Page 151 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Communication in organizations 140

Body language
Using eye contact presenters get in touch with their audience and keep their attention.
When they are alert to the responses of the audience, they can also try to accommodate
their presentation.
With their facial expression presenters support and strengthen the emotions that fit
their words. This may enhance the interest of the audience. Gestures also underline the
meaning of the words, and hold the listeners’ attention.
The posture of presenters expresses their state of mind. Posture can not only express
enthusiasm, interest in the audience and self-confidence, but also disinterest, weariness,
irritation or tension.
A natural use of these skills may have a positive influence on the effect of the
presentation. An exaggerated or forced use of these skills will hamper the attention and is
sometimes even ridiculous. To acquire and exercise these skills, presenters can simply
practise at home in front of the mirror, or ask family or friends to comment on the effect
of their body language.

Use of voice

A good speed of speech is one that is not so fast as to give a hurried impression or a
nervous feeling, and not so slow as to decrease the attention or make the audience sleepy.
With timing we mean the taking of breath and speech pauses at the correct moments. That
moment can be a rest point for the speaker and the audience. A moment of silence can
also be used to raise the attention for the sentence that is subsequently spoken.
Presenters have to adapt their volume to the acoustics, the room and the noise level.
Besides this, variation in the volume more easily brings across the meaning that the
speaker wishes the words to express.
The intonation is the melodic aspect of the speech. A good intonation supports the
meaning of the words and holds the interest of the audience. A monotonous intonation is
boring and causes frustration. A good articulation increases the comprehensibility and
clarity as well as making it easier for the audience to keep their attention on the speech.
Articulation means saying precisely and clearly all the syllables and sounds of a word.
In applying these skills presenters have to be aware that they can positively or
negatively influence the successful conveyance of their presentation. An exaggerated use
of these skills has the same effect on the audience, as does the exaggerated use of
expressive body language, namely irritation, laughing or little attention to the content.

Maintaining the structure
The structure of the presentation can best be clearly indicated at the beginning in one of
the first slides of the PowerPoint presentation, on a flipchart or transparency sheet.
During their presentation presenters can refer to this structure. The advantage is that
presenter and audience know where they are on the road to the end of the presentation.

Freddy Fortune gives the following structure to his annual speech: