Deck 12: Making Oral Presentations

Question 1

You are giving a 30-minute presentation to potential investors in your new business.Which of the following should you write out and memorize before speaking, rather than putting on note cards?

A)Opener and close
B)Signposts
C)Examples of key points
D)Possible questions

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following BEST answers the question of whether humour can be an effective way to begin an oral presentation?

A)It can be, as long as the audience hasn't heard the joke before.
B)It can be, as long as the audience will see the humour as appropriate, inoffensive and funny.
C)It can't be, because most humour puts someone down.
D)It can't be, because humour takes time better spent on giving information.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a feature of oral style?

A)It draws on high-level vocabulary
B)It seems choppy when read by the eye
C)It uses more repetition than written style
D)It frequently incorporates personal pronouns

Answer 3

A

Question 4

You need to give a short, informative presentation.Which of the following is the BEST organizational scheme for your presentation?

A)Problem-causes-solution
B)Exclude alternatives
C)Pro-con
D)1-2-3

Question 5

You believe your audience will be very receptive to the solution you plan to offer them.Which of the following is the BEST organizational scheme for your presentation?

A)Problem-causes-solution
B)Exclude alternatives
C)Pro-con
D)1-2-3

Question 6

You are about to walk into a presentation that could get you a promotion or get you in trouble, depending on your performance.You feel very shaky.Which of the following is the BEST advice?

A)Have a drink, just one, to relax a bit.
B)Have an energy drink to make yourself more alert.
C)Try to cover up and play cool with your audience.
D)Tell yourself that you are "ready to present, feeling very up and alert."

Question 7

Where should speakers hold their notes?

A)At eye level
B)At waist level
C)High enough to read without glasses
D)High enough to read without bobbing the head up and down

Question 8

How should you handle what you think might be audience objections?

A)Don't plan to deal with them at all; focus on the strong points of your presentation.
B)Bring them up yourself in the body of your presentation, even if you're not sure your audience will think of them; this shows that you're thorough.
C)Save them for the question period, if you're not sure your audience will think of them.
D)Work the possible objections into an amusing anecdote, to defuse them.

Question 9

Which of the following is the BEST advice for handling questions after a presentation?

A)Nod your head to indicate that you understand each question as it is asked.
B)If someone asks a question about something you already explained, gently remind him or her that you've already covered that information, and go on to the next question.
C)Link your answers to points you made during your presentation.
D)Say, "That's a good question" when someone says something particularly apt, to encourage people to think carefully about their questions.

Question 10

You want to convince the audience that its position on an issue is very weak.Which of the following is the BEST organizational scheme for your presentation?

A)Problem-causes-solution
B)Exclude alternatives
C)Pro-con
D)1-2-3

Question 11

Some words in a presentation can undermine your success.Which of the following phrases is NOT a problem?

A)Our best option is to delay the opening by one week.
B)To tell the truth, we can't make our deadline and should probably delay by one week.
C)I think the best option is probably to delay the opening by one week.
D)You guys need to understand that a delay by one week is our best option.

Question 12

There are a number of common presentation errors.Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A)Reading from slides
B)Using fun clip art to help keep the audience's interest
C)Running a few minutes over the expected end time
D)Using speaking notes rather than memorizing your presentation

Question 13

Which of the following is the BEST way to find your most effective speaking voice?

A)Stand in front of a large room full of people and talk as loudly as you can.When your voice sounds loud to those in the back, that's your optimum voice.
B)Close your ears with your fingers and hum up and down the scale until you find the pitch where the hum sounds loudest or most vibrant to you; this is your optimum pitch.
C)Practice speaking with a mouthful of marbles.
D)Use a pitch that is a few notes higher than your normal speaking voice.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a way to make ideas relevant to the audience?

A)Link what you say to their interests.
B)Link what you say to their experiences.
C)Show them how the topic affects them directly.
D)Show your passion about the topic so they can relate to your passion.

Question 15

Which of the following is the LEAST effective way to personalize your opener for your audience?

A)Discuss a famous historical event.
B)Relate a recent event.
C)Refer to a local event.
D)Comment about people that you and your audience both know.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a guideline to follow when preparing a group presentation?

A)Plan transitions.
B)Coordinate the visuals to give your presentation unity.
C)During the question period, have each member answer questions that relate to his or her comments during the presentation.
D)Write an outline of the main topics to cover before the presentation, and then let each group member make whatever comments he or she would like to make during the presentation.This method keeps the presentation spontaneous and interesting.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for creating and using successful visuals?

A)Make only one point with each visual.
B)Include lots of detail in each visual.
C)Give each visual a title that makes a point.
D)Leave each visual up until your next point.

Question 18

Which of the following will NOT help you reduce the pressure on your throat while you give an oral presentation?

A)Practice tongue twisters ahead of time.
B)Open your mouth wide while you speak.
C)Fit phrases to your ideas.
D)Run past words beginning with vowels.

Question 19

You know that your audience will be very resistant to the solution you plan to offer them.Which of the following is the BEST organizational scheme for your presentation?

A)Problem-causes-solution
B)Exclude alternatives
C)Pro-con
D)1-2-3

Question 20

You have just presented a difficult proposal to a board of superiors at work.A senior executive who doesn't like you very much asks, "So why should we listen to you? You've only been here two years." Which of the following is the BEST response?

A)"You've been here fifteen years, and you don't know how to handle this thing."
B)"I'm sorry you feel I am inexperienced.Compared to you, I suppose I am."
C)"Are you hassling me because you don't like the proposal or because you like to hassle me?"
D)"You're asking how reliable our research is on this project.We tested six scenarios."

Question 21

The more you can personalize the opener to your audience, the better.

Question 22

Strong presentation visuals address several points at once.

Question 23

A speech at a political rally with the aim of swaying undecided voters is an example of a goodwill presentation.

Question 24

An after-dinner speech at a banquet recognizing outstanding employees is most likely to be a persuasive presentation.

Question 25

It is considered unprofessional to ask members of the audience to participate in your presentation.

Question 26

Making mild jokes about the audience is an effective way to set them at ease.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a goal of a goodwill presentation?

A)To entertain the audience
B)To validate the audience
C)To convince the audience to buy a product
D)To stroke the audience's egos

Question 28

Unbroken eye contact can be as ineffective or even as offensive as too little eye contact.

Question 29

Which of the following is the BEST way to adapt body language to a presentation on a very serious subject?

A)Use choreographed movement and gesture to keep your audience focused and engaged
B)Use hand gestures to underline what your main points are
C)Reduce your movement and gestures
D)Walk up and down the aisles to enhance your credibility and power of persuasion

Question 30

Using note cards shows that the speaker is not a comfortable or experienced presenter.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a way to handle fear during a presentation?

A)Pause and look at the audience before you begin speaking
B)Plan to rely heavily on technology
C)Concentrate on communicating well
D)Use body energy in strong gestures and movement

Question 32

Early in your talk you should give an overview of the main points you plan to make.

Question 33

If a question is hostile or biased, rephrase it before you answer it.

Question 34

The best anecdotes to use when starting a presentation are personal to you and illustrate the point of your talk.

Question 35

In a guided discussion, the speaker speaks without interruption; questions are held until the end of the presentation.

Question 36

Signposts are prompts in PowerPoint that indicate when to change the slide.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a goal of an informative presentation?

A)To teach the audience
B)To train the audience
C)To convince new employees to follow procedure
D)To validate the audience

Question 38

Which of the following is the BEST way of dealing with anticipated controversy?

A)Ignore it; drawing attention to it may only make the problem worse
B)Establish ground rules (i.e.No shouting or insults)
C)Mock the issue
D)Work harder to emphasize common ground

Question 39

A monologue presentation is usually highly engaging for an audience.

Question 40

Quoting the words of an authority is a good idea-even if your audience is unfamiliar with the person-as long as you genuinely respect the authority that you are quoting.

Question 41

In a _____ presentation, the speaker speaks without interruption and questions are held until the end.

Question 42

After e-mail, PowerPoint is the second most used communication tool.

Question 43

A _____ is an explicit statement of the point you have reached in your presentation.

Question 44

The best strategy for dealing with hostile questions is to ignore them.

Question 45

If you're required to thank a speaker, you should begin with the following conventional opener: "I would like to thank you for a wonderful presentation."

Question 46

The fact that a listener has misunderstood your point doesn't mean your presentation needs to be revised, since it's impossible to reach everyone.

Question 47

Webinars do not need agendas.

Question 48

The number of filler sounds (for example, "um") will have a tendency to increase the more a speaker practices their talk.

Question 49

________ presentations motivate the audience to act or to believe.

Question 50

People planning a group presentations should make sure they plan transitions.

Question 51

Oral style must use a more varied vocabulary and less repetition than written style to keep the audience's attention.

Question 52

_________ presentations teach the audience.

Question 53

Presenters should simplify numbers by reducing them to two significant digits.

Question 54

You do not need to use large type on PowerPoint slides because the screen will magnify even smaller-than-average type.

Question 55

_____ presentations entertain and validate the audience.

Question 56

You should turn the room lights off for a presentation that involves visuals projected on a screen.

Question 57

Interactive presentations are often used in sales.

Question 58

You should structure your presentation by starting with your weakest point first, and building to your strongest.

Question 59

Group presentations should not waste time on introducing each speaker by name.

Question 60

Even if there's an expert in the room, you should attempt to answer all questions yourself; redirecting a question to the expert seriously damages your own credibility.

Question 61

To gain and retain your audience's attention in a presentation, the __________ persuasive plan can be very helpful.

Question 62

Explain four ways to have a strong ending to your presentation.

Question 63

A presentation that uses the __________ organizational scheme discusses three aspects of a topic; this organizational scheme is most appropriate for short, informative briefings.

Question 64

Explain how sales presentations usually function as interactive presentations.

Question 65

A presentation that gives all the reasons in favour of something, and then offers all of those against it, uses the _____________ organizational scheme.

Question 66

An ___________ is an indication of the main points you'll make in your presentation, and often serves as a mental peg that hearers can hang each point on.It should be placed very early in your presentation.

Question 67

What should you evaluate when you give feedback on oral presentations?

Question 68

A presentation that starts by explaining obvious solutions to a problem, then explains why they won't work, and ends by discussion a solution that will work uses the ____________ organizational scheme.

Question 69

To calm yourself before a presentation, breathe from your ____________, instead of your chest.

Question 70

Looking directly at the people you're talking to is called _________________.

Question 71

How can you handle an audience bully?

Question 72

A presentation that assumes its audience will be receptive to its solution, and that first explains the symptoms of a problem, then identifies the problem's causes, and finally offers the solution uses the ________________ organizational scheme.

Question 73

An online seminar is called a _____________.

Question 74

_____ presentations are conversations, even if the speaker stands up in front of a group and uses charts and presentation software.

Question 75

A __________ is an outline consisting of rectangles that represent each page or unit in the presentation; visuals can be drawn on it for each main point.

Question 76

65% of our communication depends on __________________.

Question 77

In a _____, the speaker presents the questions or issues that both speaker and audience have agreed on in advance.The speaker serves as a facilitator to help the audience tap its own knowledge.

Question 78

A _____________ presentation starts with the past, moves to the present, and ends by looking ahead.

Question 79

What are filler sounds (such as uh's) a sign of, and how can you reduce the number of them during a presentation?

Question 80

To __________ means to voice all the sounds of each word.