Ohio University College of Business Communication Standards

audience will not care about your purpose and is less likely to respond favorably to
your recommendations.
4. Transitions Between Main Points: How will you segue from main point to main
point? A plain statement of transition is always appropriate for a business
presentation (e.g. “Now that I have explained my plan to eliminate lost voice mail
messages, let’s talk about my suggestions to further personalize responses to
customer service calls.”)
C. Conclusion:
1. Review: BRIEFLY summarize your main points. One sentence per main point is
usually sufficient.
2. Restate Purpose: Paraphrase your own Concise Statement of Purpose from your
Introduction.
3. Recommendation, Motivation, or Call to Action: Depending on the purpose of your
presentation, you may be asking your audience to learn new information, take
action, or accept a particular belief. Be positive and focus on why your
recommendations are beneficial to the audience or, at the very least, the right thing
to do.
D. Questions and Answers:
Delivery
1. Anticipate Questions When Planning.
2. Briefly Repeat The Question. Restating or paraphrasing the question helps to make
sure you understand the question and gives you a few seconds to collect your
thoughts before answering.
3. Never Make Up Answers.
4. Avoid Ending Your Presentation With An "I Don't Know" Response.
5. Do Not Be Defensive Or Aggressive. Most audience members are friendly or
neutral. If an audience member is hostile, remaining calm in the face of hostility
will improve your credibility with other audience members.
A. Use of Notes: It is expected that all presentations will be delivered WITHOUT the
use of notes unless otherwise specified by your instructor. An outline or handout
may be appropriate for financial information or highly technical information.
B. Word Usage: Plain language and short sentences help your audience follow your
message. Avoid jargon and unnecessarily “fussy” words (e.g. rumbustious instead of
noisy).
4-8