This memo describes how Nancy Megan would be a great speaker for our BCOM3950 class this semester. Ms. Megan is a CEO of a leading presentation company, Megan. She is also an author of two books about presentation skills. Her speech was at the TEDxEast conference in New York City, New York on November 11, 2010. The eighteen-minute speech covered how communication structures have progressed. The Business Communications Department should consider Ms. Megan as one of the speakers at the conference. Her knowledge of the audience, environment, and content were well developed.
Audience: Ms. Megan shaped her message to appeal to the needs and interests of the audience in two ways:
Involvement: The presentation involved the audience. She opened by saying you have the power to change the world. I felt involved in the presentation because I felt that I could make a difference in the world. Motivation: She motivated me by saying, an idea is powerless if it stays inside of you. If I have a great idea, I should express it, not hide it. Ms. Megans motivation statement appealed to my needs and interests.
One area could have improved appeal.
Example: Ms. Megan used Star Wars as an example of stories to her audience. Many people in the audience may have lost some appeal during this segment because they have are not familiar with the film. A more widely known story could have appealed more to her audience.
Environment: Ms. Megan appealed to her audience, but she also maintained a connection. Many factors positively affected Ms. Megans ability to connect with me. Two factors include:
Technology: Ms. Megans use of technology made her presentation very simple to follow. Her power point slides were related to her topic and appealing. The handheld remote and power point slides enhanced her presentation. Movement on Stage: The handheld remote allowed Ms. Megan to move around the room freely. Ms. Megans movement around the stage allowed her to connect effectively with me.
Content: Ms. Megan developed and organized her topic throughout her presentation. One area of her presentation could have been a less time consuming.
Posters: The area involving her family going to Maui and viewing posters could have been less time consuming. I felt that since it was in the beginning of the presentation, she should relate the poster to me in some way.
Although the posters could have been less time consuming, one area could have received more attention.
Early Structures: Ms. Megan rushed through the early structures of communication with Aristotle and Freytag. More emphasis on these topics could help with understanding the relations between early and common-day structures.
Summary and Action
Ms. Megans audience appeal, use of environment, and the organization of her content made her presentation very effective. The strengths of her presentation outweighed her weaknesses. I recommend Ms. Megan to be one of the speakers at the convention. Attending a similar presentation by Ms. Megan would be beneficial to the students of this class. Thank you for considering my recommendation and I will gladly welcome any questions you may have.