BUS603: Managing People

Remember using PASS to plan messages? Let's review quickly how PASS applies to giving a formal presentation.

PURPOSE

Clarify exactly what you are trying to do. What outcome do you want as a result of your message? Write down a clear and concise purpose statement.

AUDIENCE

Who will be listening to you? What are their primary concerns? Why will your message matter to them? How can you get their attention and keep it? Watch 5 Things Every Presenter Should Know About People by Susan Weinschenk.

STRATEGY

What's the best way to accomplish your aim? Will your audience trust you easily? Should you appeal to their heads or their hearts?  Be direct or indirect? 

STRUCTURE

Your audience can't scan forward or backward when they get lost, so the structure of your oral presentation needs to be rock solid and crystal clear. Use the 4A's to keep yourself and your audience on track.

Attention

Get everyone's attention with a skillful hook. A great hook gives the audience confidence in you and gets them on your side. See below for examples.

Agenda

Tell your audience what they can expect and preview the structure of your talk. Often a two- or three-part agenda is most effective. Setting a verbal agenda builds anticipation and readies the mind to receive information.

Argument

Follow through on your promised agenda structure. Include only relevant details that contribute to your argument. You only have attention for 10–15 minutes at a time, so if your presentation is scheduled to be longer, plan for some activity or group interaction.

Action

Don't just fade out, and don't finish weakly. Instead, remind your audience why your message matters, issue a stirring call to action, and finish strong.

Q&A

The Q&A period can make or break your presentation. Prepare as well for the Q&A as you do for your talk. Predict audience questions and concerns, preparing articulate answers or additional data slides for the end of your deck. And this is important: don't just fade out at the end of the Q&A. When you finish answering questions, wrap up your talk with a final reference to your call to action.

Activity 12.1

Follow the PASS planning steps for an oral presentation you might be asked to give in the next few months. Write down a purpose statement, analyze your audience, determine a strategy, and outline your structure.

EXAMPLE HOOKS

Think of hooks as the front door of your presentation. How inviting is your presentation's front door?