EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

Applied communication in policing

EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

Semesters 1 and 2

Department of Police Practice

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail addresses and make sure
that you have regular access to the myUnisa module website for EPP2601.

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 CONTENTS

Page

ABOUT THE MODULE CLASS NOTES ......................................................................................... 3

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
Purpose of the notes ....................................................................................................................... 3
The learning outcomes .................................................................................................................. 3
Assessment criteria ........................................................................................................................ 4
1 CHAPTER 1: MAKING PICTURES: NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION ...................................... 5
2 CHAPTER 2: LISTENING SKILLS ............................................................................................... 10
3 CHAPTER 3: COMMUNICATING IN A WORLD OF DIVERSITY ................................................ 15
4 CHAPTER 4: DEVELOPING ARUGUMENTS: PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION ..................... 20
5 CHAPTER 5: EMAIL COMMUNICATION ..................................................................................... 22
6 CHAPTER 6: PLANNING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS ........................................................... 24
7 CHAPTER 7: WRITING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS .............................................................. 24
8 CHAPTER 8: COMPLETING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS ...................................................... 24
9 CHAPTER 9: DEVELOPING ORAL AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS ....................................... 32
10 CHAPTER 10: ENHANCING PRESENTATIONS WITH SLIDES AND OTHER VISUALS .......... 38

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 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

ABOUT EPP 2601 CLASS NOTES

I. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Applied Communication in policing class notes (EPP 2601)! We trust that by
studying these notes you will gain knowledge regarding communication that you can apply
within your working environment.

II. PURPOSE OF EPP 2601 CLASS NOTES

The purpose of these class notes is to provide you with simplified information of the prescribed
textbook for this module: Applied communication in criminal Justice. These notes will enhance
your understanding of how to practically apply the theory and principles of advanced
communication strategies in a policing environment.

III. THE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end these EPP 2601 class notes you should be able to

• explain the role and importance of non-verbal communication in various aspects of

organisational life
• understand the importance of listening in business and the professions
• understand the role of persuasive communication in various organisational contexts
• discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication
• assess the advantages and disadvantages of e-mail as a communication channel
• plan, write and complete reports and proposals in various organisational contexts
• design and deliver oral and online presentations

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IV. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

It is important to note that during the semester you will get assignments to complete as well as
write a formal examination. The assignments and examination will assess whether you have
achieved the set learning outcomes of EPP2601 module. The assessment questions will assess
the following:

 Knowledge: Recall what you have learned.

 Comprehension: Demonstrate an understanding of the facts by organising, comparing,
interpreting, giving descriptions or stating main ideas.
 Application: Apply acquired knowledge to solve problems.
 Analysis: Make inferences; identify causes and finding evidence to support judgements.
 Synthesis: Combine elements in different patterns to formulate new solutions.
 Evaluation: Give opinions and make judgements about the validity or quality of ideas.

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CHAPTER 1: MAKING PICTURERS: NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1.1 NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Non- verbal communication refers to any way in which we can communicate our ideas,
opinions and feelings with each that do not involve using written or spoken words; including the
use of signals, gesturers and pictures/ visual images. Pictures may include artefacts such as
photographs or charts.

In the workplace we make use of these various forms of non- verbal communication to send
messages to other people. They have the power to influence how people perceive certain
people or areas. For example, a neat client service centre or well-dressed police officials
showing a smile gives the positive impression of professionalism or good customer service. The
opposite of these non-verbal signals may send wrong messages to clients where the police are
perceived to be unfriendly or not caring.

While sounds, words and sentences are the main carries of messages during verbal
communication, objects, symbols, graphics, pictures and signs are used to covey the meaning
in nonverbal communication. According to Viviers and Van schalkwyk (1992: 26), nonverbal
communication skills can be divided into the following categories:

Category explanation

Body signals Facial expression (such as smile, frown, pursed lips,

licking lips)

Body movements (such as shaking head, pointing a

finger, slap on the back, leaning forwards, arms crossed,
standing upright)

Environmental Objects, designs (decorations, hairstyles or dress style,

arrangements/ decorations, intimate space, social,
public, time, office space, buildings)

Graphics Signs (road signs), models, colour, pictures, corporate

logo

Sound and silences Rate, volume, pitch, rattle of a car, wind, wave, barking
dog, smell, and silences (peace, quiet, absence of

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 action, apathy, ashamed, rebellious)

Nonverbal communication is very essential for police officials in order to enhance their
relationship with clients. Therefore the way you use nonverbal cues is important for the purpose
of customer satisfaction. How a person uses his nonverbal cues can influence how people
perceive him and also it is influenced by factors such as culture. Therefore, the police should be
culture-sensitive when interpreting non-verbal communication in their professional lives.

According to Blundel and Ippolito (2008: 86) “visual images can replace written or spoken words
entirely” for example when visual images such as icons are used as a representation of an
object such as a printer symbol used in the software packages- informs the user on where to
click for printing. Icons showing a scissor also direct the user on where to click in order to cut
information from a MS word page. Some of the icons are internationally known and used in
popular places like airports to direct the people. Consequently, a visual image can send the
intended message without verbally uttering any words.

1.2 THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF USING NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

a) Rapid communication of message

Visual images communicate messages much faster than spoken words. For example, a
person who smiles at a client during the first encounter face to face may send a message
that he is willing to help the client, without replying through spoken words. Again, a road
sign showing the speed limit on a particular road serves the purpose of informing
motorists of the speed limit that is permitted in that road, without spoken words being
used.

b) Simplification of messages
The importance of simplifying messages is to ensure that non-specialist and those who
have limited time to read through a particular document to obtain message of the text are
also accommodated in terms of understanding the message. For example, in the policing
field the annual crime statistics may be presented in the form of a chart or graph and the
demarcation of the sector areas maybe also be presented in the form of a map. This
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enables other people to have an imaginary picture of the sector policing areas in that
particular policing precinct. Images also bridge the communication gap between people
of different languages. They can also explain the process/procedure/link between various
actions and aspects much better than spoken words.

c) Secure audience attention

An interesting or unique image has the potential to draw people’s attention. Hence we
see dramatic or outstanding images are used in the front pages of the news reports in
order to draw the attention of the readers or the viewers. For example a police officials
caught red handed smoking dagga can be shown on the front page of the newspaper in
order to attract the buyers who will be shocked by such picture.

d) Persuading and motivating

How a person looks or a place look may influence the potential clients to approve such a
person’s request. For example, a well-dressed woman reporting her car stolen maybe
believed more than a person wearing torn clothes. The tone one uses during
communication with a victim may encourage or motivate the victim to be open and share
more information on her concern with the belief that he will be assisted.

e) Make message memorable

Nonverbal signals can stay longer in a person’s memory than verbal messages. For
example organisations uses icons/images or logos to make people recognise the
organisation and its reputation (these kinds of icons are called visual hooks) because
they remind people of the organisation product quickly (Blundel and Ippolito: 2008: 88-
91).

1.3 POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH VISUAL IMAGES/ NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

a) Inconsistency
This is when the images used do not correspond with the spoken message. This is when
the image used or the expression made does not give the same intended meaning as the
spoken message. For example, the person tells people how happy she is but her facial
expression showing signs of worry or sadness.

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 b) Inherent unsuitability
This is when the image used is not suitable or appropriate for the intended message. For
example, a speaker is talking about domestic violence but showing pictures of motor cars
racing.

c) Context-related meaning
This is when the speaker is not knowledgeable on the background information of the
topic she presents about. For example, a speaker associates lobola tradition with the
purchasing of goods. To those that understand the cultural background of African people
and the reasons behind performing the lobola practice may misinterpret the speaker as
undermining the African traditions. In this case, it is necessary for the speaker to give the
context of his topic before the presentation so that everyone is in the same page with him
(Blundel and Ippolito, 2008: 93-95).

1.4 EXAMPLES OF GRAPHICAL DATA

Graphical data are important in presenting numbers or statistical information. However, if a

graph is not designed or used properly it may affect how people interpret its data.

a) Pie charts- can be used to show the sizes of the items adding up to the total number. For
example breakdown of quarterly crime reports in Gauteng can be presented in a pie
chart to see how much was reported in each quarter. The quarter with high report rate is
placed on top and followed in a clockwise direction by other sectors according to their
sizes. The use of many segments in the chart can make the graph not clear and difficult
to interpret.

b) Bar charts- they are used for comparison purposes. For example, when comparing the
frequency of car high jacking crimes reported in Gauteng with those reported in Limpopo
in a particular time period like during the 2010 world cup in South Africa. Bar charts can
be presented vertically or horizontally depending on the individual preferences. Since it
allows a comparison of more than two elements it makes the comparison much easier as
compared to a pie chart. Each bar represents a particular element and that makes a
comparison much clearer.

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c) Histograms- it is used for comparisons of continuous data sets, such as how often a
particular crime occurs in a particular province and to victims of which age or racial
group. Bars are then used to represent the data sets.

d) Line graphs- are similar to histograph; they present continues data using time frames.
For example, how much house robberies were reported in Gauteng province between
the years 2010- 2015. Two or more lines are drawn on the graph to represent each data
set. The use of too much information can make the interpretation of data difficult for the
reader.

e) Pictograms- use pictures within the graph to make the graph more attractive to the
audience. It often leads to inconsistent interpretations because it does not use the
scales. Pictures or icons maybe used to represent a particular amount of items when
different pictures representing different amounts of items are used in a pictogram; it can
easily be misinterpreted by the reader and might make data interpretation complicated to
the viewers.

f) Map-are used to represent information related to geographical areas dimension for

example, the provincial crime statistics of sectors within a particular policing precinct. The
potential challenges of using maps is that one area size may be presented as smaller or
bigger than its actual size (Blundel and Ippolito, 2008: 91-99).

Please note: you should at least search for pictures of the above graphs in order to understand
how they work and look like.

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CHAPTER 2: LISTENING SKILLS

2.1 LISTENING SKILLS

Listening is a “psychological and voluntary process that goes beyond simply reacting to sounds
and it includes understanding, analysing, evaluating and responding to messages” (O’Hair,
Friedrich and Dixon, 2010: 99). Listening differs from hearing in the sense that the latter is
involuntary, passive and requires less effort. While listening is an active process that requires
concentration to details.

Listening skill is the most important part of the communication process, whereby the messages
send to and from the communicators has to be well received and understood in order to
respond appropriately and achieve the intended goal of the communication. An effective
listening skill has the power to enhance cooperation among the employers and their employees.
Thus being an effective listener is more valuable in the workplace than being a good speaker. A
good working relation is informed by not how you speak your mind but also by how you listen to
other people. Therefore, good listening skills are vital for the success of every organisation or
improvement of service delivery (O’Hair et al, 2010: 95).

2.2 BENEFITS OF GOOD LISTENING

Regardless of a person’s employment status effective listening skills are essential and can
benefit you personally and your organisation. Managers may need good listening skills to listen
to the concerns of those under their authority; the employees may also need good listening
skills to listen to clients and their managers. In some instances “listening can be a matter of life
and death” for example; during the emergency situations or hostage taking scenes a police
official is expected to pay attention and concentrate on the message being communicated to
him in order to respond appropriately (O’Hair et al, 2010: 96). A good listener should keep eye
contacts, pay attention to the speaker, be open minded, patient and his body language should
show that he/she is focused (O’Hair et al, 2010: 105).

2.3 PROBLEMS WITH INEFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS

People who fail to listen effectively in the workplace run the risk of being considered less
intelligent or incapable of carrying out their tasks. Their poor listening skills may cost the
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organisation financially. Personally such people may become less productive or achieve less
success in their careers. These people may not be trusted by their colleagues or clients to
perform their job properly (O’Hair et al, 2010: 98).

Bad listeners are identified by poor skills such as: interrupting the speaker, deviate from the
topic, not showing expression nor uses his/her body language and, they plan for the next
question while the speaker is not finished expressing his ideas and they are impatient (O’Hair et
al, 2010: 105).

In order to improve your listening skills you have to first understand how your perception of
other people, objects or events influences your listening process. Perception is a process of
making inferences based on your preconceived ideas, without facts (O’Hair et al, 2010: 99). As
a result different people may perceive different messages or events differently. Hence it is vital
to assess the factors influencing your perception.

The factors influencing our listening skills/ perception include:

• Reception- refers to how we see or hear stimuli, therefore the quality of what you see

or hear will depend on the quality of your reception of such stimuli (message).

• Attention – our ability to choose what to listen to and what to neglect (O’Hair et al,
2010: 101).

2.4 ASSESSING YOUR OWN PERCEPTION

Perception helps people to categorise ideas (create meaning to spoken words). Our perception
can be influenced by our prejudice or biases (our unfair judgements to other people). These
prejudices may come from our cultural differences, religious affiliations, gender, age and ethnic
background. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the message being sent than the person
sending the message in order to overcome prejudices or biased thoughts (O’Hair et al, 2010:
102).

2.5 ASSESSING OTHERS’ PERCEPTION

You may understand others’ perceptions by either sympathising or empathising with them.
Sympathy means putting yourself in another person’s shoes by trying to understand the

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situation from their point of view. Empathy on the other side is about offering solutions to
another person to resolve his/her problem (O’Hair et al, 2010: 104).

2.6 INTERACTIVE LISTENING

Important skills for interactive listening include:

• The ability to identify problems in your own listening behaviours

• Identify your listening preferences
• Be aware of how your understanding of certain words affects how you perceive others,
e.g. politicians, maybe words may remind you of negative issues and result in you
reacting negatively to politicians (O’Hair et al, 2010: 102).

Other ways of becoming a competent interactive listener include: talking less, asking questions,
using nonverbal body language (Kruger, 2009: 21).

Four tasks of preparing for listening situations

a) Identify the object for your listening

b) Understand the listening style required from you
Types of listening styles include:
• Appreciative listening- listen with the intention to judge the value of what is heard
• Empathic listening-focuses on the speaker’s feelings or attitude than the message
• Discriminative listening-focuses on identifying the reason behind the message
• Analytical- focus on the content of the ides discussed
• Passive listening- listening with no intention to react
• Negative listening-focuses on identifying weak points in the message
c) Generate both the physical and the mental energy needed for the listening processes
(O’Hair et al, 2010: 107-108).

2.7 LISTENING IN A GROUP SETTING

Effective listing skills are necessary in a group setting as well because often in a group:

• Others may think other group members are listening and will share the information

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• Members easily get distracted by external factors or may chat with one another or do
other activities in the process of listening
• Can result in different interpretations of the message
• Different viewpoints from group members may lead to difficulties to concentrate on one
idea at the time (O’Hair et al, 2010: 101)

2.8 SPEAKER’S COMMUNICATION STYLE

How a speaker communicates his message may influence how it is received by others, for
example:

• Talking rapidly

• Gesture broadly

• Showing no expressiveness

• Talk slowly

• Unusual dialects (O’Hair et al, 2010: 108).

According to Kruger (2009: 20-25), the following elements may cause barriers to effective
listening, namely:

• A wandering mind-engaging in personal thoughts while attempting to listen to the

speaker

• Planning next question-this behaviour can lead to constant distractions to the

speaker or inability to grasp the full message

• Preconceived ideas- ideas already in your mind influencing how you interpret the

message from others

• The environmental distractions- such as noise may disrupt the listening process

• Faking attention- pretending to be paying attention to the speaker

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 • Criticising the speaker- focusing on how the speaker is dressed or his accent rather

than the content of his message

• Engaging in selective listening- listening only to interesting information and ignoring

uninteresting information.

2.9 ANXIETY DURING COMMUNICATION

Anxiety during the listening process- can lead to issues such as: forgetfulness, disorganisation
of information and distortions of data (O’Hair et al, 2010: 116).

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CHAPTER 3: COMMUNICATING IN THE WORLD OF DIVERSITY

3.1 CULTURE

Culture refers to the sum of ideas, customs and social behaviours (such as norms and values)
shared among a particular group of people (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 99). Hence people of same
cultures perceive certain matters similarly and behave in similar ways too. Whilst those of
different cultures from them have to earn their trust/ prove themselves before they could be
trusted in the workplace.

Diversity refers to “all the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals”
(Bovee and Thill, 2010: 97). This diversity among people in the workplaces affects their
interaction and or communication with each other. Different cultures influence how people think,
speak and respond to life matters. This is known as intercultural communication- “a process of
sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural background could lead them
to interpret verbal and nonverbal communication cues differently” (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 97).
Our culture influences the relationship we have with others, how we perceive them and how
they perceive us in return and the type of expectations we have on each other (Bovee and Thill,
2010: 99).

3.2 THE ADVANTAGES OF DIVERSE CULTURES IN THE WORKPLACE

Communication with people of diverse cultures is an everyday activity of most organisations

(police service included). Therefore, understanding the advantages that comes with this type of
activity is essential for the success of any organisation. Because diverse cultures;

• Create opportunities for different opinions,

• and to understand the needs of various groups of people
• Helps the organisation in benefiting from people of different talents/capabilities or
knowledge
• Diverse groups are more creative than people in same cultures (Bovee and Thill, 2010:
97).

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3.3 THE DISADVANTAGE OF DIVERSE CULTURES IN THE WORKPLACE

• Diverse cultures may impede the relationship between the managers and their
subordinates- as managers may find it difficult to connect to all employees due to their
various expectations or ways of thinking.
• It can be difficult to forge a coexistence of people from diverse cultures in the
organisation- one group of people may regard their cultural values or norms as more
important than others.

3.4 ENHANCING YOUR SENSITIVITY TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY

In order to have a good relationship among the employees and /or with clients, one has to be
culture sensitive. That means you have to understand other people’s cultures and accept them
as they are. This is better done through learning other people’s cultures.

Cultures can be learned directly (by being told what is acceptable and not acceptable in that
particular culture) or indirectly (by observing the behaviour of members of the cultures of
interest. Very often practices of people in a particular culture may be accepted to members of
that culture and be adopted without a doubt, while to outsiders such practices may look
unacceptable. These common practices make the relation of the members in that culture
smooth, while to other people of other cultures that can result in relationship breakdown (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 100).

3.5 OVERCOMING ETHNOCENTRISM AND STEREOTYPYING

Ethnocentrism is “a tendency to judge other groups according to the standard, behaviours, and
customs of one’s own group”. This is when a person perceives others’ cultures negatively, but
views his own culture as being correct. For example others may become xenophobic towards
people with different cultures from them or have stereotyped ideas of other people.
Stereotyping means generalising the behaviour of one person to those of members of his
cultural group such as members of culture XYZ are thieves or rude or less intelligent and so on.

To overcome these negative thoughts of stereotyping or ethnocentrism, a person may adopt a

cultural pluralism attitude- that is a positive attitude of accepting people of different cultures as
they are.

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There are three ways of overcoming Ethnocentrism/ stereotyping attitude

• Avoid assumptions- this means one should refrain from assuming that people should
react in his/her own ways or meet your standard of what is morally correct or incorrect.
For example, Suspect A did not keep eye contact with me during the interviews, this
means he is hiding something or Constable B never give hugs to any of her colleagues it
means she is an unfriendly person.
• Avoid judgements- refrain from jumping into conclusions when people react differently on
certain matters. For example, it is not a surprise that Warrant officer C will say the
following words, this is because he is from culture XYZ and people in that cultural group
are rude.
• Acknowledge distinctions- acknowledge that other cultures differ from yours and they are
just as important as yours (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 100).

3.6 RECOGNISING VARIATIONS IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE WORKPLACE

The cultural differences that a person should take into account during communication process
include:

• Contextual differences- this refers to how a person uses his verbal or non-verbal
communication cues to convey the message. For example, others use less verbal
communication and more non-verbal communication cues to convey messages (this
is known as high-context culture). While others use more verbal communication and
less non-verbal communication cues to express their thoughts (this is known as low-
context culture).
• Legal and ethical differences- in an organisation with high context culture people may
prefer written agreements while in low context cultures people may value verbal
agreements. When there are conflicts at work high context culture people may prefer
legal ways of seeking resolution while low context people may seek mediation
processes where the two parties meet and discuss their issues and both reach verbal
resolution.
• Social differences- the following are some of the social norms that affect employers at
work:
i. Attitude towards work and success- lead to differences in how people show
commitment to their work or success in life. Others may value to work hard to

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 get more money, while to others achieving high success may not be necessary
as long as they have a permanent employment as a security they are satisfied.
ii. Roles and status- may influence the behaviour during the communication
process, for example; how women behave or how junior staff members behave
towards their superiors maybe influenced by their cultural background.
iii. Use of manners- what appears to be personal information to one‘s culture may
not be regarded as such to another’s persons culture. This will influence how
staff members share information with one another.
• Concept of time- to high context cultures time is very important, while to low context
cultures time is not an issue of life. This may affect how people use their time and
attend certain events. To others being late at a meeting is not an issue while to others
that is a sign of disrespect.
• Future orientations- to other people making future plans maybe important while others
live in the moment and do not worry about the future.
• Openness and inclusiveness- cultures influences how people welcome or accept
each other. Other cultures are more welcoming of strangers while others are not.
• Non- verbal differences
The following ways of interactions are influenced heavily by our cultures, namely:
i. Greetings- others bow, shake hands, kiss lightly or hug each other
ii. Personal space- others stand closer during communication while others keep a
distance
iii. Touching- others touch on the shoulder or arm while others do not
iv. Facial expressions- others shake their heads to show that they agree or disagree
v. Eye contact- others avoid direct eye contact while others prefer direct eye contact
vi. Posture- others stand up during greetings and others do not
vii. Formality- people in certain cultures prefer formal clothes in the workplace while
others are informal.
• Age differences- how young staff members behave in the workplaces may differ from
one’s culture to another.
• Gender- women may act according to their cultural expectations in the workplace for
examples being submissive to male figures while; men assume the superior roles
towards female colleagues.
• Religion- some people may prefer to dress according to their religion in the
workplaces.

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• Ability- people with disabilities may require special attention than others (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 100-106).

3.7 WAYS TO IMPROVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Studying others cultures and language- this will ensure smooth communication
• Respect style preferences- others are confrontational and straight to the point while
others use indirect confrontation.
• Use interpreters or translators or translation software
• Write and speak clearly- adapt your writing style and communication style
accordingly.
• Listen carefully
• Help others adapt to your culture (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 109)

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CHAPTER 4: DEVELOPING ARGUMENTS: PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

4.1 PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

A persuasive skill is an important aspect in both our personal and career lives. Communication
becomes persuasive when the sender gives the receiver of the message the opportunity to
respond to the message (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 117). Without this opportunity to decide on
whether to agree or disagree with the message sent, the communication cannot be regarded as
persuasive communication. People differ in terms of how they sent their messages during the
persuasive communication: others use verbal communication while others opt for non-verbal
forms of communication (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 118). Some organisations have persuasive
rich environment, whereby persuasion is the core business of their organisation. For example,
advertising / marketing and public relations organisations (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 120).

4.2 THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

The art of using words to effectively convince others to do as one wishes is called Rhetoric
persuasive communication. This is very important in achieving successful persuasive
communication skills. During persuasive communication the speaker has to have the skill of
forming a sound argument.

There are three elements of rhetoric arguments, namely:

• Ethos- when a person uses his credibility/ reputation to influence the audience
• Logos- when a person relies on his logic (knowledge/skills/experience) to
influence the audience
• Pathos- when a person uses his charm/looks to influence the audience
(Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 121).

An argument always begins with a person making a claim and expecting others to voice their
opinions on such a claim (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 122).

Persuasive communication is a two ways communication process with two or more people
being the actors in the communication process (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 130).

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4.3 CHALLENGES OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

• Assessing the nature of the audience- the challenges facing many persuasive speakers
is to have full understanding or knowledge on the profile of your audience. This includes
knowing their previous experiences, the level of their knowledge, the type of personalities
they have.

• Assessing the message: content and purpose- it is challenging to the speakers

sometimes to ascertain if the information provided by the audience is true or false or just
an assumption or not. Therefore making an assessment on the audience’s message and
the intention behind such message whether is positive or negative can be challenging if
you have to convince them to convert into your ideas.
• Assessing the context of persuasion- the inability to understand the context/ environment
or background information of your audience may lead to a failure to convince them on
your message. Your message may be irrelevant or may provoke negative thoughts or
emotions (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 131).

4.4 HOW TO SECURE YOUR AUDIENCE’ ATTENTION AND ARGUE WELL

• Address people by name instead of dress code or their looks
• Posing questions- engage your audience by encouraging them to participate through
asking the questions
• Being proactive- uses information that could stimulate discussions
• Using different channels and encoding- use video clips/musical sounds or other elements
to demonstrate or support your argument. These will grasp the audience’ attention
(Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 127-129).

4.5 THE ETHICS OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

The act of deceiving the audience and not revealing the whole truth on the matter at hand is the
common behaviour that most persuasive communicators uses when conveying their arguments
(Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:133). An example of this act is often seen in advertisements
whereby the message being relayed to the audience is distorted.

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CHAPTER 5: EMAIL COMMUNICATION

5.1 EMAIL

An email “is like a letter in that it is non- interruptible (i.e. the receiver cannot ask for clarification
mid- way through the message, as in a conversation) and it leaves a permanent record of what
has been said”.

5.2 THE ADVANTAGES OF EMAILS

• Emails allows more than two people to exchange information/ideas without time delays
(this type of email is called synchronous communication. It is also known as instant
messaging since responses are immediate).
• Emails can also be beneficial to suit individual’ time schedule, because a person may
decide to respond to the message when he is free and such message will remain in her
in box (this is called asynchronous communication) (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 215).
• Email subject headings are important to attract the receiver’s attention and they should
be done in capital letters and in a short form (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 216).
• Specifying deadlines- helps the receiver to know the urgency of the email or his response
(Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 216).

5.3 EMAIL LANGUAGE, STYLE AND ACCURACY

• Emails are better consisting of short than long text. Such as text written in bulletins/
numbered points can make it easier for the reader to identify the important ideas.
• The writing style had to be adapted to suit the audience. If the email is directed to your
manager, it has to carry a formal tone unlike when it is directed to your friend or family
members.
• The use of lower case only or uppercase only, makes the reading difficult especially to
see where the sentences start or end. Upper case only are regarded as carrying a being
harsh tone of message (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010: 216).

22
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

5.4 COMMON EMAIL PROBLEMS

• Multiple emails circulated to wrong people

• The ease of sending a message. In order to avoid this mistake, a person should refrain
from responding to emails when angry or when you are not sure of what to say (Blundel
and Ippolito, 2010: 218).

23
CHAPTER 6, 7 AND 8: PLANNING, WRITING AND COMPLETING REPORTS AND
PROPOSALS

Please note: This chapter covers information from the above mentioned three chapters on
planning, writing and completing reports in the various organisations.

The reports and proposal writing can be used for conveying ideas to internal or external
members of your organisation. Therefore, the manner in which you plan, write or finalise your
proposal/reports is crucial as it communicates a particular message to your recipients.The
presentation of your report or proposal (whether printed or electronic copy) has the potential to
influence the outcome of the ideas you are conveying to your recipient. In the case of police
organisation the internal members may include your fellow police officials and commanders,
while external members may include among others the clients/ community members making
use of the police service.

6.1 DEFINITIONS
Reports are formal and detailed written documents that serves to communicate information
concerning the organisation.

There are two types of reports, namely:

• Informational reports- it offers data, facts, feedback and other types of information
without analysis or recommendations. The purpose of informational reports is to inform
the reader of what had happened and to induce changes regarding the issue at hand.
• Analytical reports- offer both information and analysis and recommendations on a
particular issue. They provide information on the cause and effect of a problem and
suggest possible solutions to the problem. Its purpose is to provide an understanding, an
analysis, and measures of dealing with the problem at hand.

A Proposal on the other hand refers to a document prepared with the aim of convincing the
potential client to enter into an agreement of working on a particular idea with the other party. In
a business environment it can be an agreement to work on a business idea together. In a
policing environment it can be an agreement between the police and the local security
companies entering on an agreement to work together in crime prevention projects (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 41).

24
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

Reports differ from one another based on the motives behind them. Others are written in
response to the request from clients or managers, while others are self- initiated reports. The
format followed in each report will also be influenced by the motive behind it. For example, if a
company request you to compile a report for them they might offer you writing guidelines to
follow, while if you initiate the process you are at liberty to choose the appropriate format
yourself. The number of pages to include in your report and the type of issues to cover will
depend on the nature of your writing call. Any report whether short or long it requires you to
have the skill and the knowledge of taking on the process. The steps below are necessary to
consider when compiling a report or proposal, namely: planning, writing and completion steps.

6.2 THREE STEP WRITING PROCESS TO REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

STEP 1: PLANNING
When you plan your report/proposal you should follow the following stages:
a) Analyse the situation- this is about planning how you will go about writing your report
(compiling your work plan), identifying the aim/objectives/purpose of your report and
anticipating the audience’ profile.
This means outlining the purpose of your report, which would inform the reader on the
reason behind your report. This is called statement of purpose because you are
describing why you write the report at hand. A statement of purpose should start with an
infinitive phrase that shows courage to do something. Infinitive phrase such as:
• To investigate the root causes of illegal migration
• To analyse the use of Automated Fingerprint system within the police service
• To evaluate the detective programme within the South African police service
• To suggest…
• To assess…
• To create awareness on…( Bovee and Thill, 2010: 413).

After identifying the purpose of your report, you should draw a work plan that will remind
you of the step by step process of what to do. The work plan should include the following
aspects:
• Statement of the problem or opportunity- whereby you describe the
issue/opportunity you will be writing about
• Statement of purpose- outlines what you intend to achieve with the compilation of
your report
25
 • Scope of your investigation- what you will include and exclude in your work.
• Discussion of the tasks to be accomplished- your objectives and/or a list of
aspects you wish to accomplish with this report.
• Description of additional tasks required from you after this report such as to
present in a conference or to publish the findings of your investigation.
• Review of the project activities, schedules and resources needed to complete the
report such as finances, manpower, vehicles, laptops, internet access. Project
activities and schedule may be those themes that will be covered by the event.
• Follow up plans- what to do in order to assess the quality of your project. For
example, completion of evaluation report or feedback report by the audience.
• Working outline- specifying the time frames for each activity and the responsible
person (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 414).

b) Gathering information- there are many ways of obtaining information such as library
books, articles from Journals, achieve materials, previous reports, responses from
informant (interviewing or observation of things or people).
c) Selecting the right medium- you may deliver your report via different mediums such as
face-to-face/online presentations or by distributing hard copy documents. The reason
behind the writing of your report should guide you on the medium of communication to
choose. For example if you compiled a report for the community- face to face
presentation may work better while online/face to face may both be suitable for the
investors.
d) Organising your information- how you organise your information in the report can
influence how the recipient perceive it. There are two ways in which you may organise
information in your report, namely: direct and indirect approach. Direct approach- start
with the summary of the report then moves into the body of the report. Whereas, indirect
approach goes step by step without pre-emptying the findings of the report. Starting with
introductions, outlining the purpose of the report, then do the body of the report then
move towards the presentation of the findings and the recommendations (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 416).
The important points to consider when organising the report or proposal information are:
• Understand and meet the audience expectations- know what is required of you
and meet such expectations.
• Keep your information short and message clear.

26
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

• Include heading and subheadings when necessary to guide the reader through
your document.
• Write short report for short messages and long messages in long report (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 418).

INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
Informational reports can be grouped into four categories, namely:
• Reports to monitor and control operations- provide feedback on the tasks you worked on
such as quarterly reports on the sector policing activities.
• Reports to implement policies and procedures- provide information on the organisation’
rules/policies such South African Police Service (SAPS) standing orders.
• Reports to demonstrate compliance- presents information on how the organisation
comply with the legislation/ Batho Pele principles or Human Rights provisions.
• Reports to document progress- provides updates on the progress on a particular task.
For example, how the implementation of the new strategies to fight illicit drugs is going.
(Bovee and Thill, 2010: 419).

There are different ways of arranging information in an informational report, namely:

• Comparison- here information that compares two or more items are organised in terms of
their similarities and differences.
• Importance- here the information is arranged based on its importance. Then those with
high position will be first followed by those in lower positions or less value.
• Sequence- is following step by step process whereby the first step comes first, second
step second place and so on and so on until the last step.
• Chronology- information is arranged according to dates or timeframe such as January
issues first, then followed by February, March and so on.
• Spatial orientation- it is used when explaining how an object or product works- describing
it from left to right or top to bottom or inside- outside.
• Geography- here the information is arranged based on location such as country, province
or town.
• Category -here the information that falls under one category are grouped together for
example: oranges, apples and bananas grouped under the fruits while under animals you
will find Monkeys, goats, elephant and cows (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 419).

27
ANALYTICAL REPORTS
Analytical reports are grouped into three categories, namely:
• Report to assess opportunities- the aim is to explain the challenges and the benefits of a
particular action/product or tasks.
• Report to solve problems- the aim is to suggest solutions or ways to overcome certain
challenges.
• Report to support decisions- the aim is to support the decisions to execute a particular
project/ implement certain policies or rules. It draws its support from previous and future
decisions/suggestions (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 423).

Analytical reports require in-depth analysis of the issues at hand (a problem or opportunity),
creative ways of presenting your ideas in a logical manner and the skill to persuade the
audience about your ideas (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 423). If you are the one initiating the report
writing you have to ensure that you convince your clients that there is an opportunity to explore
or a problem to deal with, before you could suggest the possible solutions or recommendations.
If the request is from a particular person/ organisation, it means an opportunity or problem to
investigate is already identified, then your focus will be on the solution (Bovee and Thill, 2010:
424).

There are three ways of organising information/materials for analytical reports:

• Focusing on conclusion- a type of direct approach that centres on a summarised version
of the entire report.
• Focusing on recommendation- the focus is on what can be done to resolve the problem
or grab the envisioned opportunity.
• Focusing on logical arguments- a type of indirect approach that intends to convince the
audience to adopt/ agree with your conclusion or recommendations. There are two
approaches to do this, namely:
 The 2+2 approach- it aims to persuade the reader that everything makes sense
by presenting evidence as a backup plan to every point you raised. The speaker
may even compare different solutions and defend why one suggestion should be
considered more than the other.
 The yardstick approach- where there are standards to meet and the speaker
attempts to convince the audience that his/her proposed solution actually meet the
required standard (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 428). The speaker is given a list of

28
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

objectives to achieve, so with the report he argues how he had met the required
objective.

PROPOSALS
The most important aspect in proposal is whether it is your initiative or it was requested by
another person/organisation. Those proposals that are compiled out of your own initiative are
called unsolicited proposal, while those that you were invited to compile (the organisation
initiate and send out to client who show interest) are solicited proposals also known as
request for proposals (RFP). Proposals written in response to a request have to follow the
requirements of that particular organisation, such as what to include or to exclude (the scope of
work), budget to use and equipment to use and so on.
How you organise the information in your proposal will depend on its nature (whether solicited
or unsolicited). Solicited proposals often follow the organisation format, while the unsolicited
proposal you may decide on what you see fit for the purpose (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 432).

STEP 2: WRITING

Same as any writing process when you write reports and proposals you have to adapt your
writing style to suit your audience. Three ways of adapting to your audience are:
• Be sensitive to your audience’ needs- be professional, constructive and objective in your
message
• Build strong relationship with your audience- in your introduction establish your credibility
• Control your style and tone- adjust your communication style and tone to suit the topic. If
the topic is informal use informal language and formal tone for serious issues (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 441).

COMPOSING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

When writing a report or proposal, it should contain three main sections, namely: introduction,
body and conclusion.
 A well written introduction should: introduce the topic/purpose of the report, set the
standard or writing style of the report
 A body should describe, analyse and interpret the information obtained from the
investigation and include supporting evidence. It mainly discusses the ideas

29
 regarding the topic.
 A close (conclusion) should restate the main points, highlight the importance of the
report and summarise the entire report (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 443).

The content of a report should contain true information, give full information to enhance the
readers’ understanding and balance both side of the story (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 443). It
should have the ideas that flow logically and be properly referenced and supported by evidence
material (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 444).

The content of the proposal should be persuasive and focus on convincing the audience to
back up your request and to consider it a winning proposal. Solicited proposals are exempted
from this.

The strategies to consider when formulating an argument for your proposal outline:
• Show the reader that you understand your topic
• Use facts to support your argument
• Be aware/identify potential competitors and upgrade your proposal
• Ensure that your proposed ideas are practical/ feasible
• Relate your proposal to your clients’ needs
• Ensure that the presentation of your proposal is appealing to the readers and cover
pages, table of contents, supporting documents are included and well presented.

Online reports/proposal content should:

• Build trust with your audience
• Adapt your content for a global audience
• Ensure your message is clear and focused on the topic
• Add link websites for those that want to do further reading
• Ensure that the content is easily accessible online- you can create your own website/use
wikis to increase the accessibility of the content (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 450-452)

STEP 3: COMPLETING

When completing (putting touch ups or finalising the writing process) on your report or proposal
you should consider the following four tasks, namely:
i. Revising reports and proposals

30
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

• Check how you have organised your information, the style and tone and the
message you are sending out together with the flow of your ideas.
• Ensure that the content is readable by checking how you write the
headings/paragraph spacing, the font used to type the text if they are visible
enough and appropriate to your audience.

ii. Producing reports and proposals

• When completed with matters concerning the text, then include graphs, chart or
other visuals to enhance your message quality.
• Determine the type of packaging or presentation you will use.

The following are important to add during the production phase:

• Prefatory part- cover page, title page, title flyer, letter of authorisation, letter of
acceptance, letter of transmittal, table of contents, list of illustrations, synopsis or
executive summary.
• Text parts- introduction, body and close (conclusion)
• Supplementary parts- appendix, bibliography, index (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 483-
488).
iii. Proof reading reports and proposals
Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors to ensure that your work looks
professional (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 489)
iv. Distributing reports and proposals – sharing the information can be via emails in the form
of electronic copy or hard copy by post/hand delivery.

How you package your report will depend on the length and the audience of your report.
However, whether you distribute it online or by post or by hand that will depend on your
audience and preferred mode of delivery/ access suitability (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 490).

31
CHAPTER 9: DEVELOPING ORAL AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS

9.1 INTRODUCTION

Presentation is another form of testing your communication skills especially your confidence
level, interpersonal knowledge skills, non-verbal and organisational skills. It informs the
audience on how much you know about the topic, how confident you are in public speaking and
how organised you are- in terms of your presentation materials (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 509).
Presentations allow the presenter the opportunity to apply his mind to a complex situation and
provide accurate answers in a short period of time. It tests an individual’s ability to think outside
the box and to be innovative. Oral presentation enhances a person’s communication skills
better than written work (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 509). Making presentations can make a person
nervous despite the number of years of work experience a person has.

8.2 THREE STEP PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING ORAL AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS:

STEP 1: PLAN

This step includes the analysis of the situation, gathering data, selecting the right medium and
organising the information.

Analyse the situation- you start with determining the purpose of your presentation and
understand the profile of your audience. The purpose of your presentation may be, for example
to create awareness on particular criminal activities or to convince the audience on a particular
issue. When you develop the profile of your potential audience, the following tips can assist you
to when dealing with various types of audience’ mindset.

Five types of audience’ mindset and how to deal with them effectively:

• Supportive- prepare your speech beforehand and show confidence, be relaxed and be
knowledgeable on the subject area. These are the audience that welcomes you.
• Interested but neutral- cover both side of the topic and do not be defensive when
challenged by the audience.
• Uninterested- try to relate your presentation to the audience career or personal activities
(Bovee and Thill, 2010: 510).

32
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

• Apprehensive- if your audience are not comfortable with your topic/ speech try to adapt
your speech to their concerns by outlining the fears they may have and make them feel
at ease.
• Hostile- these are angry audience. Respecting their emotions and being as confident and
prepared would help. However, the presenter should be calm and not engage in any
debate that may aggravate the emotions of these audiences (Bovee and Thill, 2010:
511).

It is the speaker’s responsibility to ensure that the language of presentation is considered by

everyone and that the seating arrangement facilitates the presentation. In oral / face to face
presentation the advantage and disadvantage of the following seating arrangement should be
taken into consideration:

• Classroom or theatre seating- chars and desks face to the front. This allows the speaker
to gain all the attention to himself and a large number of audiences can be
accommodated, although interaction would not be effective.
• Conference table seating- the audience sit on the side of a long table and the speaker
stand on one end of the table. It allows interaction and easy control of the conversation.
• Horseshoe or “U” shaped seating- it allows the interaction between the speaker and the
audience. It also enables the speaker to walk between the tables.
• Café seating- seating in small group individual tables. It is good for short presentations
and difficult for establishing the interaction of everyone in the room due to others seating
back to back from each other (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 512).

Selecting the right medium

There are many options to choose from such as podcasts, online videos or webcasts that
people may access on your personal website to a ‘live’ presentation.

If you opt for oral face-to-face presentation you have to understand the following aspects
regarding the profile of your audiences.

Know the profile of your audience, for example:

• Size and composition- how many people are coming and what is their profession, are
they mixed genders or races?

33
 • Audience’s probable reaction- what could interest them or irritate them and what is their
motives for attending the presentation?
• Audience’s prior knowledge on the topic- determine beforehand what type of knowledge
they already have and which one they might want to know more about (Bovee and Thill,
2010: 512).

Organise your presentation

It involves the following aspects (similar to any written message)

• Defining your main idea- identify the important message the audience should remember
the most on your speech. For example: your audience are the managers and you want
them to know that “insufficient resources make your work difficult = this is the main idea”
(Bovee and Thill, 2010: 513).
• Limiting your scope- ensure that your message is passed through properly and within the
given time. Prepare this beforehand to avoid rushing through important points (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 513).
• Choosing your approach- it is advisable to use direct speech if your speech carries good
information/less sensitive information. Then use indirect speech on serious issues.
• Preparing your outline (speech)- when you prepare your presentation outline you should
ensure that: your content relates to the purpose of your presentation/speech; your main
points are well organised; the structure of your speech is well organised meaning the
introduction, body and conclusion are in order; your ideas are logical, your references are
acknowledged properly and the title of your topic is short and clear- as this will set the
mood for your audience to know beforehand what your speech will be about (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 516).

STEP 2: WRITE

In this step the writer adapts the presentation writing style to the audience and composes the
presentation.

Although many people do not write down their presentation word-for-word, you always jot down
your ideas somewhere. Before you start with the writing process it is important to adapt your
speech to your audience.

34
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

Adapting your speech to your audience

The use of formal or informal language during the presentation depends on the profile of your
audience. If they are your colleagues an informal language maybe acceptable unlike if you are
presenting to clients/ strangers. The size of the group will also influence your communication
style. Formal language is also preferable in large group of audience while informal language
may be used in small groups (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 518).

Composing your presentation

When writing up or composing your presentation you should include the following sections:
Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

i) Introduction- in your introduction you have to arouse the interest of your audience, build your
credibility and give a preview of your message.

When you arouse your audience interest you should:

• Unite them around one goal for them to engage in your presentation
• Tell them a story that is relevant but important- to win their attention
• Support your ideas with practical examples
• Ask them questions – to engage them in the presentation
• Use statistics to grab their attention
• Show humour- this will show that you are observant of the surrounding (the audience or
venue) (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 518).

When you build your credibility you should:

• Introduce yourself or let those introducing you not sound boastful about your credentials
and ensure that the audience know who you are, what your qualifications and current
position is.

When you give a preview to your message - you should inform your audience beforehand on
the topic that you will be talking about.

35
ii) Body

Ensure that the ideas discussed in your presentation outline are coherent and logical so that
there is flow of information. Connecting words such as in addition, therefore, as a result, in
contrast, for example or consequently are used to link one idea to the other. In the body of your
presentation you have to hold the attention of your audience.

There are six tips of how to hold your audience’s attention, namely:

• Ensure that your topic is relevant to your audience’s needs

• Anticipate the possible questions of your audience and prepare the answers
• Use simple language and support your discussion with examples
• Relate your topic to the external familiar stories/ cases
• Open a platform for questions
• Use visual images to support your presentation (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 520).

iii) Conclusion

This part of the presentation is important in order to leave the audience with a memorable
message. You may use words such as “in conclusion” or to “sum up”. This will capture their
attention. You may close by restating your main points and by telling the audience of the next
step of your project or you may end with a strong note such as a nice quote.

STEP 3: COMPLETE

This step includes the revising of the message, mastering the delivery of the presentation,
preparing to speak and overcoming the anxiety level (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 510).

When you are done writing your presentation outline you should prepare how you will deliver
your speech, how you will deal with your anxiety and the questions asked by the audience.

There are various ways to choose from when delivering your presentation, such as:

• Memorising the speech

• Speaking from the notes
• Reading your speech word for word
• Speaking both from the notes and memorising other parts of the speech (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 522).
36
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

When you prepare to speak, you should practice your speech and check how your venue look
like- this will help you to determine if you will be comfortable or if you need to make some
adjustment to suit your delivery of the message (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 522).

Overcoming anxiety during presentation

You can adapt to the following tips to become a confident speaker:

• Research or know more on your topic

• Practising your speech will calm your nerves
• Avoid negative thinking or self-doubt
• Relax when you speak
• Open on a confident note
• Ensure that you look professional
• Avoid panicking and calm yourself down
• Focus on the message you are presenting
• Keep eye contacts with your audience
• Avoid being distracted by minor things and keep going with the speech (Bovee and Thill,
2010: 523).

Handling questions responsibility requires that you:

• Focus on the person asking the question

• Give a relevant answer
• Avoid panicking when asked challenging question- keep calm
• Always give constructive answers and attend difficult questions later or pass them to tea
time discussion
• Promote an environment of asking questions voluntarily
• Prepare the audience to the end of your speech. Then conclude by summarising the
main ideas of the presentation (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 525-527).

37
CHAPTER 10: ENHANCING PRESENTATIONS WITH SLIDES AND OTHER VISUALS

Visuals can enhance the quality of an oral presentation by making complex issues more
understandable through illustrations or images. If used properly they have the power to make
presentations more appealing and the message more memorable (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 533).
Although visuals cannot replace your speech they can add more value to the message that you
attempt to send to the audience.

10.1 VARIOUS VISUALS TO USE IN PRESENTATIONS

• Electronic slides- created within Microsoft power point. The advantage is that you can
edit the content of the slide if you wish and they can accommodate pictures and sounds
and animations and other ways such as being uploaded on the internet.
• Overhead transparencies- allow you to write on the transparencies during the
presentation, but once typed and printed you cannot edit them.
• Chalkboards and whiteboards- are used for writing important points during the group
discussion.
• Flip charts- also used for noting points during the session.
• Other visuals- may include video recordings that can be played on a DVD player (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 533-534).

Creating effective power point slides is a skill that one can learn through practice. As much as
using slide can boost your delivery of the message they can as well downgrade the quality of
your message if not used properly. Therefore, it is important that you always choose your typing
style, colour and font very carefully. You should ensure that they are readable and the words
are visible enough. The type of graphics/pictures you use should be relevant to the topic.

10.2 WRITING READABLE CONTENT OF A SLIDES

Ensuring that your slides are readable requires that you firstly, use a clear font size, secondly,
use less information per slides, and finally use words or phrases that are easily understood by
the audience (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 537). When writing the content for your slides make sure
that you;

• Focus on one idea per slide

• Have 4-5 lines per slides

38
 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

• Use visuals in between the slides with text

• Use mainly bulletins than long sentences when necessary
• Use subheadings
• Write in an active voice

When selecting design elements, take the following principles into account:

• Consistency
• Contrast
• Balance
• Emphasise
• Convention
• Simplicity (Bovee and Thill, 2010: P539)

Aspects to pay attention to when decorating your slides

i. Colour- has the power to stimulate emotions. For example: warm colours create
excitement while dull colours can draw down people’s interest. Colours may increase or
impede the readability of your slides or isolate some of the viewers or highlights
important ideas. Therefore, a person should choose carefully the colour to use.
ii. Background designs and artwork- the presenter should avoid flashy/cluttered background
design as they may distract your audience’s attention from the message. If you add the
company’s logo make sure it does not distract the visibility of the text.
iii. Fonts and type styles,
When it comes to font or typing style to use, one should:
• Avoid decorative fonts
• Use fonts consistently on the context except on headings
• Italised text is not reader friendly on slides
• Avoid thin fonts
• Do not use capital letters throughout- they distract readability and have a harsh
impression
• Use fonts, typing style, colour and sizes consistently. Consistency keeps the
audience focused on the message and not how the next slide will look like (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 541).
39
10.3 ADDING ANIMATION AND SPECIAL EFFECTS

There are various options to choose from including:

• Functional animation- having bullet points flying in from left to right add no value to your
communication instead highlight the headings or certain points to emphasise their
importance (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 543).
• Transitions and blinds- transitions that controls how one slide replaces the other should
not be distractive to the viewers and should be consistent.
• Hyperlinks and action buttons- automatic slide show is used fully in advertising e.g. as
you speak then items on sale will be displayed on the screen.
• Multimedia elements- audio and video clips are useful for demonstration of processes
that could be difficult to express verbally or to explain in a short period of time (Bovee
and Thill, 2010: 545).

10.4 COMPLETING SLIDES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS

When completing slides make sure they are:

Readable, consistent, simple, focused on the message, audience centered, clear, concise and
grammatically correct and fully operational (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 545-546).

10.5 PRACTISING YOUR PRESENTATION DELIVERY

• Practice speaking without reading the slides word for word

• Confirm beforehand that your slides function properly
• Ensure that you can cover all your slides in the given time or otherwise cut down less
important points before presentation time
• Practice pronouncing the words in your slides
• Prepare your introduction message
• Anticipate audience questions and prepare responses
• Ensure that your message is clear and well understood (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 550).

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 EPP2601 CLASS NOTES

10.6 GUIDELINES ON GIVING PRESENTATION ONLINE OR VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING

• Send your presentation outline to your audience before the presentation- this will clarify
confusions on the content
• Determine if there are any methods you can use to enhance your presentation outline
• Ensure that the content is simple and the message is clear
• Engage the audience by asking questions and ascertaining if they are following you
• Check if all audience can connect to your presentation
• Give your audience a chance to settle down and understand the process of your
presentation and how to make use of the electronic devices on their side (Bovee and
Thill, 2010: 551).
• Make your presentation more interactive
• Request help from the moderators to keep the venue and the audience in various venues
comfortable (Bovee and Thill, 2010: 552)

REFERENCES

Blundel, R & Ippolito, K. 2008. Effective organisation Communication. 3rd edition. London:
Prentice Hall.

Bovee, C. L and Thill, J. V. 2010. Business communication today. 10th edition. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.

Kruger, Z. 2009. English: Practical Policing module 1501 study guide. Pretoria: Unisa

Mabudusha, S. A and Kruger, Z. 2012. Applied communication in criminal justice. Harlow:

Pearson.

O’Hair, D, Friedrich, GW & Dixon, LD. 2010/2011. Strategic communication in business and the
profession. 7th edition. Boston: Allyn Bacon.

Viviers, D and Van Schalkwyk, H. 1992. Success with English language and communication
skills. Cape Town: Maskew Miller Longman.

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