Q&A Hero

Q: Asking, "Did you know that almost 90% of American homeowners are underinsured?" would be a good way to get the audience's attention at the beginning of a presentation on homeowner's insurance.

Q: When discussing topics of profound importance to your audience, you can usually count on having their attention as soon as you introduce your main idea.

Q: Of the total time you spend writing your oral presentation, you should devote only a minimal amount to writing your introduction.

Q: A good introduction arouses audience interest, establishes your credibility, and prepares the audience for what will follow.

Q: In general, you should use a conversational style when speaking to small groups and a more formal style for large groups who are unfamiliar with you.

Q: Your speech outline is a good place to include annotations about the specific body language or gestures you want to use.

Q: The speech outline is not an appropriate place to include notes about the visual aids you plan to use.

Q: In preparing a speaking outline for your presentation, you should avoid cluttering it with complete sentences.

Q: Simplicity of organization is important only if your speech is short.

Q: If your purpose is to analyze, persuade, or collaborate, you should organize your speech around conclusions and recommendations or a logical argument.

Q: Even when you expect your audience to be skeptical, the direct approach is always best for presentations.

Q: If you have 10 minutes or less to deliver your presentation, you should organize it much as you would a brief written message.

Q: You should be able to summarize the main idea for a speech in a single sentence that links your subject and purpose to the audience's frame of reference.

Q: Planning a business presentation is similar to organizing a written message.

Q: You will communicate more successfully with a multilingual audience if you speak slowly and distinctly and pause frequently.

Q: Because you can adapt to your audience while you are speaking, it's not as important to research your audience for an oral presentation.

Q: Sending preview materials to the audience prior to an online presentation A) will cause most audience members to ignore what you present later. B) suggests that you are not confident. C) can be helpful. D) is an example of the backchannel in action.

Q: In business presentations, the "backchannel" is A) the "notes" portion of an electronic slide, which only the presenter can see. B) subtle, nonverbal cues the presenter sends during the presentation. C) electronic communication among audience members during the presentation. D) password-protected electronic slides that only certain audience members are allowed to view.

Q: Which of the following is not a good way to deal with speaking anxiety? A) Prepare more material than necessary. B) Focus on being perfect. C) Take a few deep breaths before speaking. D) Have your first sentence memorized and on the tip of your tongue.

Q: When checking the location of your presentation in advance, you should A) not worry about seating arrangementsthey have no effect on how you deliver your remarks. B) always request a whiteboard, even if you aren't sure you will need it. C) find out whether the venue offers a projection system that you will be expected to use. D) do all of the above.

Q: Rehearsing your presentation on video will A) help you check your voice, timing, phrasing, and physical gestures. B) increase your nervousness. C) most likely ruin your ability to make an effective presentation. D) rob you of the confidence you need.

Q: When speaking from notes, it is best to print them on A) regular white typing paper. B) heavy note cards. C) brightly colored note cards. D) your smartphone.

Q: The most effective and easiest mode of speech delivery in nearly all situations is A) memorization. B) reading from a prepared script. C) speaking from an outline or notes. D) impromptu speaking.

Q: Delivering your presentation by reading it word-for-word is usually a bad idea except when A) your presentation is very lengthy. B) you're covering policy statements or legal documents that must be presented verbatim. C) the presentation is humorous. D) the audience is hostile.

Q: Disadvantages of delivering a presentation from memory include all of the following except A) sounding stilted. B) possibly forgetting your lines. C) sounding too informal. D) all of the above are disadvantages.

Q: You should always close your speech A) on an encouraging and memorable note. B) by leaving the audience with a feeling of incompleteness, which you can resolve in the question-and-answer period. C) with something dramatic or flamboyant. D) by introducing some new ideas for the audience to think about.

Q: If your speech or presentation requires the audience to participate in an upcoming project, you should A) go directly to the question-and-answer session after you cover the main points of your speech. B) close your speech on a note of uncertainty. C) close your speech by explaining who is responsible for doing what. D) lead people to believe that the decision will be easy to carry out.

Q: If there is a lack of consensus among the audience at the end of your presentation, you should A) gloss over it as quickly as possible. B) make the disagreement clear and be ready to suggest a method for resolving the differences. C) identify the individuals causing the disagreement and ask them pointed questions. D) do all of the above.

Q: When you have covered all the main points in your speech A) make sure your concluding remarks are memorable and expressed in a tone that is appropriate to the situation. B) wrap up as quickly as possible. C) avoid using such phrases as "To sum it all up" and "In conclusion." D) keep it simple with a statement such as, "Well, I guess that's it."

Q: At the close of a business presentation A) audience attention tends to reach its lowest point. B) be clear about what you want the audience to do next. C) you should avoid making it obvious that you're about to finish. D) audiences resent being reminded of the presentation's main ideas.

Q: To hold your audience's attention during the body of your speech A) make at least seven or eight main points. B) include numerous abstract ideas. C) relate your subject to your audience's needs. D) do all of the above.

Q: "Now that we've identified the problem, let's take a look at some solutions" is an example of A) a transition that is overly specific and promises too much. B) a good transition between major sections of a speech. C) a transition that fails to use the proper transitional phrase. D) a transition that can link two sentences, but not two sections of speech.

Q: As a speaker, how you go about establishing credibility depends in part on A) what time of day you deliver your remarks. B) whether or not you are a well-known expert in the subject. C) how you are dressed. D) the size of your audience.

Q: One effective way to arouse interest at the start of a speech is to A) always start things off with a joke. B) unite the audience around a common goal. C) tease the audience by not mentioning specifically what you'll be talking about. D) do none of the above.

Q: In the introduction to your presentation, it is important to A) discuss the three or four main points on your outline. B) establish credibility. C) ask for audience input. D) boast about your qualifications.

Q: Formal speeches differ from informal ones in that A) formal speeches always include obscure, unfamiliar vocabulary. B) formal speeches are always much longer. C) formal speeches are often delivered from a stage or platform. D) when delivering a formal speech, you should speak more rapidly.

Q: To reduce the formality of an oral presentation, A) deliver your remarks in a conversational tone. B) use a large room. C) seat the audience in rows. D) do all of the above.

Q: When preparing an outline for your speech, keep in mind that A) it can include delivery cues, such as where you plan to pause for emphasis or use visuals. B) you should keep each item to two- to three-word descriptions of what you will say. C) you can leave out all transitions. D) this is not the place to include "stage directions."

Q: When organizing a speech, use the indirect approach if your purpose is to ________ and the audience is ________. A) entertain, resistant B) motivate, receptive C) persuade, resistant D) inform, receptive

Q: Longer speeches and presentations are organized like A) reports. B) memos. C) letters. D) email messages.

Q: If you have 10 minutes or less to deliver a presentation A) speak as quickly as you possibly can. B) limit yourself to four or five main points. C) you can assume your audience is already interested. D) organize your presentation as you would a brief written message.

Q: In preparing presentations, keep in mind that audience attention levels and retention rates drop sharply after ________ minutes. A) 5 B) 20 C) 45 D) 60

Q: When using conventional structured slides, try to average one slide for A) each minute you speak. B) every 3 minutes you speak. C) every 7 minutes you speak. D) every 10 minutes you speak.

Q: For business presentations, time restraints are usually A) rigid, permitting little or no flexibility. B) meaninglessaudiences expect presenters to take a little more time than they're allotted. C) imposed only on lower-level employees. D) not important if you are presenting to your colleagues.

Q: The best way to clarify your main idea in a presentation is to A) provide a lengthy handout for your audience to review during your presentation. B) describe it using jargon and complicated language to emphasize its importance. C) develop a single sentence that links your subject and purpose to your audience's frame of reference. D) allow your audience to gradually figure it out on their own.

Q: When organizing a speech or presentation, your first step is to A) develop an outline. B) define the main idea. C) write the introduction. D) decide on the delivery style.

Q: Selecting the right medium for your presentation is A) easyyou're simply giving a speech. B) an important decision since technology offers a number of choices. C) only an issue when addressing audiences from other cultures. D) not something you need to think about early on.

Q: One of the steps in analyzing your audience is to A) determine whether your audience is comfortable listening to the language you speak. B) remember to keep your speech or oral presentation short. C) define your purpose. D) prepare a detailed, informative outline.

Q: The two most common purposes of business presentations are to A) analyze and synthesize. B) regulate and validate. C) inform and persuade. D) illustrate and entertain.

Q: When you prepare a speech or presentation, your first step involves A) analyzing the situation. B) choosing the right words. C) planning the content, length, and style of your speech or presentation. D) doing all of the above.

Q: Speeches and oral presentations are much like any other messages in that A) they require similar planning. B) they require no planning. C) the interaction between the audience and speaker is similar. D) they deal with emotional or personal issues to a similar extent.

Q: The writer's analysis, logic, and interpretation of the information are usually included in the ________ of the report.

Q: A(n) ________ ________ is a fully developed "mini" version of the report itself.

Q: A(n) ________ synopsis simply tells what the report is about.

Q: A(n) ________ synopsis presents the main points of a report in the order in which they appear in the text.

Q: The letter of ________ conveys the essence of the report to the readers in a manner that can be less formal than the rest of the report.

Q: A letter of ________ is a written acknowledgment of the letter of authorization.

Q: The ________ ________ is a single sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it.

Q: The cover, title page, and table of contents are among the ________ parts of a formal report.

Q: The three categories of report components are ________ parts, ________ parts, and the supplementary parts.

Q: After sending your report, you should wait at least six weeks before contacting the audience if you don't receive a response.

Q: By the time you are ready to check visual elements in the completing step for formal reports, you can normally assume that all the data are correct.

Q: When you proofread the text part of a report, you should essentially look for the same types of mistakes as you would look for in any business message.

Q: The close of a formal proposal emphasizes the benefits that readers will realize from your solution.

Q: If a proposal is unsolicited, the letter of transmittal should follow the format for persuasive messages.

Q: A synopsis or executive summary is usually less useful in a formal proposal than in other types of formal reports.

Q: Most proposals have few supplementary parts.

Q: The components of a formal proposal are entirely different from those of other formal reports.

Q: Proposals addressed to external audiences, including potential customers and investors, are nearly always formal.

Q: An index is necessary only if your report is going to be published.

Q: Acknowledging sources in the body of a report is appropriate for academic work, but never in business.

Q: The most common supplementary parts to include in a formal report are the appendix, the bibliography, and the index.

Q: In reports that are intended to lead to action, the recommendations section may be fairly extensive because it spells out exactly what should happen next.

Q: The close of a report may be called the "Summary" or "Conclusions and Recommendations."

Q: Reports do not need an introduction if they have a synopsis and a letter of transmittal.

Q: The introduction is a good place to tell readers why they should be concerned with your topic.

Q: The introduction to a formal business report should always exist as a separate section.

Q: Many reports, especially short ones, require neither a synopsis nor an executive summary.

Q: Unlike a synopsis, an executive summary may contain headings and visual elements.

Q: A synopsis is generally more comprehensive than an executive summary.