Delivering your message In this unit: • communicating your main messages • structuring your message with PEEP . 4 4 Delivering your message 23 SCO Talking points 1 Before you watch, consider these questions. What techniques can you use to get your message across? How can you make sure that an audience remembers your key messages? 2 While you watch people talking about the questions in 1, compare their views with yours. SCO The presentations 3 Watch parts of three different presentations given to a group of managers at Quartz Power Group (QPG) and make notes about the points in each table. Presenter 1: Patricia Reyes - Market researcher Topic of presentation: The results of her company's market research for QPG. 1 What was the purpose of the research? 2 Which areas of research were QPG particularly interested in? 3 What type of market research was it, e.g. face-to-face, online? Presenter 2: Sabine Kolbeck - IT consultant Topic of presentation: The use of mobile technology and a proposal for a company intranet. 4 What are the possible uses of an intranet? 5 What problems are caused by not having an intranet? 6 What is the key benefit of an intranet? Presenter 3: Marcus Stevenson - QPG's Managing Director Topic of presentation: Plans for a company relocation and a new system of flexit 7 What would be the consequences of not changing their way of working? 8 What are the problems with the existing working practices? 9 How will the flexitime system work? What will be its key benefits? 10 What is the key message to give to staff about relocation? SCO The expert view 4 Andrew is talking about how to deliver your main messages in a presentation and how to use the PEEP principle. Write the missing words in this diagram of the PEEP principle and answer the questions that follow. 1 Why is PEEP useful (or spontaneous presenters who move away from the main subject? 2 How is PEEP helpful if your presentation is interactive with lots of audience questions? 3 What is the dream approach? When is it good to use it? 4 What is the disaster structure? When is it good to use it? 5 What must you be careful of when using the disaster structure? 6 What is Andrew's final piece of advice? For a summary of the PEEP principle, read the article on page 54. SCO Analysis 5 While you watch the presentations again, make notes in the table on how they used PEEP. 1 Patricia 2 5abine 3 Marcus Is the main point clear? Could it be clearer? Does the presenter explain and give examples? Are all of them relevant to the main message? Does the presenter state the main point again at the end? Does the presenter use the dream or disaster approach? SCO The expert feedback 6 How does Andrew's analysis of the presentations compare with yours? 4 Delivering your message 4 Delivering your message I f -A 1 Language focus •E3 Structuring your message 1 Watch an extract from Patricia Reyes's presentation. Write in the missing words. So,'_.____a brief description of the background. Six months ago, your company came to us with a request. To carry out research that would provide key information about your customers and the service that they receive. 7___to help explain the fall in customer retention, paying particular attention to the cancellation of contracts within fourteen days. 3_, to assess their views on the call centre. 1-___you wanted to look into the issue of unresolved customer enquiries and complaints.5__, such research will give us an opportunity to look into other areas that may potentially be affecting your business.6_ --it was agreed that we conduct this research using our web-based research methods. 2 Match the words and phrases in 1 to the descriptions (a-d) below. a introduce your main point: J_ b introduce an explanation and example:_ c give more detailed and additional information:_ d recap and end your main point:_ Introducing your point 3 The first part of PEEP involves a clear statement of your main message. To do this, we often use a verb that describes our attitude or intention, for example Marcus says: 'Now, what I'm proposing is a brand new system of flexitime' Read the pairs of sentences below which have the same meaning. Complete the second sentence using one of the verbs below. The first sentence has been done for you. recommending arguing remind analyse outline 1 What I'm saying is that we need to expand more quickly. What I'm arguing for is faster expansion. 2 Moving on, let's look at the figures in more detail. Turning to my next point, I'd like to_the figures in more detail. 3 In my view, we should export to more countries in Europe. What I'm —__is that we export to more countries in Europe. 4 One thing that we must never forget is that customer care is our top priority. Id like to — ___you that customer care is our number one priority. 5 Id like to briefly run through our sales plans for the next year. Now I'll_our sales plans for the forthcoming year. Emphasizing your point 4 Presenters often emphasize their point by using one of the structures below. Look back at exercise 3. Can you find any examples of these structures? Point to emphasize: We must cut costs. • It is essential/important/vital, etc that we cut costs. What is essential / vital, etc. is that we cut costs. What I am suggesting /proposing, etc. is that we cut costs. I'd like to remind you / make clear, etc. that we must cut costs. One thing that we must bear in mind/consider/remember, etc. is that we must cut costs. 5 Make these statements stronger by rewriting the sentence, using one of the structures in 4. 1 We must expand our sales team in China. It is essential that we expand our sales team in China. 2 We have to speed up production to meet demand. Itisvitalthat______________ ----------- 3 We need to update our IT system next year. What Is essential----- 4 Why don't we open a new sales office in India? What I am suggesting____ 5 The new IT system will be expensive. We must consider this point. One thing that we must_-- Recapping and returning to your point 6 Using the PEEP model, we recap the main point at the end in different words. Read the introduction to a point and complete the restatement of the point using the phrases below. Let's return To sum up, I believe this proposal we've examined So I've explained why as you can see Introduction to a point 1 Let's look at the costs involved in the project. Restatement So, we've examined the costs involved in the project. Now let's turn to... 2 A second point I'd like to make is that our current way of working is highly inefficient. 3 Next, I'm going to talk about the relocation problems. . our working practices are inefficient. Now let's examine some improvements. So,_____, relocation may be highly problematic. 4 My last point is to propose a workable solution. problem. is a potential solution to our 5 Without the right kind of training, we won't retain staff. _ to the point I was making earlier about staff training. 4 Delivering your message Presentation task Prepare one message from a longer presentation using PEEP.The message is about your main product or service for an audience of potential customers. Plan this part of the presentation by making notes in this table. POINT What is your main product or service? Why is it so good? Why is it right for your customers? EXPLANATIONS What are some of the reasons why it's so good? EXAMPLES What examples can you give to demonstrate your explanations? RECAP YOUR POINT What is your main product or service? Why is it so good? Why is it right for your customers? After you make your notes, think about how you could vary the presentation. For example, could you ask the audience to imagine something (a dream or a disaster)? Your presentation is 3-5 minutes long. Try to use some of the Useful phrases listed below. Introducing your point My first point is ... I'd like to outline / examine / propose What I'm arguing for is ... Let's start with ... Moving on to my next point... Explaining In other words ... Another way to think of this is ... What I mean is ... Th is means that ... Giving examples For example / instance ... Let me give you an example ... Further practice; dreams and disasters For further practice, imagine that an area of land near you is going to be redeveloped. There are several proposals about what to build on the land: • houses for families • a leisure complex • a supermarket and shopping centre • a science park • a car factory Prepare a dream or disaster scenario to present your proposal for how best to develop the land. Recapping and returning to your point So far I've talked about / we've seen how ... We've also looked at ... As I said before / earlier ... This is a really important point... To sum up, I believe this proposal ... So, that's enough about ... So I've explained why ... So as you can see ... Let's return to my earlier point. Imagining a dream or disaster Imagine the following situation ... Let's take a few minutes to imagine ... If we asked ... they would probably say ... If we continue to ... the consequences will be . 4 Delivering your message Analysis Use this analysis form as a checklist when you prepare your presentation. If you are working with other people on a course, ask someone to complete it for you while they watch your presentation. Point Was the point of the presentation clear? How did the presenter make this clear? Explain Did the presenter include explanations? Examples Did the presenter use examples? Recap the point Did the presenter repeat the same point (using different words) at the end? Did the presenter attempt to use dream or disaster scenario? Yes / No If yes, do you think it was effective? Why / why not? If no, do you think one of these techniques might help? Write comments to explain your answers above: __ _____ Self-assessment After your presentation, spend a few minutes thinking about your performance and make notes about the questions below. 1 What did I do well? 2 What do I need to work on for next time? 3 What have I learned from watching other people's presentations?