SPEAKING TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES

Giving a speech or presentation to an audience of people who speak various languages
or have differing cultural backgrounds requires special tact on the part of the speaker.
Here are some tips and techniques on how to effectively engage a diverse audience:

• Enunciate clearly. If possible, try to speak with a neutral accent to better include 

all audience members.

• Don't speak too fast. Remember that the normal pace of speech in one language 

might become incomprehensible for people relatively new to that language.

• Be careful with metaphors. Some metaphors that are appropriate in one culture 

can be offensive to another. A good example is references to sports not popular or 

practiced in a certain country, or phrases that are comical in one culture yet offensive in 

another.

• Know the meanings of words outside your native language. 

Unless you are absolutely sure of the meaning and pronunciation of a word you are

 using in a given language, do not use it. In some languages, slight variations of a vowel 

will completely alter the meaning of a word.

• Avoid slang, jargon and idiomatic expressions. Diverse audiences may not 

understand slang from a given country. English phrases such 

as "that dog don't hunt" or "cool as a cucumber" might be colorful, but the meaning

could be lost on a large part of the audience.

• Be mindful of body language, eye contact and personal space. Posture, 

mannerisms and eye contact speak volumes and what is taken for granted in one culture

 might be considered offensive in another.

Mesyuarat Latihan Ke -2 hari ini 9.12.2014

Tarikh : 9.12.2014
Hari : Selasa
Masa : 7-10 malam
Tempat : Tingkat 3, Restoren Auliyah, Lahad Datu, Sabah.

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INTRODUCING SPEAKERS

If you host a special event, you may be required to introduce speakers. 

Try these quick tips for delivering thoughtful speaker introductions:

• Don't steal the show by making the introduction too long (60 seconds or less is 

sufficient), or by speaking on a topic that is in no way related to the speaker.

• Grab the audience's attention 

with a great opening. This can be an inspiring quote, a humorous anecdote, or an 

impressive milestone the speaker has achieved.

• Briefly mention the topic the speaker is addressing, but don't reveal too much 

about his or her speech.

• Establish the speaker's 
• authority and expertise. This information will help solidify with the audience 

the speaker's credibility as a subject matter expert.

GIVING SALES PITCHES

A sales pitch or proposal seeks to persuade. The objective of the presentation is
to sell a product, concept or idea. The ability to present sales pitches and proposals
 effectively can open the door to professional opportunities.

To organize ideas into an effective sales pitch or proposal, use the “inverted pyramid”
 approach, which gives an audience the most important information in the first few
sentences (how much money might be saved, how lives might be improved, etc.).
Support claims with logic and evidence, and end every sales pitch or proposal 
with a call to action. If an audience agrees with the initial message or point,
the supporting material that follows will reinforce that agreement. If an audience
disagrees, logic and evidence may win them over.

Use high-quality yet simple visual aids, such as charts or slides, to help clarify
any sales pitch or proposal. Make sure the visual aids can be seen by every person
 in the audience, and limit each chart or slide to a single main point.

Offer a question-and-answer period following a sales pitch or proposal,
which can supply you with valuable feedback about the effectiveness of the pitch.
It also gives an audience the opportunity to further clarify specific points or data
that was presented. Below are a few ways toeffectively answer questions 
from an audience:

• Anticipate possible questions by rehearsing with colleagues or friends.
• Provide answers that support the sales pitch or proposal.
• Disarm loaded questions (those based on false premises or irrelevant 

assumptions) by being polite and asking the questioner to further explain his or her question.

• Divide complicated questions into several parts before answering them.

DELIVERING TECHNICAL BRIEFINGS

A technical briefing is a speech that conveys technical information to a specific
audience, usually in a workplace.

Technical briefings should be presented in a way that allows an audience to understand 
and apply critical information. Technical briefings can range from an engineer
briefing a group of managers on a current project, to a retail supervisor explaining
 a new company policy to the store employees. Follow the steps below to ensure
your technical briefings are as effective as they can be:

• Know your audience. Avoid using too much industry jargon or material that is 

too technical for your colleagues to easily understand.

• State the purpose of the technical briefing in one or two sentences and use this 

summary as the focal point for the entire presentation.

• Arrange the material into an outline containing an introduction, 

main points and a conclusion.

• Summarize the main points of the technical briefing during the conclusion.