OFFICE PROCEDURES

Prepared by Maria Asuncion

6 of 14
Types of written messages (p. 102)
•  The types of messages we’re familiar with
include:
•  Emails (a lot of tips on pages 102-103)

•  Instant messaging (IM) [p. 104, Figure 6-12]

•  Memoranda (memos) [p. 105, Figure 6-13]

•  Reports

•  Letters
Letters (p. 105-106)
•  Self-Check B on page 106 tests whether or not

you can rewrite some sentences effectively.

1. Your kind letter of October 8 was received today.

2. I wish to thank you for your recent order.

Letters (p. 105-106)
3. As per my letter of November 5, the modular
(designed) furniture delivered to use that day is
unsatisfactory.

4. Please send us the information at your earliest

convenience.
Letters (p. 105-106)
5. The error I made was unfortunate.

6. Your claim that we made an error in your bill is

incorrect.
Letters (p. 105-106)
7. A preponderance (high number) of
businesspeople was consulted on this esoteric
(small) matter.

8. People’s propensity (tendency) to consume

goods is insatiable (cannot be satisfied).
Letters (p. 105-106)
9. You will receive the merchandise without any
more delay.

10. You will not be sorry if you buy one of our

washing machines.
Letter writing for e-Portfolio (p. 116)
•  On page 116, read over Project 6-6

•  Write a letter of congratulations to Shanti

•  You can choose to use any letterhead or none at

all

Send your document to

mariakasuncion@gmail.com or drag it to your
Google Drive folder.
This Thursday
•  I will be handing out group presentation topics

•  You will choose your group members

•  If you’re absent on Thursday, you will be put in a

random group

•  We will be playing bingo again to determine who

will go first
Chapter 7: Effective Presentations
•  Basic types of written messages:

•  Emails
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•  Memoranda (memos)

•  Letters

•  Reports
 Creativity (p. 118)
•  Creativity: having the ability or the power to cause to
exist
•  Creativity is a process, and a way of thinking & doing

•  It’s also a way of making new connections & links

•  It can also solve problems in a new and different way

•  Creativity is also very helpful when adapting (or

adjusting) to changes in the workplace
 Creativity (p. 118)
•  Most importantly, for today, we’re gonna see how
creativity helps make effective presentations
•  When giving presentations, there’s usually 2 goals:

•  To help the audience understand the importance of

teamwork in today’s workplace
•  To help the audience understand how to develop
empowered teams
Planning a presentation (p. 120)
•  Begin early: a lot of preparation is necessary, and
it’s very rare that you don’t need to prepare for
your presentation
•  Identify the objective: are you presenting to inform
or persuade?
•  Consider the audience:
•  Why are they attending the presentation?
•  What do they want to learn or how can they
benefit from the presentation?
Planning a presentation (p. 120)
•  What are the demographics (characteristics
such as age, gender, race, education, and
income level) of the audience?
•  What are there interests?

•  What knowledge do they have about the topic

being presented?
Consider the time and length
•  Ask the meeting organizer about the desired
length of the presentation (so for our course, it’s
10-20 minutes, but at work, your employers and
coworkers might expect more)
•  When you present outside of class, try to keep
your presentations no longer than 40 minutes,
especially if you’re not engaging the audience
•  But let’s say there are activities in between the
presentation, it can go on for longer
Construct an outline (Figure 7-1)
•  An outline includes an introduction (or intro), a
body, and a conclusion
•  Intro: tell your audience the topic(s) that you will
cover
•  Body: provide details
•  Closing/conclusion: remind them what was said
by giving a summary
•  Repeating the main idea(s) of the presentation
helps the audience understand and remember
what has been said
Research the topic

•  Just as all of you research your group

presentation topics last course, it’s important to
have evidence support your topics
•  So using the textbook is very important, or
referring to the class’ presentation slides; maybe
you might even want to do extra research on the
Internet
Creating the presentation (p. 121)
•  Develop an opening (for workplace presentations):
•  You might wanna start with a relevant story or a
quotation, or a joke, but you have to make sure
the joke is appropriate
•  Remember that the purpose of the opening is to
“set the stage” for the message (or prepare the
audience for the main idea[s])
•  After the opening, transition into the outline of the
main points of presentation because it’ll help the
audience know what will be presented
Develop a strong body
•  Start with the strongest points

•  What is the message?

•  Are you developing the right message for your

audience?
•  Are you using current facts and figures as
examples?
•  Do the quotations relate to points you make? Do

not use too many quotes; they can distract from

the main idea(s)

•  Are you using direct language? Are you using

simple sentences?

•  Are you using active voice?

•  Is your message sincere, relevant and credible?

Develop an appropriate conclusion
•  The conclusion should summarize the points

made in the presentation and leave the audience

feeling motivated to respond in the way intended

•  The conclusion is the final impression on the

audience

•  Leave the audience energized to work toward the

goal or information shared in your presentation

Conclusion suggestions (p. 122)
•  You can end your presentation by using these
verbal signals:
•  In conclusion…
•  The final point is…
•  Now that we’ve reached the end, I (or we) just
wanna repeat…
•  At this point, we’d like to end our presentation
by repeating…
•  Now that we’ve reviewed the [main idea], we’d
like to part with…
Using visual aids (p. 122)
•  Visual aid: an object or image that the audience
can see and that will help them understand the
message
•  When used properly, visual aids can greatly
enhance the presentation and help people
understand the message
•  Visual aids can help the audience remember
information better
•  People generally remember 40% more when they
hear and see something simultaneously (at the
same time)
Using visual aids (p. 122)
•  Objects: natural items (e.g., plants); a piece of
equipment (e.g., a sorting strip); and products
(e.g., books)
Using visual aids (p. 122)
•  Posters: shows an image related to the main
idea(s); this requires computer design knowledge
•  Flipcharts: pads of large paper with pages that
can be removed from the pad and displayed on
meeting room walls as reminders (very low-tech)
 Using visual aids (p. 122)
•  Interactive electronic whiteboards: a large interactive
display that can be connected wirelessly to a
computer using Bluetooth technology or physically
through a USB cable
•  A projected image of a computer desktop is displayed
on the surface of the whiteboard
Handouts (p. 123)
•  Handouts: sheets of paper that is printed out,
containing the slides and space for writing notes
•  In this class instead of using handouts, we have
the option of looking at the presentation slides at
our class’ Weebly website
•  If you opt for handouts, however, you should
make sure the handouts are attractive, easy to
read and free of errors
Preparing to deliver your presentation (p. 123)
•  At many workplaces, you will have 3 basic types
of audiences:
•  Coworkers in your organization
•  Workplace teams containing a cross-section of
people within your organization
•  Colleagues within professional organization to
which you belong
Stage fright (p. 124)
•  When you’re feeling very nervous and anxious
about presenting in front of people, you might be
experiencing “stage fright”
•  To overcome or fight against stage fright, you can
prepare yourself for your presentation as much as
you can
•  With proper planning and practice, you can
develop effective presentation skills and
overcome stage fright (or presentation anxiety)
Other tips when preparing (p. 124-125)
•  Visualize your audience (think of who you’ll be
presenting to, so you can be familiar with your
audience)
•  Rehearse (hopefully in the same room you’ll be
presenting, so you can be prepared for any
adjustments)
•  Use visual aids effectively

•  Stand where you will not block the view of your

audience
•  Look at the audience as much as you can

•  Do not look at your presentation too much

•  Make sure your visual aids are not distracting

During your presentation (p. 126)
•  Maintain eye contact with the audience
•  Use natural gestures
•  Be natural; do not perform
•  Observe the nonverbal feedback from the
audience
•  Watch your time (in this case, I will inform you
with a sign that you’re past 10 minutes, and past
20 minutes)
 Giving team presentations (p. 127)
•  What are the strengths and weaknesses of each
person?
•  What does the strength of each person add to the
strength of the team?
•  Do the team members collectively have a breadth (or
range) of knowledge about the topic?
•  What particular knowledge does each individual have?
•  Does the team have technical knowledge for the
presentation?
•  What people skills does each presenter possess?
Work together for success (p. 127)
•  Each team member should know the purpose of
the presentation
•  Identify the duties (or responsibilities) of each
team members related to planning, research,
writing, visual aids, and presenting
•  Set deadlines for when each task should be
completed, and the times for when the team will
meet to work on or rehearse the presentation
Skills @ Work (p. 123)
•  Presentations are also used for professional
development and/or training purposes
•  So at work, you might have to make slideshows
to present a report (e.g., financial report, quarterly
report, sales reports, etc.)
•  You might have to be familiar with creating and/or
proofreading presentation slides at work, to
ensure that the quality of the presentation is
professional
Letter writing for e-Portfolio (p. 116)
•  On page 116, read over Project 6-6

•  Write a letter of congratulations to Shanti

•  You can choose to use any letterhead or none at

all

Send your document to

mariakasuncion@gmail.com or drag it to your
Google Drive folder.