Structuring Your Oral Presentation Gilberto Berríos Departamento de Idiomas Universidad Simón Bolívar April 23, 2003.

Structuring Your Oral Presentation

Gilberto Berríos

Departamento de Idiomas

Universidad Simón Bolívar

April 23, 2003

Situation

So you have selected a topic You have done your research Now you feel ready to organize what

you are going to say

Purpose

To introduce you to outlining as the main tool for expressing your strategy

Objectives

Associate the concepts of strategy and outline

Identify the parts of an outline Identify the elements expected in each

part of the outline

Focusing: How

Remember that: Strategy = Structure Structure = Outline

OpeningXxxxxxXxxx xxxxDevelopment

Xxxxx Xxx xxx XxxxxCloseXxxxxAnd an outline

looks like this

Structuring

Outlining Keywords Transitions Expanding and summarizing

Structuring: A Strategy Map

Structuring the Presentation

All outlines have three parts:

Opening

Development

Close

Tell them what you’ll tell them

Tell them what you’ve told them

Tell them

Structuring: The Opening

Is always brief Always includes an attention-getter Usually includes

self-introductionrefers to title

states purposepresents plan of talk

Never develops any ideaTell th

em what you’ll tell th

em

Example of an opening

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is XX and I have been working for this

company for 20 years. I have been involved in the project that we are about to

discuss for 18 months, that is, since it started. Today we will be reviewing some of the project’s

achievements and drawbacks. For that, our agenda will proceed in five parts: location,

procurement, resources, results, and conclusions. By the way, procurement is very interesting because

when we started trying to implement the model we found a number of tremendous problems which we solved creatively.

You first greet the audience

adequately.








Then you identify yourself. You may want to establish

your authority.








Then you may describe your connection with the topic

you will talk about.








Next, you state your presentation purpose. In so doing, you may

also be stating your scope (topic aspects you will cover).








Then you announce your plan for the presentation.





achievements and drawbacks. For that, our agenda will follow the usual five parts:

location, procurement, resources, results, and conclusions.

By the way, procurement is very interesting because when we started trying to implement the model we found a number of tremendous problems which we solved creatively.

And don’t be tempted to expand any information!!!



company for 20 years. I have been involved in the project that we are about

to discuss for 18 months, that is, since it started. Today we will be reviewing some of the project’s



So, let me then start by talking about location.

Instead, make a transition to the development immediately.








You could also insert an attention-getter here.








Or here.








Or even here.

WATCH OUT!

‘Opening’ does not equal ‘Introduction’ An introduction can happen anywhere in

the presentation in order, precisely, to introduce new material.

The opening is just a conventional way to start the whole presentation

Structuring: The Development

Takes most presentation time Is divided into parts

– One part can be background info (i.e., introductory to an aspect)

– As many as purpose requires– As many as time allows

Each part contributes to purpose

Tell them

Structuring: The Close

Is always brief Usually goes back to purpose

– Reviews key ideas– Reviews presentation goals accomplished– Highlights central message

Never develops any new idea Always ends in a memorable note

Tell them what you’ve told them

Structuring: The Close

‘Close’ does not equal ‘conclusion’ Conclusions are usually summarizing

statements about experiment results, etc. You can imagine a presentation where, in the

middle of the development, conclusions for Experiment A are presented.

My point is that close is not the same as conclusion.

Apply what you’ve learned

When you write the OPENING, follow this model:

Opening

Attention getter: ______

Self introduction: ______

Purpose: ______

Plan: ______


When you write the DEVELOPMENT, follow this model:

Development

Part 1: ______

Aspect 1.1: ______

Aspect 1.2: ______

...

Part ...: ______


When you write the CLOSE,

follow this model:

Close

Key idea(s) to list: ______

Purpose review: ______

Central message: ______

Memorable note: ______

Thank you

Structuring Your Oral Presentation Gilberto Berríos Departamento de Idiomas Universidad Simón Bolívar April 23, 2003.

Documents

openinggood morning

number of tremendous

projects achievements

strategy mapstructuring

concepts of strategy

themtell themstructuring

presentationall outlines

keywords transitions