Lesson 26

Leveling up Interpersonal Skills

Lead-in
Presentation Skills
1. What makes a presentation successful?
2. Do you go off-topic while presenting something?
3. How can you effectively engage your audience during a presentation?
4. How do you handle nervousness or stage fear while presenting?
5. How important is it to tailor your presentation to your specific audience?
Reading:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-create-killer-presentation-anya-hoffecker-sle
ezer/
Never underestimate the value of an awesome presentation. It can position you as an industry leader, win
hearts and minds, break down barriers, bring people together, and make or break a deal. The right presentation
can turn prospects into customers, and customers into advocates. Remember, a presentation is not an excuse
to brag, boast, or draw attention to yourself. It’s an opportunity to educate, enlighten, and entertain with a
piece of content that brings value to your audience’s lives.
Grab the audience’s attention
First impressions matter. No one wants to sit through a boring presentation, and your audience can usually tell
within 30 seconds whether they’re going to actively listen to you … or zone out. So grab your audience’s
attention immediately. It could be with a video, quote, graphic, story, joke, statement, whatever.
Keep it short and sweet
Cluttered slides are the worst. We’ve all had to sit through presentations where the speaker copied-and-pasted
their speech onto the screen. Think of each slide like a 280-character tweet. Never put more than six bullets
per slide or six words per bullet.
Keep your audience top of mind
Don’t make a presentation all about you. Make it about them. Put yourself in your audiences’ shoes and think
about how to deliver value to them. What’s the current market landscape? What trends impact their bottom
line?
Look good
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to make a professional-looking presentation (though it does help). Here
are some pointers:
Keep graphics simple and eye-catching. Keep file sizes small so that your presentation is easy to share, but still
clear. When possible, use graphs, charts, tables, and infographics to support your message.
Encourage audience engagement
Audience interaction is almost always a good thing (at least when it’s not heckling). Think of how to engage
people without being too intrusive or aggressive. Some ideas can include playing a game, asking for volunteers,
or doing a demonstration.
Close with a call to action
“Goodbye” ends a conversation. You want your presentation to start a conversation. So close with a clear call to
action. Use this opportunity to drive home your message. Your presentation will be much more memorable if
you make a strong closing appeal.
Include a Q&A
Always save time for questions at the end. Questions create audience engagement and also give you
immediate feedback. Did people understand your points? Do you need to clarify anything further? Use this
time to deepen your relationship with your audience.
Vocabulary Practice
Look at the words related to the presentation and match them to their meanings.

Deviate start talking about something irrelevant to the topic

Recap the act of repeating the main points
Takeaway the main idea of the presentation
Scope the range of the topic covered in the presentation
Breakdown a division of information into parts so that you can see all details
Outline description of something without details
Vocabulary Practice
Complete the phrases with a preposition.

a) My goal is to give you a full breakdown of the statistics in this area.

b) In a nutshell, this idea is worth a shot.
c) So, I'll begin by filling you in on the background to the story.
d) Let me start by saying just a few words about my own background.
e) And then, I'll go on to highlight what I see as the main points of this topic.
f) Let me expand on this point.
g) The purpose is to bring you up to date on/with the main tendencies.
h) Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.
Video
Watch the video and check your understanding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4y1OO9rppA

1How can you show confidence through your body language?

2What are some examples of distracting behaviors to avoid during a presentation?
3Why is it important to make eye contact with your audience?
4How can speaking slower help improve your presentation?
Speaking Practice
Discuss the statements. Say whether you agree or disagree and explain why.
• Any deviation from the topic is bad for the presentation flow.
• It is important to present the outline as it tells people what to expect and builds interest.
• There's no need to recap every point before moving to the next one if you see that people are following.
• People should be able to understand the takeaway of your presentation without you emphasizing it.
Grammar Reference
Past Continuous
1 The past continuous (was doing, were doing) is often used to set the scene and give
background information at the beginning of a narrative.
When I got to the trade fair, it was still early. Some of the exhibitors were setting up their
stands and others were unpacking their publicity materials.
BUT the past continuous is not used with stative verbs or when describing permanent features.
Our stand looked very professional and it was ideally placed because it was on the aisle that
led to the main restaurant.
2 The past continuous is also used for an action in progress that is interrupted by another
shorter action. (Use the past simple for the action that interrupts.)
I was unpacking one of the boxes for our stand when my mobile rang.
Grammar Practice
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1. I fell/was falling down while I was going/went down the stairs.

2. He was driving/drove very fast when he had/was having the accident.
3. I didn't answer/wasn’t answering your call because I was working/worked.
4. When I saw/was seeing her, she was wearing/wore a really nice purple dress.
5. I didn't say/wasn’t saying hello because you were walking/walked very fast.
6. I was sleeping/slept happily when a loud noise woke me up/was waking me up.
Speaking Practice
Let’s play! Open the box and answer the question using the Past
Continuous.
https://wordwall.net/uk/resource/65727125/past-continuous-question
s
Hometask:
Read some excerpts from a presentation and decide which words they are examples of.
Hint: deviate, recap, takeaway, scope, breakdown, outline.
a) "We are going to cover some areas where blockchain can empower women: from owning property to doing
business internationally." scope
b) "I've divided my presentation into three main parts: we'll start with defining what blockchain actually is.
Then, we'll talk about all the opportunities it gives to women. Finally, we'll look at some real-life examples."
outline
c) "Let me go over the crucial points one more time. Many women don't have IDs, let alone bank accounts.
Therefore, they are extremely limited in who they can work for." recap
f) "Basically, the main idea of my talk is to show the empowering force that blockchain is and to emphasize the
need to educate women on how to use it." takeaway
d) "To explain this more clearly, I'm going to break this data down into the following categories: data showing
the financial status of women in these areas before this application was introduced, the numbers that we
received after the first year, and the current numbers." breakdown
e) "Women can make P2P transactions and it will allow them to receive money without a bank as an
intermediary. Speaking of banks, in some places it's not even an option as banks are located far from residential
areas and the absence of the infrastructure makes it hard or even impossible to get there. Moreover, public
transport might be quite dangerous for women. Sorry, I got a bit off topic. Back to the main point..." deviate
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1. He was so angry that he got up/was getting up and left/was leaving.

2. I broke/was breaking the vase while I was cleaning/cleaned the bookshelf.
3. As soon as we walked into the room, we heard/were hearing a noise. Someone used/was using
my computer.
4. The police caught/were catching him while he tried/was trying to escape.
5. When I last saw/was seeing her she wore/was wearing high-heeled shoes.
Optional Materials
Check your vocabulary.

1.Business was poor for the company, and Sam made a loss/expanded/made a profit on his investment.
2.Our company’s turnover/shares/stock market was 25% higher last year than it was the previous year.
3.Tom set up a founder/investment/tech company that specialized in computer products.
4.Colombia expands/merges/produces more coffee than any other country.
5.After considerable negotiation, the CEO finally struck a deal/made a loss/manufactured with the advertising firm.
Watch the video and check your understanding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atLvsjIIsOI&ab_channel=Forbes

1. Virtual presenting has become a core skill in our new environment. True
2 A virtual presentation can have long-lasting effects. True
3 It is important to be stiff and robotic during a virtual presentation. False
4 Exaggerating gestures and tone of voice can help grab the audience's attention. True
5 Eye contact is not important in virtual presentations. False
6 It is recommended to keep virtual presentations short and brief. True
Quizlet link -
https://quizlet.com/865328576/upper-intermediate-lesson-26-flash-car
ds/?new