2
8- 10 minutes long
200 Points
Topic and Speaking Outline Due: Oct 31 Via Moodle
Class Presentation Using PowerPoint: Nov. 13
Purpose Statement:
The ability to share ideas that change the minds and hearts of others, particularly in the organization, is what most communication activities strive for. In their Chapter One, Woodward and Denton (2019), highlight the three types of primary motivations of communication, namely communication as pure information, pure expressions and pure persuasion, with the hardest to accomplish being pure persuasion. This is because for us to know that we have accomplished our persuasive goals, there is often confirmation that we need from our target audience, which goes beyond their understanding as in the case of pure information, or just voicing opinions as in the case of pure expression. In persuasion, in addition to providing understanding and an opportunity to express ourselves, we have the additional task of changing the position of our audience on an issue, and this can be their behaviors, political opinions, behavior or values. Yet the ability to change other people’s minds or hearts is a vital skill which is useful in most jobs in most fields. Even when our jobs are not persuasion-focused, we find ourselves using this skill when we need to present proposals to our supervisors and colleagues. In short, it is essential to be able to articulate and express our ideas to others in a way which elicits a desired response from them.
This assignment familiarizes students with the communication skills around persuading others. The assignment meets the course objectives of “Writing credibility arguments to persuade an audience, improving interpersonal relationships identifying interpersonal communication problems within an organization,” “Using logic to support a position on a controversial topic,” “Applying the theory of the stages of a social campaign to a movement that affects business, “ and “Utilizing effective argumentation skills and techniques to persuade and influence an audience.”
Overview of this assignment:
1. Select any persuasion goal of your choice, come up with the name of the persuasion topic, objective and the target audience for your persuasive presentation – submitted in Week Seven in Moodle, due November 1
2. Develop a formal speaking outline written using the speaking outline template provided in Week Seven in Module. Your speaking outline is a guide which you will use when you make your presentation. The speaking outline is submitted on Moodle together with topic in the Week Seven Module- due November 1
3. Using the Outline, cerate your PowerPoint which you will present in class
4. Then upload your PowerPoint on the Week Eight Module so that it’s checked for originality.
5. Then come to class to present
a. Please make sure that you are dressed in either Business Professional or Business Casual. Please refer to the professional dress handout in the Week Eight Module
Focus of the assignment:
A persuasive presentation by nature is designed to move audiences, therefore your topic and its contents should present the organization with an opportunity for them to want to yield to your proposal.
Presentation organization:
You will include a Welcome, Introduction, Need/Problem, Solution, Visualization and Call to Action. Your outline will have enough information for you to speak for 8-10 minutes on.
Presentation length:
8-10 minutes. We will adhere to time limits for persuasive presentations. In the real world, for example, it is disrespectful to an audience for a speaker to violate time expectations. Please practice your presentation to see if you fall below or above the 8-10 minutes threshold, to know if you need to provide more facts, and/or information about your topic.
Presentation format
This is a presentation in which you convince your audience to do something. You will create a PowerPoint and present it to the class.
Presentation content
The content of your presentation should reflect your thorough knowledge of your topic, and also your awareness of your specific audience. You need to use language which you know appeals to your audience. As our textbook explains, one way of drawing our audience loser is by using words and phrases that our audience holds in high esteem. For example, if my audience is a class of American students, I would be aware that words such as fairness, and grading fairly, are phrases that they hold in high esteem. Think of your specific audience and think of words that that specific audience holds in high esteem.
Speaking extemporaneously:
Instead of reading your PowerPoint, be familiar with your speech, so that you read mostly the key points while engaging your audience in your elaboration of the key points. This means that after completing your PowerPoint, you will want to practice presenting before you come to present.
Gesturing:
You will be expected to gesture appropriately, to be engaging, please watch the video on gesturing in the Week Seven Module
Eye contact:
Because this is a presentation, you are expected to make eye contact, it adds to your credibility.
Dressing:
Your dressing should be business professional or business casual, please see the
Professional Dress Handout in Week Four
1: Share your persuasion Topic in class and on Moodle, for example a message about the importance of establishing an in-house cafeteria, instead of eating from nearby restaurants
2. In a sentence, highlight the objective of your message, for example; to persuade XYZ company to establish an in-house cafeteria for its employees, instead of relying on nearby restaurants and food courts.
3.Give the specific target audience for this message. If your targeting management, specify the individuals in management who absolutely have to hear your presentation, for example the operations director, the HR director, the CEO, the finance director, a representative of the workers’ union (if employees are affiliated), the company legal advisor etc.
