approach is to emphasize the problem itself, not the person who caused the problem. For
example, avoid using "you" in the sentence: "These numbers seem off to me."

"This report is meaningless."

Avoid using words (such as "meaningless," "a waste of time," and "stupid") that communicate negative value
judgments. These kinds of words tend to hurt people's feelings and cause emotional reactions. It's better to
be specific and constructive--for example, "I don't feel that this report addresses the most important
issues," or "I wasn't clear on the key message here."
Americans often give feedback in the form of a suggestion. For example, instead of saying, "This is a waste
of time," it is more tactful (and therefore more effective) to say, "It might be faster to (do X)." A suggestion
is constructive, while a negative comment is merely destructive.

Directness in U.S. Business Culture

You're probably thinking, "Suggesting isn't being direct!" But it is, really. It's being direct in a tactful way.
What we mean by directness in American business culture is the following:

* Getting to the point quickly

Don't start off by giving a lot of background information. When a problem arises, don't wait too long before
giving essential feedback. When giving constructive feedback to someone, don't beat around the bush too
long before addressing the issue.

* Stating your conclusions explicitly

Don't drop hints and expect your listeners to understand what you're getting at. The Japanese have a
saying, "Hear one, understand ten." This means that it isn't necessary to say ten things in order to
communicate ten things unless the listener is stupid. This approach works well in Japan because the culture
is relatively homogeneous, and the Japanese can infer meaning from few words. However, in the U.S., where
values and assumptions are diverse, it can be dangerous to assume that someone will interpret your
message correctly. It is safest to "say ten."

* Speaking directly to the person concerned

Don't speak through intermediaries. Americans often have difficulties when doing business abroad until they
understand the appropriate use of intermediaries. But at home, Americans praise individuals who go directly
to the person they are having the problem with. It shows initiative. In addition, in feedback situations, it can
be dangerous to use intermediaries in the U.S. "To stab someone in the back" is an expression that means
criticizing someone not directly to his or her face, but to other people. It's generally best to give feedback
directly--and tactfully--to the person involved.

Language for Sales and Marketing

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Companies need to do a lot of market research before they try to crack a

market (enter a new market). Sometimes the best way to get into a new market is to find a niche (to
specialize in a limited area). For example, Southwest Airlines grew from a three-jet business to become the
fourth largest U.S. airline company by focusing on budget-minded travelers.
Timing is very important. If you don't move quickly, you mightmiss the boat (be too late to take advantage
of an opportunity). In 1980, both Intel and Motorola had computer chips that could power new desktop
applications. But Intel moved quickly and got a crucial design win from IBM. Intel microprocessors became
the company's bread and butter (its main source of income). More importantly, Intel chips became the
standard against which all other chip companies would compete.

When selling your product, it's difficult to get immediate results from making cold calls (calling a stranger
to sell something). Many salespeople use referrals and networks to get their foot in the door (get
someone's time or attention so they can pursue a goal) with prospective customers. Customers will be more
likely to talk to you if someone they know has referred you, or if they have met you before.

When trying to sell products to customers, you need to show your customers that your companyhas an
edge (advantage) over its competitors. That edge might be product performance. It might be cost-
effectiveness. Perhaps your company's customer support is better than its competitors.

You also need to show customers why your product stands out (is different from competitors' products).
Customers like products that give more bang for the buck (give better performance or value for the same
amount of money ). Your product may be more expensive than a competitor's, but if it lasts longer or
performs better, the bottom line (the most important fact or point) is that your customer will save money.

Sometimes, even after a lot of effort, negotiations fall through (fail), and you don't get the sale. But you
never know. A year later, that customer might come back after trying a different product and being
unsatisfied. Meanwhile, you have nailed down (finalized) some other deals, and there are several more in
the pipeline (in progress). You and your company can celebrate a good quarter and look forward to another
good one!

Everyday Business Idioms

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Sports permeate American life, and so do idioms that come from sports.
Sports idioms are frequently used in business discussions. Many sports idioms come from America's national
pastime, baseball.

When someone has a perfect record or always succeeds in getting what he or she wants, we say that this
person is batting a thousand. A player who gets a hit every time he or she is at bat has a batting average
of 1,000.

A batter strikes out by missing the ball three times. We say that someone struck out when he or she did
not succeed.
A baseball stadium, or ballpark, is pretty big, but it has definite boundaries. A ballpark figure is a rough
estimate. When asking about costs that require research or calculation to determine a precise amount, we
often ask for a ballpark figure to get an idea of the price range.

The idiom in the ballpark means not exact, but reasonably accurate. Suppose you are trying to think of a
solution to an issue at work. Several co-workers are brainstorming ideas. None of the ideas may seem like
the perfect solution. Someone may ask, "Are we in the ballpark?" If the ideas are really bad, the answer
would be "No." But if an idea might work, with some tweaking, then it is definitely in the ballpark.

On the other hand, sometimes ideas are out in left field. In a ballpark, the outfield is the farthest point
from home plate, and we often use this expression to describe something that is not even close. It's
inappropriate, irrelevant, or wrong.

After getting to first base, a runner must circle the bases, touching each base, in order to score a run. We
use the idiom touch base with to mean communicating with someone, often informally. If the runner is not
on a base, or is standing off base, he or she can be tagged out. In business, when we say that someone
is off base, we mean that he or she is wrong.

A good pitcher has different kinds of pitches and can confuse a batter with them. A curve ball spins and
doesn't travel in a straight line. Batters are often surprised by curve balls and find them difficult to hit.
To throw someone a curve means to do something unexpected that surprises someone.

A baseball game has nine innings. The bottom of the ninth is the end of the last inning. The home team is
at bat. If the visiting team is ahead, this is the home team's last chance to win. We use this expression in
situations where time is running out, the pressure is on, and this is our last chance to succeed.

The great thing about baseball is that anything can happen. A team can be behind by three runs in the
bottom of the ninth, with two outs. A player gets on base. The next batter gets a hit. And suddenly, it's a
whole new ballgame. One stroke of the bat can tie up the game. We use this expression when a situation
suddenly and dramatically changes, and it seems that the outcome will be very different from the one we
expected.

It's the constant possibility of change that keeps people watching baseball. The situation in a game can
suddenly get worse--this creates suspense. Most importantly, the situation can suddenly get better. And
maybe this is why baseball is America's national pastime. It's a game of skill, but also of hope.
BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

Effective Emails
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Email has become a popular means of both internal and external

communication in business. It's faster than writing and sending a business letter, and it's cheaper than a
phone call.

There are some similarities and differences between email messages and business letters. In both, the
writing should be clear and concise. The spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be good enough so that
the writing is understandable and professional.

However, there are some key differences between emails and business letters. Keep in mind the following
tips when writing email messages:

Write an informative subject line.

People may receive a hundred or more email messages every day. The subject line may be the most
important factor in determining whether your email gets read right away or not.

A brief subject line that specifically identifies the key topic is best (for example, "Action Items from October
24 Sales Meeting"). Avoid general or generic subject lines such as "Greetings" or"Meeting Summary."

Keep it short.
You should express only one main idea per message. State your purpose at the beginning of the message.
Paragraphs should be no longer than two or three sentences. If possible, the recipient should be able to see
the entire message in the view window. If you need to include detailed information, consider sending it as an
attachment.

Include sufficient context.

Short messages are best, but if they are too short, the context may be unclear. Have you ever received an
email reply that simply said "OK"--and you had forgotten what your question was? Include the original
message at the bottom of your reply. Here is an example:

From: Hiroshi Tanaka

TO: bjsmith@afs.com
cc: Joe Klein
Subject: RE: Z56 Samples for JVS

No problem.

----Original Message----
FROM: Bill Smith [mailto:bjsmith@afs.com]
SENT: February 6, 2004 5:15 p.m.
TO: hiroshi_tanaka@afs.co.jp
cc: Joe Klein
SUBJECT: Z56 Samples for JVS

Hiroshi,

After talking with you on the phone yesterday, I talked with Joe. There's a slight change of plans. Can you
include four samples in the shipment instead of the two that we discussed?

Let me know if there's a problem.

Thanks,
Bill

If the message thread (the group of related messages) becomes too long, however, it's a good idea to
include contextual reminders in the current message. That way, the recipient does not have to read through
the entire thread to remember the main topic of the email discussion.

Be conversational but professional.

Email is a fast communication medium. There is often a rapid, back-and-forth exchange of messages, almost
like a conversation. The writing style tends to be more conversational than in business letters. For example,
people often begin an original email by writing "Hiroshi," or "Hi, Hiroshi," rather than the more formal "Dear
Hiroshi:..."

In subsequent replies, especially in internal email, the salutation may be omitted entirely. For external email
messages, it's probably a good idea to include a brief salutation and signature even in subsequent replies.

Reply promptly.
Because email is so much faster than regular mail, people usually expect to receive an answer within 24
hours--even sooner in the case of internal emails. If someone has made a difficult request and it will take
you some time to provide an answer, it's a good idea to send a short reply acknowledging that you received
the message. Specify when you will respond to the request. This way, the other person won't wonder if the
message got lost. The sender will also know that you are not ignoring the email.

Don't write anything confidential in an email message.

From the standpoint of technology, it's easy to forward an email to people for whom it was not intended.
When you receive an email, you should not forward it without the author's permission. The reality, however,
is that many people do. When writing email, you should always assume that people other than the original
recipient might read your message.

Check your message before sending it.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but a message with too many spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors will be
difficult to understand. Even if it is understandable, it will not project a professional image if it has mistakes.
Although most people tend to write emails and send them off quickly, it will really be worth a few extra
moments to read over your message before sending it.

Presentations: General Tips

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 Some people like to speak in public and can do it well. Other people find
it difficult to stand up in front of others and speak for an extended period of time. But the good news is that
you can develop skills to be a good presenter. Business presentations are a common means of information
exchange and persuasion, so it's important to know how to present your ideas in front of an audience.

What is a good presentation?

Different cultures may have slightly different criteria for what makes a presentation or presenter good.
According to a survey of international managers at an American electronics company, a good presentation

has a clear objective, which is stated at the beginning.

is a clear and comfortable communication of key messages.
is on time, well-organized, and reaches a logical conclusion.
gets the intended results.

A good presenter

understands who the audience is.

is confident, prepared, and engaging.
accepts good questions and gives clear answers.
uses good time management and doesn't get side-tracked.

Keys to good presentations

There are many skills involved in preparing and delivering effective presentations. But there are a couple of
important things you need to do before you even begin preparing presentation materials.

Identify your objective and key message

This is the starting point in preparing for any presentation. Why are you giving this presentation? What do
you want to accomplish? The objective determines everything, including the audience, the format, and the
data.

Are you recommending a specific plan of action? Reporting the results of a study and suggestingnext
steps? Requesting a specific action from others in the audience? Training audience members to do
something?

You should be able to state your objective in one clear, specific sentence--for example, "I would like to get
your approval to proceed with project X."

You should also be able to state your key message in one sentence. What do you want to say about the
topic? If your audience goes away remembering only one sentence of your presentation, which sentence do
you want them to remember? One example might be, "Project X is the key to maintaining our competitive
advantage."

Analyze your audience

A good presentation involves getting the right message to the right people. A critical part of preparing for a
presentation is understanding your audience.

Who are they? Are they internal or external to your company? Which departments do the audience
members represent? From what levels in the company are they? Who is the key decision maker? What are
their cultural backgrounds?
 What do they already know? Do they know who you are and what you do? How much background do you
need to give? Will they understand jargon (specialized terms)? What kinds of questions will they probably
ask?

What are their interests and concerns? Will they probably agree, disagree, be interested or uninterested?
Will they be most concerned about cost, resources, office politics? What kinds of objections will they
probably have?

Knowing your objective and your audience will help you shape and target your presentation. Then you can
prepare your presentation materials (visuals), organizing them in a logical sequence and making sure that
you have the right information to support your key message.

When your presentation materials are finished, practice, practice, practice! Preparing materials and
communicating the information verbally to an audience are two different things. Practice until you become
comfortable and confident in delivering your message. If possible, do a dry run in front of colleagues and get
their feedback. They will ask many questions, and this process will help you understand if you need to revise
your materials. A dry run will also help you to anticipate the kinds of questions that the "real" audience
might ask.

Presentations: Effective Openings

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Have you ever sat through a presentation, listening to someone present

page after page of data, and wondered where the presenter was going with it?

It's like being a passenger in a car and not knowing the destination. You don't know where you're going, how
long it's going to take, or whether you're on the right road or not. Not only is the journey frustrating, it
seems endless. Thirty minutes or an hour later, the journey has ended--but you still don't know where you
are, where you've been, or why you went in the first place.

A presentation is like a journey, with the presenter as tour guide.

At the beginning of a trip, a good tour guide must establish credibility and rapport with the group
members so that they feel enough trust to go with him or her. The tour guide must orientthe travelers by
telling them the destination and schedule, with a little preview of the main points of interest along the way.
Finally, a good tour guide should engage and motivate the travelers; then they will feel curiosity or
excitement and look forward to the trip.

In the opening of a presentation, a good presenter accomplishes all of the above.

Establishing credibility and rapport
People tend to make judgments based on first impressions. Therefore, it's important to establish credibility
quickly when giving a presentation. The opening is critical. In these first few moments, audience members
will decide to listen--or not.

In the U.S., the fastest way to establish credibility is to project confidence. A presenter who appears to be
nervous may lose credibility. Behaviors that signal nervousness include speaking too softly or too quickly,
avoiding eye contact, and making nervous gestures with the hands.

People often feel nervous at the very beginning, but after a minute or two, they settle down and lose their
self-consciousness. Therefore, it's a good idea to practice the opening of your presentation--to actually stand
up and say it out loud, several times--until you can deliver it comfortably.

Another way to establish credibility is to let the audience know (if they don't know already) why you are
qualified to speak about your chosen topic. Perhaps you have written a book, completed some research, or
have extremely relevant work experience. But don't go overboard. If you appear to be boasting about your
credentials, you may lose rapport with the audience.

In the U.S., speakers often build rapport through informality or friendliness. Presenters will often begin a
presentation with humor or a joke--a tactic that may be inappropriate in some cultures, but it works well in
the U.S. as a way of relaxing the audience.

Orienting the audience

In the opening, the presenter should give the audience a preview of the presentation. The elements of a
good opening include the following:

The topic: What is this presentation about? You might begin by saying, "Today I'm going to report on the
results of our latest market research."

The objective: Why is the presenter speaking about this? You could then say, "By the end of this
presentation, I want all of us to be very clear on what our next steps are for the development of our new
product."

The key message: What does the presenter want to say about the topic? A clear statement might
be, "Overall, our research indicates that we are heading in the right direction, but there are two key
adjustments we may want to make."

The agenda: What are the presenter's main supporting points or key parts of the presentation? You could
say, "First, I'll take you through the data. Then I'd like to discuss the implications of the data. Finally, I'd like
to recommend next steps and get your feedback."

Ground rules: How long will the presentation take? What's the process? Will the presenter take questions
during or after the presentation, or both? One way to address these questions would be, "This presentation
should take about an hour. It should take about 40 minutes to get through the data and implications; then
I'd like to spend the last 20 minutes discussing the proposed next steps. Please feel free to ask questions at
any time."

Engaging the audience

A straightforward opening like the example above is adequate for most internal presentations. When
presenting to an unfamiliar audience, and you're not sure why they are attending the presentation, it might
take a little extra effort to engage them.

In this case, you can use a more interesting opening strategy to "hook" the audience. The following are
some examples:

Startling true fact: "Every year, thousands of people die in accidents involving the use of cell phones while
driving."

An anecdote: "The other day I was in a department store and I saw something that made me stop and stare,
open-mouthed: a man opened a door for a woman."
A rhetorical question: "Have you ever wondered where birds go on a windy day?" An extended variation of
this type of opening is the quiz. A Japanese marketing manager visited one of his company's U.S. facilities
and gave an informative presentation about the Japan operation. He began the presentation with a short
quiz which revealed that his U.S. counterparts were not as knowledgeable about the Japan operation as they
thought. He then proceeded to provide the answers in his presentation. What could have been a rather dry,
straightforward recitation of facts became a fun learning experience. The audience was totally engaged.

For most purposes, it is not necessary to entertain in a business presentation. It is, however, important to be
clear and concise. Try out some of these ideas in your next presentation. Your audience will be happy.

You may not realize it, but you make presentations almost every day of your life. Just think about the many
times you have tried, for example, to persuade a spouse, child, or co-worker to do something! We make
presentations because we want to give someone information about something, or we want to persuade
someone to do something. You can make your presentations more effective by following these tips:

TIP 1: Plan Your Presentation

Begin by asking yourself this question: What is the purpose of my presentation? Who is the audience? How
much time will I have?
Outline your main ideas. This will help you organize your presentation.

TIP 2: Organize the Presentation: Introduce/Explain/Summarize

Your presentation should have three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Organize your
ideas according to these parts:

1. Introduction: Introduce your topic to the audience. "Today, I'm going to talk about ...." Do
something at the beginning of your presentation to get the audience interested. Tell a joke or share
a story, for example. Be enthusiastic about your topic.

2. Body: Explain your main ideas one at a time. Be thorough when explaining each idea, but don't
wander from the topic. Also, try to use language that helps your audience understand the
movement from one part of the presentation to the next (such as "First," "Next," "Let's move on
to," and "To summarize").

3. Conclusion: Summarize your main ideas. Make sure youemphasize the things you want the
audience to remember.

TIP 3: Use Effective Visual Aids

Keep graphs, charts, and pictures simple. Make sure the writing is large enough for everyone to see.

TIP 4: Stand Still and Don't Gesture Too Much

Too much movement can distract your audience. However, youshould look around at your audience. Don't
look down at your notes too often or focus on just one person.

TIP 5: In the Question-and-Answer Period, Keep Your Responses Short

Always try to keep your replies short and to the point--less than one minute, if possible.