Essentials of Oral Presentations

Many speakers, even mature, well-educated people come on to the dais but fail to make an interesting presentation of their ideas on the given topic. Such poor speakers bore the audience so much that the audience yawns and struggles to stay awake. Quite sadly in some presentations the audience cannot recall at the end of a lecture what they have learned though the speaker has delivered copious amounts of information and given its analysis. Usually the purpose of a presentation is either to inform or convince or entertain, but an unskilled, ill-informed speaker can achieve none of these. An analysis of the factors responsible for the failure of a presentation of a hypothetical speaker is made in the following paragraphs. It is needless to say that the rectification of those factors leads to success.

Assertion of the speaker’s authority and a proper body language: Some speakers don’t give the impression that they are the right people to talk on the given topic, either by their nervous behavior or their failure to inform the audience of their credentials on the topic. Quite strangely, some speakers all through their talk either rivet their attention on a single listener or don’t look at the audience at all, giving their full attention to the notes they have brought. Some stare absently at the objects or look around the room for no reason or play nervously with objects like pen or note book which not only annoys the audience but elicits their distrust also.

Voice Modulation: Another important reason for the failure of a speech is a voice which is terribly monotonous, lacking in the modulations and reflects neither the feelings attached to each piece of information nor the inferences made from such information. (Fast 108) Such presentations make it difficult for the audience to understand; similarly in some presentations, the voice of the speaker and his point are mutually contradictory. A clear, modulating voice is a tool to make meaning clearer, but an improper use of it leads to confusion and irritation. (Jehan 105)

Introduction to the given topic: The audience has to be walked into a context. Listeners who have taken the pains to come to a venue are definitely interested in a speech. But the first and foremost factor defining the success of a lecture is the way the topic is introduced: its importance has to be explained, its relevance to the life or career of each member of the audience has to be properly connected, and the basic concepts related to the topic have to be explained. Many speakers are not aware of this essential requirement of a lecture and hence focus more on the quantity of information – a lot of statistics, numerous references and scores of examples- while failing to lay a foundation for the audience to understand those reams of information.

Fewer Perspectives rather than many: Many speakers deliver their speech with a false notion that many perspectives and many ideas make it a success. But the listeners can neither remember nor refer to all the contents of speech some time later like one does with the written material; meaning of a speech has to made on the spot; they can not postpone it just because there is a lot of information; A speech where its meaning is postponed is definitely the one whose purpose is ruined. The hallmark of a good speech is that the audience understands it on the spot as they listen. For this to happen, the entire speech no matter how big it is should center on very few principal ideas-three or four. Too many ideas leave the audience wondering where they are being led.

Preparation: A speaker who is comfortable in his presentation and having adequate control over what he is going to talk about can deliver his message effectively. That he is comfortable in his job is reflected in his voice, which is well-modulated and exactly tuned to the level of the audience – neither loud nor low-and in an appropriate facial expression. A ‘comfortable’ speaker makes the audience comfortable. A ‘comfortable’ audience receives the message correctly and nothing can stop them from rating the lecture highly. A comfortable audience of the lecture forgets all of their other concerns and is lost in the lecture only. At the end, it carries home a pleasant experience as well as an insightful learning. But the key to such a level of success is preparation. A presentation can be successful only as much as its preparation is. During preparation, a speaker chooses everything that he has to deliver: information, experiences, stories, examples, visual aids, order of points, jokes, and even words too!

To sum up, many experienced, educated people are poor speakers; the success of a speech depends primarily on the preparation, introduction, voice, and body language. It is a false notion that a successful speech requires many perspectives and several ideas; three or four principal ideas are enough.

Works Cited

Fast, Julius. Body Language, New York: Pocket Books, 1970.

Jehan, Gorge W. Persuasive Speaking. Surrey,U.K: Elliot Right Way Books Limited, 1972.

Top Ten Tips on Negotiating With a Prospective Employee

Have you ever wondered why there isn’t much written about negotiating the terms of a job offer? It’s because many dentists consider it an uncomfortable part of the Right hiring process. Many doctors fail to understand the process of compensation negotiation. It is not simply offering the lowest wage for services rendered. Communication, preparation, trust, a mutual understanding of each party’s position and willingness to compromise are the key ingredients of successful negotiations. In the end both parties must feel they have reached an agreement that serves their mutual interests.

Below are the 10 keys to successful compensation negotiation. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important strategic tool of compensation negotiation.

1. Do your homework. Make sure you have done your research on the wage you are offering for the position being offered. Uncovering wage information is not as difficult as it may seem. Consider the following resources:

  • Ask at least 3 of your dental colleagues for their pay scales.
  • Check out on-line salary surveys like http://www.salary.com.
  • Use job listings which indicate compensation for related positions.
  • Ask friends in different yet comparable professions (Chiropractic, Accountant, Physician, and Architect).

2. Never negotiate without an offer in mind. The only time to negotiate a compensation package is when you have a clear offer formulated in advance and you are prepared to put that offer on the table in writing.

3. Think relationship. Remember your offer negotiation is taking place in the spirit of developing a relationship with a prospective new employee. Put yourself in the position of the person on the other side of the desk and you’ll realize he/she is probably as uncomfortable as you are.

4. Leave your ego at the door. Avoid, at all costs the temptation to be egotistical. Avoid making wage discussions be part of an ego trip or part of a game. This is serious business for both you and the candidate.

5. Relax. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable and uneasy about discussing money.

6. Hold off. If asked early on in the interview process, “What is the pay?” Tell the prospect that you would prefer learning more about them, their talents and past performance before you discuss compensation and that you are confident you will be able to reach a mutual agreement about pay at that time.

7. Avoid showing the buying signs. Take time to ask questions relevant to the position and learn how the candidate has performed in similar positions and situations. When you extend the interview longer than planned, or you start talking about yourself, the practice, and its history or you ask about the prospects wage and benefits needs, you may come across as too eager. You may loose leverage in the wage negotiation process.

8. Maintain control. When all your issues have been addressed satisfactorily, make the wage offer. Summarize the requirements and expected outputs of the position and then disclose to the candidate the wage you are offering.

9. Make a clear offer while having a range in mind. When all questioning has been completed to your satisfaction, references have been checked and you believe this is the Right candidate, make an unambiguous and unmistakable offer. However, be prepared with a range (that is a wage that is competitive and you are comfortable with) that will allow you to enhance upwards if the candidate balks and he/she is the Right one for your office.

10. Offer up the whole enchilada. Many practices use a variety of benefits and incentives to attract high level talent beyond a base wage. Include all perks, benefits and extras that will be included in the compensation package. An increasing number of employers are offering flexible benefit packages, which allow employees a variety of choices regarding their benefits. Tell the prospect what the whole package will look like.

It is critical to develop a negotiation strategy just as you develop a strategy for handling standard interview questions. Make a clear distinction between the negotiation of a position and discussions about the wage to be offered. It will help if you keep in mind the first principle of successful negotiation: Do your homework and never negotiate without an offer in mind. Preparation is the key element in successful compensation negotiation. Negotiating compensation packages requires a positive approach and both you and your prospective new employee have individual interests at stake. Look for ways to reconcile both by creating opportunities for mutual gain.

BONUS:
11. Put your offer in writing. In the emotion and nervousness of the Negotiations, details can often be overlooked. In all fairness to you and your new employee, your agreement needs to be put in written form. The offer spells out the points of your agreement. This will dramatically reduce the chances for misunderstandings that may occur at a later date.

Past and Present Overview Of Bardhaman District

Bardhaman district is one of the fastest productive industrial districts of India which is known for its natural resources. The district covers over 7,000 km and is situated in a favourable position as it is flanked by five other districts of West Bengal namely Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, Hooghly and Bankura. In the northwest region the district meets the state of Jharkhand.

Interestingly, the headquarters of the district also share the same name I.e. Bardhaman city. It is commonly believed that the district got its new name after the Jain spiritual leader, Mahavir Bardhaman, visited this place. Mahavir Bardhaman, the 24th Jain Tirthankar, lived in a small village of Ajahapur near Memari Railway Station which presently falls under NH2.

During the 16th century, the place gained immense prominence when the Mughal leader Sufi pir Baharam settled in the outskirts of the town of Sharifabad. Baharam arrived and settled here in a bid to escape from the atrocities laid upon him by his rivalries, Abul Fazal and Faizi. During the Gupta period, the place was better known as Sharifabad and was an important agricultural and administrative centre. Even during the British rule, it became a hub of many patriotic activities.

Owing to its wonderful location, the district is always hustled with a lot of commercial and tourist activities. It can be said that the district is quite well planned in comparison of other districts of West Bengal. It consists of six subdivisions namely Asansol, Kalna, Durgapur, Katwa, Sadar – south and Sadar – north.The National Highway 60 or NH 60 connects the district to the surrounding regions and rest of the state. The other two National Highways namely NH 60 and NH 28 also cover a wide area across the district. All major townships including Durgapur, Asansol, Raniganj, Andal, etc. are connected to major roads. The railway network of the Bardhaman district is connected to two major branch lines. One connects to Katwa and the other connects to Howrah.

Over the past decade Bardhaman has flourished both in agricultural and technological terms. The eastern region is blessed with the rich alluvial soil due to the presence of River Bhagirathi. On the other hand, the western soil is loaded with mineral resources. Various industries based on iron, steel and cement have been established in the townships of Durgapr, Asansol, Rajganj, Murnur Kulti etc. It is to be noted that a major portion of Bardhaman overview is dependent on its growth which took place amid 1955-1965. Today, the region is better known as a rising industrial belt owing to the industrialised zones of the Durgapur and Asansol Subdivisions.