Deck 11: Oral Presentations

Question 1

You are very nervous before you begin your presentation to Gillespie Homes' suppliers because you have never met most of them and you know many of them are annoyed with the new proposal procedures. According to your text, what will reduce your stage fright?

A)Know your subject thoroughly.
B)Picture your audience without any clothes on.
C)Wear a professional outfit that makes you feel confident.
D)Have a PowerPoint presentation that uses sound and graphics extensively.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What would be the best approach to take for your presentation to the sales team, who have made it clear that they aren't interested in the information you will deliver?

A)Use any pattern, but cover every detail.
B)Use a topical or chronological pattern.
C)Be brief, and avoid using either the topical or the pro-con pattern.
D)Darken the room, pass out handouts, and don't move around very much.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In your presentation, you tell the Gillespie Homes sales staff that you have been a marketing coordinator for twelve years and that you have assisted sales staff for many years by helping them to understand when certain stages of the project will be completed and how to be honest but optimistic about possession dates when the homes are still under construction. What was the purpose of including this information?

A)to convince the audience members that you are smarter than they are
B)to summarize the main points of the presentation
C)to identify yourself and establish credibility with the audience
D)to let the audience members know that they should do whatever is necessary to sell the homes

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What would be the most effective way to end your presentation to the Gillespie Homes sales team?

A)Introduce and explain in detail one additional point that you didn't mention earlier.
B)Be prepared to defend your ideas forcefully if audience members disagree with what you have said.
C)Allow Sartaj Randawa, who has been reading and sending text messages for most of your presentation, to use most of the time you have available for questions.
D)Tell them you know they didn't want to be there, apologize to them, and tell them you hope they weren't too bored.

Question 5

When you design your presentation for potential suppliers, some of whom are upset and hostile, what is the best advice?

A)Try to avoid a question-and-answer period.
B)Present both sides of the issue. Use pro/con or problem/solution patterns. Save time for audience questions.
C)Use any pattern. Try something new. Involve the audience.
D)Make extensive use of humour and personal experiences.

Question 6

You want to include a bulleted list in your PowerPoint slides for your presentation to the Gillespie Homes sales team. What strategy should you use?

A)Make sure the items in your list are complete sentences.
B)Phrase your items using parallel grammatical forms.
C)Use only active- and passive-voice verbs.
D)Limit all items in your list to fewer than six words.

Question 7

How should you organize your presentation to suppliers explaining changes to the proposal form they must use?

A)the journalism pattern
B)the chronology pattern
C)the problem/solution pattern
D)the geography/space pattern

Question 8

Your presentation to the suppliers begins well, but after just a few minutes, you stumble, confusing the order of two of the steps in the procedure. What would be the best way to handle your mistake?

A)Correct the error by giving the accurate information and then continue with your presentation.
B)Explain to the audience that you are nervous.
C)Apologize sincerely and profusely and exit the stage.
D)Tell the suppliers to talk among themselves for a few minutes while you compose yourself.

Question 9

Which sentence from your presentation to Gillespie Homes' suppliers is the best example of a verbal signpost?

A)We've talked about how to access the online proposal form. Now let's talk about how to enter information in the form.
B)When you complete the new form, please be sure to identify your product or service with the appropriate code, found on the back of the form. When complete, submit the form to me at the email address below.
C)The former version of our proposal, which we used from 1998 until last year, did not provide us with sufficient information on which to base our purchasing decisions.
D)I hope to simplify and clarify our new proposal procedure by taking you step-by-step through the process of completing and submitting a proposal.

Question 10

What would be the most effective way to conclude your presentation to Gillespie's suppliers?

A)Introduce and develop one important point that you didn't mention earlier.
B)Summarize the main points in the process of completing and submitting an online proposal.
C)Remind the audience that you have a great deal of experience dealing with proposals for goods and services.
D)End by saying "I guess that's about all I have to say."

Question 11

You are trying to decide whether to create a visual aid for your presentation to the Gillespie Homes sales team. Which statement is probably the most relevant and helpful?

A)A memorable visual aid is sufficient to guarantee that your presentation will be effective.
B)Some experts say that we acquire 85% of our knowledge visually.
C)Speakers should spend their time on the content of the presentation rather than creating visual aids.
D)Speaker should rely only on their voice and body language to emphasize key ideas.

Question 12

You have decided to create a PowerPoint slide show to accompany your presentation to the sales team. You consider several possible strategies. What strategy would be most likely to result in an effective presentation?

A)Choose a template that offers a consistent design and style for your slides.
B)Include at least two graphics or pictures on each slide.
C)Include as many words as possible on each slide to help you remember what you want to say.
D)Make your slides visually appealing and interesting by including many different colours, fonts, animated images, text effects, and transitions.

Question 13

You only have 15 to 20 minutes for your presentation to the sales team. How many points should you include?

A)up to ten main points
B)at least five to eight main points
C)no more than two to four main points
D)as many points as necessary to get the message across

Question 14

Which statement would be placed most appropriately in the introduction to your presentation to the unhappy suppliers?

A)We've talked about how to access the online proposal form. Now let's talk about how to enter information in the form.
B)When you complete the new form, please be sure to identify your product or service with the appropriate code, which you can find by clicking the "code" link. When complete, submit the form to me at the email address below.
C)The former version of our proposal, which we used from 1998 until last year, did not provide us with sufficient information on which to base our purchasing decisions.
D)I hope to simplify and clarify the proposal process for you. I will take you step-by-step through the process of completing the new form.

Question 15

You decide to incorporate PowerPoint slides in your presentation to suppliers. Which of the following would help to convince your audience that you are trustworthy and credible?

A)You use animation and sound and visual effects on every slide to demonstrate your proficiency with presentation software.
B)You include familiar PowerPoint clip art on each slide.
C)You choose blue as a background colour for your slides.
D)You spend a great deal of time making slides visually appealing.

Question 16

Which strategy would be most likely to help you to deliver an effective presentation to Gillespie Homes' suppliers?

A)Wing it! You'll come across as a confident speaker.
B)Memorize the entire oral presentation so that you don't have to use notes.
C)Refer to notes or outlines of your main points and ideas.
D)Read the entire oral presentation from a hard copy so that you don't forget to say something important.

Question 17

What should your first step be when preparing your presentation for the Gillespie Homes sales team?

A)collect the necessary information
B)analyze your audience
C)determine your purpose
D)decide what to wear

Question 18

You are planning your presentation to the Gillespie Homes sales team and deciding how to conclude your presentation. Which of the following pieces of advice does your textbook offer?

A)Wrap up quickly; the faster you finish, the faster you can get off the stage.
B)Since the audience will remember the conclusion more than any other part of your speech, be sure that it is effective.
C)Don't use anecdotes or quotations in the conclusion; they should be used only in the opening to gain the audience's attention.
D)Avoid summarizing your main points and instead say something like, "Well, that's my presentation!" as a signal to the audience that you are finished.

Question 19

You know that many qualities are necessary for someone in your position to advance in the company. However, you have noticed that one quality seems to be particularly important to the management of Gillespie Homes. Which quality do successful employees who are promoted quickly possess?

A)They conduct themselves how professionally and ethically.
B)They communicate clearly in letters and emails.
C)They enjoy public speaking and are good at it.
D)They are friendly and persuasive in one-on-one conversations.

Question 20

You are considering creating handouts for your presentation to the sales team. What is the best strategy for using handouts?

A)Hand them out after the presentation to supplement and reinforce your presentation.
B)Hand them out before the presentation so that the audience can refer to them as you speak.
C)Don't use handouts because audience members won't think it's necessary to listen to you.
D)Make sure the handouts contain everything you have said in your oral presentation.

Question 21

Employees who want to be successful and advance in today's business world should focus entirely on technical skills.

Question 22

The best time to distribute handouts is during your presentation so that the audience can refer to the information when you speak about it.

Question 23

An effective presentation should include as many ideas and details as possible.

Question 24

People who don't prepare thoroughly for an oral presentation suffer the most anxiety and give the worst performances.

Question 25

Your appearance doesn't really matter during an oral presentation because people will be paying attention to your words.

Question 26

One of the best ways to avoid stage fright is to know your subject thoroughly.

Question 27

Personal anecdotes have no place in a professional presentation.

Question 28

Your text recommends that a presenter should spend as much time as necessary to create impressive PowerPoint slides, and then use the time remaining to prepare the content of the presentation.

Question 29

You should avoid incorporating drama into a presentation because it will take too much of the time you have available.

Question 30

Your PowerPoint slides will be more effective if you organize your points in clear bulleted lists rather than using diagrams, charts, or other images.

Question 31

You should consider the situation and the audience for your presentation after you have designed your PowerPoint slides.

Question 32

Intentional repetition in an oral presentation helps your audience retain what you say.

Question 33

It is normal to experience some degree of stage fright when speaking before a group.

Question 34

Each slide in your presentation should accomplish one main purpose, which is to demonstrate your technical expertise.

Question 35

One way to organize a presentation is to use a journalism pattern.

Question 36

Samples and other gimmicks should never be used in a presentation, because they are too distracting.

Question 37

When designing a PowerPoint presentation, you should try to use text sparingly on the slides.

Question 38

It is best to leave a slide on the screen after you have finished discussing it so that the audience has more time to read and review it while you continue speaking.

Question 39

Although it requires more preparation time, memorization is the best delivery method for an oral presentation because it ensures that none of your material will be left out.

Question 40

You should always keep the lights dimmed when presenting with PowerPoint.

Question 41

Before you use your PowerPoint presentation with an audience, you should ___________________ your slide show, considering whether you have used the tools PowerPoint provides to communicate your message in a visually appealing way.

Question 42

Beginning a presentation with a ____________________________ keeps the audience expectant.

Question 43

You should preview your main points in the _______________________ of your presentation.

Question 44

When you deliver a presentation to a __________________ audience, you should avoid a question-and-answer period if possible. If not, use a moderator or accept only written questions.

Question 45

Good speakers provide ______________________ ______________________ (two words) to indicate when they are previewing, summarizing, or switching directions.

Question 46

You can build rapport with an audience by telling a story about yourself. Your text calls this using a personal ___________________________.

Question 47

PowerPoint includes tools that allow you to transform a boring bulleted list into a visually appealing _______________________.

Question 48

You should avoid ______________________ during your presentation so that you can stick to your plan and finish within the allotted time.

Question 49

Your main points should be organized and sequenced using the _____________________ pattern if you want to present the history of a problem from its beginnings to the present.

Question 50

To make the best content and design choices for your PowerPoint presentation, your first need to analyse the situation and the _________________________ for your presentation.