Page 229 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Communication: Spoken English | 217

the ideas that you put across. Quite often the first few minutes are lost while
people adjust themselves in their seats, finish off with either the coffee or the
conversation that they were having with the one next to them. From the very
beginning, try to influence their attention.
Do anything to capture their attention and make a lasting impression
upon them. You can try drawing a sign, a picture, say something very catchy
or perhaps crack a good joke. But then take care that it is apt and not rude
and offensive. If you are not too sure then you better avoid jokes completely.
Amusing asides are useful not only to catch the attention of the audience but
also to relieve the tension of making a speech. However, you must make use
of this strategy only if humour comes to you naturally; otherwise it would
prove to be disastrous.
You must also watch out for nonverbal clues from the audience and be
sensitive enough to understand them and make sensible modifications to
bring a change in the audience’s reactions and responses.

The Subject
After making a preliminary outline of the presentation the main idea has to
be taken care of. The subject that conveys this main idea forms the crux of the
entire presentation. You should research the subject well. This research plays
a vital role in the success of the presentation. Because it lists out the results of
the previous surveys, the latest developments in the area concerned etc. it is
important to keep in mind the time factor before you develop on the content
matter. The structure of the subject also has to be organized into

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
The introduction should be very carefully planned. It must be impressive
and must grab the attention of the audience. The opening remarks must
imply a solution to the problem at hand. The ideas and thoughts should be
perfectly ordered so that the audience can easily follow them. You should
also give them an agenda and the main purpose of the presentation. The
body must establish the theme and also have something concrete to hold
firm the attention of the audience. The main points and ideas must support
the main message.
The conclusion must summarize the main points, but implicitly. Never
explicitly state that the main points are going to be summarized. The final
impression is almost as important as the first impression. Therefore careful
planning of the conclusion can be worth the trouble. If possible, time should
be allotted for a question and answer session.

Bhatnagar_Chapter 09.indd 217 2011-06-23 7:52:59 PM
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