BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
UNIT-4
Listening
◦To listen is to give attention to sound or action.
◦ When listening, one is hearing what others are
saying, and trying to understand what it means.
◦The act of listening involves complex affective,
cognitive and behavioral processes.
◦ Affective processes include the motivation to listen
to others; cognitive processes include attending to,
understanding, receiving and interpreting content and
relational messages; and behavioral processes
include responding to others with verbal and
nonverbal feedback.
 Elements of effective listening
To improve our capacity to listen, we must be aware of and make choices regarding the level of concentration
and how hard each time we listen to something. The elements of listening effectively, arranged in the order in
which they occur, are as follows:
1) Hearing: To hear is to perform the physiological act of perceiving sounds as they reach our ears. It is
essential to be an alert listener in order to be a good listener.
2) Filtering: The removal of unwanted stimuli is known as filtering. The stimuli may be internal as well as
external. Internal stimuli can be the work deadlines, information needed for decision-making, or headache, etc.
The external stimuli can be spoken words or physical experiences that affect our senses, the things beyond our
control, etc. Filtering enables a listener to listen only to the important stimuli.
3) Interpreting: To interpret the message means to make understand the sense of the message being sent. It is
significant for the listener to understand the sense of the message which is sent by the sender.
4) Evaluating: The listener must assess the message, i.e., he must evaluate what is the essence of the
message, what is being said in the message, whether it is partly or fully right or wrong, respectful or
disrespectful, intelligent or stupid, logical or illogical, etc.
5) Responding: Having listened to what the speaker has to say, the listener must respond to him so as to
indicate that he has comprehended what was conveyed to him.
 Objectives of Listening
Listening serves the following purposes:
1) Develops and builds strong relationships-Listening allows individuals to know themselves
and others in a better way.
2) Obtains and understands information.
3) Objectively evaluates the message, which involves estimating its correctness and also
judging its relevance to a given situation.
4) People may also listen to something for their own delight, e.g., listening to a friend's
experience on a trip he had recently undertaken, listening to music or listening to birds chirping.
5) People may also listen to understand the problems of others who might want to share and
lighten the burden of their sorrows. Someone may also listen because he wants some advice
concerning the necessary action to take regarding a particular issue.
Process of Listening
1) Sensing/Selecting Stage: A number of stimuli surround the listener but he only chooses the relevant ones. He then
transforms them into a message.
2) Interpreting Stage: During this stage, the listener tries to interpret or assign meaning to the message. In this process, the
listener is confronted with many emotional, environmental, linguistic, semantic or psychological hurdles.
3) Evaluating Stage: At this stage, the listener evaluates the message of the speaker and examines it to form a point of view,
ask himself what the crucial aspects of the speaker's argument are, infers conclusions from the speaker's comments and
checks the correctness of information and facts for or against what the speaker has said. At times previous experiences,
sentiments, and beliefs disturb the listener and make the evaluation process hard for the listener.
4) Responding Stage: At this stage, the listener has interpreted and analysed the message and is prepared to respond to the
speaker. The listener's body language and other non-verbal cues let the speaker know whether what he has said has made
sense to the listener or not and also if the listener has been only pretending to pay attention.
5) Remembering Stage: This is the last stage of listening. If one listens effectively, one may remember the parts what one has
heard. In fact, how much one remembers of a talk or a speech is often an indication of how much attention one was paying to
it, while the presentation was going on. It is unfortunate that regardless of how good a speaker is, most listeners can recall only
10-25% of a presentation or speech. For this reason, a speaker who wants to make a good impression must always present
his points in an organised way, aided by good visuals, so that his audience remembers what he has said when he is over with
the presentation.
 Essentials of listening
1) Listen with Patience: The speaker deserves a patient hearing, even if the listener does not agree with
him. The listener can encourage the speaker to continue talking in simple ways such as nodding, or saying
'hmm...' or 'Go on’.

2) Understand the Emotions of the Speaker: It is important for the listener to understand the speaker both
intellectually and emotionally. Effective listeners must concentrate fully on what a speaker is saying because
many speakers are not able to express their emotions in a clear manner.

3) Restatement and Summary: The listener must reframe the summary from what the speaker has said to
him, and do so in such a way that it reassures the speaker and makes him go on talking. For example, when
a speaker finishes complaining about how unhappy he is in his current job because of his manager’s
manipulative and dishonest behaviour, the listener can summarize his long angry speech by simply focusing
on the crucial reasons of his dissatisfaction and say, “So what you are saying is that your manager is unfair
and only promotes his favourites over others who work much harder than them"; but in doing so, he must
keep his tone neutral and try not to force his own assumptions or conclusions regarding the issue on the
speaker.
Essentials of listening
4) Set Aside Time for Questions and Discussion: Allotting separate time for questions and answers as well
as discussion, when the speaker has finished talking, is always a good idea. This helps to separate formal
from informal communication and makes the usage of language less cumbersome and more interesting. In
other words, it does away with any officialese that might have otherwise been part of the conversation.
5) Get Past Common Cliches: If a speaker has the tendency to use too many cliches or has a routinised and
repetitive manner of expressing himself, but still has something valuable to say, the listener should overlook
the negativities and pay attention to the crux of the speaker's message if he wants to learn something
beneficial from it.
6) Avoid Interrupting the Speaker: An effective listener should not try to express his views while the speaker
is expressing his own as this could repress what the speaker is trying to say.
7) Talk Less, Listen More: If two people have to communicate effectively, both of them should give more
weightage to listening attentively as against offering lengthy explanations.
8) Establish a Close Relationship with the Speaker: It is good idea for the listener to try and form a friendly
equation with the speaker based on trust and goodwill.
 Types of Listening
Listening can be of the following types:
1) Discriminative Listening: Discriminative listening begins in an individual at a very early age. It is
the most fundamental form of listening and does not involve comprehending the meanings of words,
phrases, or sentences but simply recognizing the different sounds that are produced. For example, it
can be said that a child is listening discriminatively when he distinguishes between the sound of the
voice of his father and of his mother.
2) Comprehensive Listening: After being able to distinguish between different sounds of a
language, comes the task of making sense of them. To comprehend the meaning of a sequence of
sounds which is either a word or phrase or sentence in a particular language requires having a good
vocabulary and also the appropriate language skills such as all the rules of grammar and syntax by
which we can understand what others are saying. While speaking, important words should be
spoken and the words which are less important should not be selected for speech. Comprehensive
listening is also called content listening, informative listening and full listening
Types of Listening
3) Active Listening: Active listening involves paying maximum attention
to the words of a speaker to understand as much as possible of what he
is saying.
4) Passive Listening: Passive listening means to listen to what the
speaker is saying without reacting in between or interrupting him and not
being involved in any other activity during this time.
5) Biased Listening: Listening in a prejudiced way occurs when
someone listens only to what he wants to listen and neglects everything
else. Such a person is unable to receive right meaning of what is being
said since he makes sense of the messages he receives based on
stereotypes and other prejudices.
 Types of Listening
6) Evaluative Listening: In evaluative listening, we try to assess and
examine whether what is being said is in agreement with or against our
own values, is logical or illogical, coherent or incoherent, consistent or
inconsistent, what are the pros and cons of an argument and whether it
is beneficial to us in any way or not.
For example, this kind of listening would come into play when one wants
to find out if an employee’s explanation for an error he committed is
justified or not. Evaluative listening is especially relevant when someone
is trying to influence us to change our point of view as it also importantly
involves noticing the subtle ways in which language can be used to get
one's point across. It is also called interpretive judgmental or critical
listening.
 Types of Listening
7) Appreciative Listening: Appreciative listening is at work within a person while he is listening to a
great leader's speech, a fine musician's music or a great poet reciting his poetry, i.e., listening to
things which he finds valuable and enjoys and would prefer to give time to over other things. For
example, listening to a relative who shares his favourite amusing story each time the family gathers
together.
8) Sympathetic Listening: Listening sympathetically to a speaker means we are concerned about
him, listen to him with full attention, and feel pity and sad for his unfortunate condition.
9) Empathetic Listening: Listening empathetically means to move far from sympathy and share the
feelings of the speaker. It requires a nuanced understanding of both verbal and non-verbal emotional
signals. For example, if your best friend is talking to you about his painful divorce, listening to him
empathetically would involve your being able to feel the pain he went through as it was happening. A
further demonstration of your empathy towards your friend would be to give him advice regarding
how he should get over his present depressing situation. For someone to trust us as an empathetic
listener, we need to be able to show to him that we are sensitive enough to understand his situation.
Types of Listening
◦ 10) Therapeutic Listening: Therapy is counselling intended to heal psychological problems. To
listen therapeutically means that the listener has to go further than empathizing with the speaker
and use the deep connection listener has established with speaker to aid the speaker evolve to
a healthier state of mind. This happens not only when one goes to see a therapist but also in
many other situations. For example, there are organizations where managers and HR people
counsel employees to help them grow. For sportsmen, coaches and trainers perform the same
function. Often, a friend or a mentor of someone can play the role of a therapist as well.
◦ 11) Dialogic Listening: 'Dialogue' as a word has its origins in the Greek words 'dia', meaning
through', and 'logos', meaning 'words'. Thus, dialogic listening means people acquiring
knowledge via talking to each other and exchanging ideas in such a way that each person
actively seeks to learn more about the other person's point of view. Dialogic listening is, at
times, also called 'relational listening'.
Types of Listening
12) Relationship Listening: At times, the most crucial purpose of listening is to build a
relationship. That is the reason why two people who love each other talk endlessly and pay
careful attention to the smallest things they say to each other; however, those things would seem
extremely meaningless to them when talking to someone else. Developing relationships via
listening is also significant if you are a salesperson or a negotiator, where earning the trust of the
customer or the person you are negotiating with is vital if you want to sell your product to him or
persuade him regarding something.
 Listening Skills Strategies
◦ Some methods that can be used to develop listening skills are:
◦ 1) Do not Interrupt: To cultivate the ability to listen, one should first stop talking oneself and let the speaker to speak freely
without being interrupted. One should only respond once the person who is communicating has finished speaking, Listening
actively, that is, listening with full concentration instead of talking too much leads to a deeper understanding of the subject being
discussed.
◦ 2) Ask Searching Questions:. Relying on searching questions is extremely useful in gaining greater understanding of a subject;
it not only reassures the speaker that he was being listened to while he was talking, but also gives him the opportunity to go
beyond the specific topic of discussion and clarify his views and feelings in greater detail to his listeners. Such questions reflect a
keen interest in and a desire to comprehend the topic of discussion. If the speaker's subject is a complaint or problem or need he
wants to address, then searching questions enable the issues involved to be analyzed with greater precision and prove to be an
important means of finding solutions to such concerns.
◦ 3) Statements of Confirmation: Statements of confirmation also help to develop listening skills. A statement of confirmation
offers a way for the listener to check whether he has accurately grasped what the speaker has been saying. It also gives the
speaker an opportunity to put in additional information or clarify what he has already said. Statements of confirmation can be of
four kinds:
i) A straightforward confirming statement such as, "Let me see if I have understood you correctly..."
ii) A summary of the main points to check if what has been said has been understood appropriately.
iii) A question to check if the understanding is accurate. For example, "Have I followed what you have said so far?"
iv) Ambiguity must be sorted out, if needed.
Listening Skills Strategies
◦ 4) Concentrate Fully on What the Speaker is Saying: While the speaker is talking, the listener should not
divert his concentration by simultaneously worrying about how to respond to what is being said. The listener
should focus on listening to the speaker clearly first. The listener should give the speaker complete attention
and acknowledge that the former understands what the latter is saying by actions such as regularly nodding
his head and looking directly into the speaker's eyes while he is talking. Things in the environment that
could distract the listener should be ignored completely. For example, when someone starts to speak, the
listener should put down anything he is holding to tell the speaker that he has his undivided attention.
◦ 5) Non-Listening Exercise: Try a 'non-listening' exercise with a partner to get an idea of how it feels when
you want to be listened to but are not. Tell your partner to purposely lose his focus when you are talking and
trying to convey a significant idea to him. Your partner could do this in a variety of ways – by continuously
looking at his watch, by repeatedly shuffling some papers lying close by or by regularly looking away from
you time-to-time. Write down how distressed and angry you felt while being ignored so that you can
remember and learn from it. Switch roles with your partner after every few minutes. This exercise will give
you an insight into the emotion of frustration one feels when one is not being listened to and will help you
become a better listener.
Reasons/Causes Behind Poor Listening
◦ Listening plays a very important role. The seven “sins" of the poor listening are as follows:
◦ 1) Filtering: When the mind of a person is involved into some other things and is only evoked at the time of the agreement, it is known
as filtering. Someone else's statement is replied by a filterer like "yeah, but, etc."
◦ 2) Guessing: The important details are usually missed by those who are involved in guessing. They may be involved in thinking about:
◦ i) The intention of the people behind what they are saying.
◦ ii) Making an effort in finding out the motives,
◦ 3) Discounting: When a listener does not show respect to the speaker, it leads to the occurrence of discounting. Thespeech delivered
by the speaker may not always be 100% correct. Therefore, discounter may show disrespect whether publicly or internally to the
speakers due to various reasons. Discounters may not like the source due to which they are unable to provide solutions to the
problems. When the person delivering the speech is not a good speaker then his/her content is ignored which is the most insignificant
form of discounting.
◦ 4) Relating: The content of the speaker is compared by the relater with his/her own background. Usually, the thing which relater hears
about, compares it to their own experiences as they are egoistic.
◦ 5) Rehearsing: In the process of rehearsing, the rehearser waits for the speaker to finish so that he/she can start the talk again. The
rehearser pretends that he/she is listening to the point but is actually involved in thinking about what to say next. Any other words other
than the rehearser's own word are considered as a noise by the rehearser.
◦ 6) Forecasting: Forecasting can be defined as the process of thinking ahead of the topic by taking an idea from the speaker.
Forecasting arises from an individual's ability to think ahead or from the subject matter.
◦ 7) Placating: Placating involves the process of agreeing upon everything in order to avoid any type of conflict.
Importance of Listening
◦ The following points explain the importance of listening:
◦ 1) Respect: A person shows respect when he/she listens to the speaker with complete attention. Similarly, the speaker also gives respect
in return.
◦ 2) Airtime: People tend to return the favour, if a person listens to them. However, there are many people who due to self-absorption or
stress depend upon other people to listen to them and may not return the favour. But most of the people, in general, know the value of
exchange in any conversation.
◦ 3) Information: One can explore and learn more about the society through attentive listening. Learning new societal concepts is
important for the growth of both personal as well as professional life. The information gained from attentive listening helps in
understanding different kinds of people and society as a whole.
◦ 4) Increased Likability: Every person wants to be liked. People like those who listen to them. By focusing on attentive listening, a person
can increase his chances of being liked by other people.
◦ 5) Better Relationships: In any relationship whether professional or personal, listening plays a major role as it develops a feeling of
helpfulness and goodwill. One can increase the quality of his relationships by listening to the problems and opinions of other people non-
judgementally. The speaker may feel the freedom to talk, share, and find solutions to their problems if the listener listens without judging.
◦ 6) Greater Clarity: People can avoid conflicts, confusion and misunderstandings that usually develop in a conversation by listening
carefully. If a person listens carefully, there is a greater possibility of avoiding conversational traps and usual arguments. Careful listening
offers great advantages which are synergistic and interrelated, i.e., a person can take advantage of good listening which further provides
him with other benefits as well. A person can develop skills of careful listening through practice.
◦ 7) No Misunderstandings: Misunderstandings can be reduced to a greater extent when active listening is involved. It includes checking
and reflecting whether every individual has understood the right meaning of whatever is said and all the information and facts are heard
correctly. The effectiveness of communication between two persons can be increased significantly through better mutual understanding.
Importance of Listening
◦ 8) Willingness of Speaker to Open Up More: By listening attentively, a person can show respect and honour
to others' opinions and emotions. This opens up the people and encourages them to express themselves in a
further builds up the inner confidence to share his/her thoughts and viewpoints thereby increasing the which
willingness of the speaker to open up more.
◦ 9) Defuses Conflict: The probability of conflicts decreases when the speaker is heard carefully. Through
careful listening, people vent their emotions and apprehensions in a free manner without any hesitation or
interruption. With this, there are fewer chances that the speaker will become aggressive or defensive; which
further defuses conflicts.
◦ 10) Identifies Agreements and Disagreements: The areas of agreement/ disagreement, flaws, etc., between
the speaker and the listener can be identified with the help of attentive listening. Agreements when identified
transform disagreements into standpoints and minimizes their importance thereby facilitating effective
communication. Also, the speaker has an increased tendency to recognize flaws in his/her standpoint when the
active listener recalls it without any kind of criticism.
◦ 11) Considers Different Points of View: People usually tend to find an alternative opinion or soften their
argument when they realise that their viewpoint is being listened and acknowledged. When personal opinions
are valued and honoured through careful listening, considering different viewpoints of other people becomes
easier. Thus, the speaker, as well as the listener, can gain a richer understanding of opinions through attentive
listening which ultimately helps them to achieve desirable outcomes.
 Barriers to Listening
Barriers to the process of listening may arise due to the speaker, the listener, or the circumstances in
which communication is taking place. During oral communication, any interference in the listening
process can create confusion and sometimes even lead to a communication breakdown. hurdles to the
listening process are of the following kinds:
1) Physical Barriers: The listening process is more prone to disruption by physical distractions and
disturbances such as physical discomfort, noise, or any other physical factor. Any external sound that
interrupts the process of listening can be termed as physical noise. The listening process can also be
easily disturbed by physical uneasiness since one cannot listen well if he is feeling physically tired or
uneasy.
2) Psychological Barriers: Psychological problems, that is, problems resulting from an unstable state of
mind, prove to be the most familiar hurdles to listening effectively. The activity of listening demands focus
and a listener's unstable state of mind can obstruct it because an unstable mind results in lack of
attention and interest. The listener's understanding of others' ideas is adversely influenced by the feelings
of fear, anxiety, anger, sadness and frustration he is going through at the time of receiving the message
or which are, in general, part of his psyche. Being swept away by too much emotion also negatively
impacts a listener's capacity to comprehend a message.
Barriers to Listening
3) Linguistic Barriers: During oral communication, if the speaker and the listener speak different
languages or different dialects of the same language, the message of the speaker could be improperly
decoded by the listener and lead to confusion and mistakes in interpretation. In such situations, the
possibility of a communication breakdown occurrence is very high.
4) Cultural Barriers: Owing to an increasingly globalised world, the workplace is becoming more and
more diverse and people from different cultures who inhabit the same space need to find ways to coexist
and work well together.
Each culture has its own set of customs, beliefs and standards when it comes to one-to-one interactions,
and trying to communicate one's point effectively to a person belonging to another culture can indeed be
difficult. When a speaker and a listener belonging to different cultures communicate orally, assign meaning
to it from another cultural frame of reference. If these two frames of reference match, the speaker may
assign meanings to the message from one cultural frame of reference and the listener communication will
not be a problem, but if they do not, it can create misunderstanding and confusion because of differences
in norms and values. After all, they are the values which influence our thoughts and guide us to behave in
a correct way, as per the situation.
Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
The methods by which one can overcome obstructions to the listening process are:
◦ 1) Maintain Eye Contact: When a listener does not make an eye contact with the speaker, it is
an indication that he is not interested in what the speaker is saying. In order to support the
speaker, the listener must make it a point to maintain eye contact with him.
◦ 2) Notice Body Language: Non-verbal cues such as the listener's alert posture, or the
listener's regularly nodding his head in acknowledgement of what the speaker is saying, or the
suitable facial expressions of the listener in reaction to the message the speaker is conveying
are crucial to indicate to the speaker that the listener is paying attention to him.
◦ 3) Avoid Gestures of Distraction: Actions such as repeatedly looking at the time in his watch
or a clock close by, glancing at a newspaper, rearranging the bundle of papers, fiddling with a
pen, doodling and other distractions on the part of the listener should definitely be avoided if he
has to show the speaker that he is listening to him intently.
Overcoming the Barriers to Listening
◦ 4) Do not be Afraid to Ask Questions: A good listener always has the questions to ask the
speaker, after regular intervals of time since listening closely to the speaker will definitely
generate issues which need to be clarified for proper understanding.
◦ 5) Paraphrase and Summarise what the Speaker has Said: To paraphrase what the speaker
has said means to restate it in your own words whereas, to summarise what the speaker has
said means to rephrase it briefly without altering its substance. Two major causes why
paraphrasing and summarising are important are as follows:
◦ i) It acts as a measure of how carefully the listener was paying attention to the speaker because
unless one is listening carefully to what is being said, one cannot paraphrase and summarise it,
and
◦ ii) By rephrasing the message of the speaker in a concise fashion, one saves time and also
ensures efficiency by saying the same thing in fewer words.
Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
◦ 6) Do Not Hastily Interpret the Speaker: A good listener should not hastily pre-judge what a
speaker is saying and assume that he has understood it before the speaker has finished his points.
◦ 7) Do not Cut Short the Speaker: If a listener does not have the patience to listen to a speaker in
a disciplined way, he keeps cutting him short and asserts his own viewpoints over the speaker's.
He will miss out the essence of the speaker message and will only be speaking his own mind
rather than understanding the thoughts of the speaker. Listening to and talking the same person
cannot happen together.
◦ 8) Make the Speaker Comfortable: The listener should let the speaker know, through his mental
and physical attitude, that he is an attentive listener. Doing so will make the speaker comfortable in
the listener's presence and he will be able to talk more freely.
◦ 9) Do Not Quarrel with the Speaker: The listener should not stop the speaker rudely in the middle
of his speech with interjections such as, "How can that be possible..." or "Prove what you are
saying...". It will only lead to unfruitful quarrels and no productive output.
Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
◦ 10) Remain Impartial: The listener should not get too emotionally carried away by the content
of the speaker's speech. He should not react instantly to what the speaker has said and make
his comments when the speaker has finished and is ready to listen to his audience. The listener
should attempt to understand the perspective of the speaker objectively.
◦ 11) Remove Distractions: The listener should not fiddle around with papers or pencils or
doodle or indulge in any other activity while the speaker is talking. Turning off the radio or even
shutting a door or a window while communication is taking place will also cut out unnecessary
noise and help the listener to listen to the speaker more clearly.
◦ 12) Acknowledge what the Speaker is Saying in Different Ways: Responses from the
listener such as "Yes“ or "I see" or the listener's nodding his head while the speaker is talking
tells the speaker that he is being understood. They do not necessarily mean that the listener
agrees with the speaker on every count but just that the former is paying attention to what is
being said by the latter.
 Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
◦ 13) Maintain Cool Attitude: Anger often makes a listener misinterpret the meaning of the words of a
speaker and causes confusion. It is easy to lose one's temper while listening to a speaker, especially
when one does not agree with what the speaker is saying. The listener should try to avoid this as it
could provoke him to react beforehand without gaining a full understanding of what is being said. He
should at least give the speaker a fair chance to complete what he is saying before coming up with a
response.
◦ 14) Respect Pauses or Silence: Any good speaker would like to give himself sometime to think before
he speaks; therefore, he may often pause during his speech. The listener must not fall into the trap of
interrupting the speaker during these moments of silence.
◦ 15) Respond Honestly: When genuinely asked for his response, the listener should answer honestly if
he wants something rewarding to emerge out of the discussion.
◦ 16) Read between the Lines: At times, what is not being said is also as important as what is being
said. The listener must be alert to the mood, feelings, and attitude of the speaker which often reveals far
more than the words he speaks. A strong feeling of empathy is needed from the listener for this purpose.
Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
◦ 17) Grasp the Total Meaning: The listener should try to listen to and understand the message of the speaker in
◦ its totality. He should not make hurried assumptions or pass quick judgements regarding what is being said.
◦ 18) Observe the Speaker's Gestures: The listener should patiently and keenly watch out for or even note down
◦ the subtle, voluntary, or involuntary gestures of the speaker such as twitches of the face or movements of the
◦ hands or the tone or pitch of the speaker's voice as they could shed light on the speaker's honesty.
◦ 19) Do not Pretend to Pay Attention: If the listener is eager to learn something from the speaker's talk, he
◦ should be earnest and serious about grasping its essence. Just pretending to be a good listener by an outward
◦ show of listening silently and fake eye contact will not work for long and people who behave this way will
◦ miss out on the substance of the speaker's presentation. Moreover, if by chance the speaker questions such
◦ listeners at the end of his talk, they are in danger of being exposed and embarrassed.
Overcoming the Barriers to
Listening
◦ 20) Do not be Prejudiced: Listeners should keep aside personal prejudices about the speaker
or his views and should analyse the subject matter of his speech on its own merit. For example,
students often assume that lectures, especially by their teachers on topics from the syllabus,
will necessarily be boring and do not pay attention to them. In doing so, they may miss out on
learning something valuable from an expert on the topic
Elements of Presentation
◦ Following are the elements of a presentation:
◦ 1) Presenter: The presenter, himself/herself, is the main element of a presentation. On him/her rests the quality and success
of the presentation. An effective presenter plans well and prepares extensively. He/she is fully aware that it is necessary to
rehearse the presentation with all its physical and psychological inputs.
◦ 2) Purpose: The presenter should think about the purpose of the presentation, which could be one or more of the following:
◦ i) Selling some product or persuading listeners to opt for a particular action, which they may not be inclined to buy.
◦ ii) Introducing a new concept or elaborate upon a business opportunity.
◦ iii) Obtain feedback from listeners on whether a new proposal is worth accepting, whether a plan of action is worth
implementing, or whether a purchase is worth executing.
◦ iv) Seeking solutions to problems or gaining insight into the minds of listeners with regard to how they view these problems.
◦ v)Creating awareness about an issue, a new technology, new projects the organisation is about to embark upon without
expecting any reaction from the audience.
◦ vi) Informing about changes in work culture and provide motivation and any training that may be necessary in that regard,
Elements of Presentation
◦ 3) Audience –It is essential to collect as much information about the audience as possible,
because even the best contents will fail to deliver if it is not in tune with the audience's
capabilities to receive and assimilate the message.
◦ The language of the presentation should be comfortable to the audience. Other factors like the
audience's knowledge level, needs, traits, attitudes, position in hierarchy, and educational
background should be considered while preparing a presentation. When there is diversity in the
audience with regard to these factors, the challenge before the presenter is to prepare the
presentation to match the average level of the audience. A good presenter can make a
presentation that the audience can relate to and find interesting.
◦ Therefore, when there is variation in the attributes of the listeners, the priority for the presenter
is to base the presentation on the purpose and goal of the presentation and then, to the extent
possible, cater to the diversity in the audience.
Factors Affecting Presentation
◦ Following are the factors that affect the effectiveness of a presentation:
◦ 1) Audience Evaluation: A precise assessment of the audiences' attributes helps the presenter to prepare a
presentation that matches these attributes and thus make the presentation effective.
◦ 2) Environment: The environment of the presentation room affects the receptivity and mood of the audience. The
environment has a subtle influence on the mind of the listeners. Hence, factors like lighting, quality of audio-visual
effects, air-conditioning, etc., affect the effectiveness of a presentation.
◦ 3) Presenter's Appearance: For an effective presentation, the presenter needs to present himself/herself in a decent
and appealing manner, which means the presenter should be well dressed and well groomed.
◦ 4) Use of Visuals: Good-quality visuals increase the effectiveness of a presentation. Various researches have shown
that use of modern audio-visual equipment increases the receptivity of the audience and the credibility of the presenter.
However, before beginning the presentation, it should be ensured that the equipment is in good working condition.
◦ 5) Opening and Closing of Presentation: The first impression is the last impression. Hence, the presenter should
make the beginning of the presentation effective by using interesting relevant anecdotes, humour, etc. Also, the
conclusion of the presentation should be such that the audience leave the presentation venue with a sense of
satisfaction and a lasting impression of the message that was intended to be conveyed.
Factors Affecting Presentation
◦ 6) Organised Presentation: Well-organised content of a presentation makes the presentation more effective. The
content should be logically sequenced, and transition from one idea to the other, from one section to the other should be
smooth and without jerks. Emphasis on various topics should be judiciously decided.
◦ 7) Language and Words: Language is the verbal medium used for communicating. For a communication to be effective,
the language should be understandable by the audience. The selection of words, phrases, idioms, figure of speech,
proverbs should be such as to touch the heart and intellect of the audience, which results in increase of receptivity on the
part of audience.
◦ 8) Quality of Voice: Appropriate variation in tone, volume, and other voice parameters make a presentation interesting
and effective. On the other hand, lack of voice modulation makes a presentation dull and ineffective.
◦ 9) Body Language: Body language has a subtle effect on the quality of presentations. A nervous speaker avoids eye
contact and is more likely to read out the speech and consequently make the presentation ineffective. A confident
speaker uses bodily movements to his advantage and thus makes the presentation effective and impressive.
◦ 10) Handling Question-and-Answer Sessions: The question-and-answer (Q&A) session that follows a presentation,
although positioned at the end of a presentation, can spoil the effectiveness of a presentation if not handled properly.
Preparedness of the presenter in terms of the content, ability to handle challenging questions, and composure during
Q&A session has an effect on the effectiveness of the presentation.
 Format of Presentation
◦ A presentation should be made sequentially and can be said to consist of six steps
◦ 1) Icebreaker: An icebreaker is an extremely helpful method to begin a presentation. It is
something that helps do away with awkwardness or anxiety between people. It may either
comprise a series of PowerPoint slides which arouses the audience's curiosity or better yet, the
speaker may get the audience to involve in the presentation itself in some way.
◦ 2) Opening: The opening remarks at the beginning of a presentation introduce the subject of
the presentation to the audience and state the presentation objectives. A short statement of the
main points to be covered is given the audience. This helps orient the audience appropriately to
the subject of the presentation and recognise the areas it will cover as well as those it will leave
behind.
◦ New Idea - Its Need: If a presentation is planned to suggest a completely new idea to an
audience, it should be done in such a way so as to ensure that the audience is receptive to it
and the presenter makes the audience feel involved.
 Format of Presentation
◦ 4) Idea: The central idea of a presentation forms its crux, around which the other peripheral
points revolve This idea should be so forceful that it should make the audience sit up while
paying attention and noticing the areas for discussion to be held post-presentation
◦ 5) Results/Benefits: This part of a presentation summarises the significance of the ideas that
had been discussed with the audience. It enables the audience to analyse the ideas discussed
in accordance with their needs and concerns.
◦ 6) Conclusion: This is the last stage of a presentation. The concluding remarks of a
presentation comprise the judgements or decisions arrived at by both the presenter and the
audience based on all the discussions done in the presentation before its end.
Types of Presentation
◦ Presentations can be of the following types:
◦ A) On the Basis of Purpose:
On the basis of purpose, presentation can be of following types:
◦ 1) Monologue Presentation: Monologue presentations involve a speaker speaking continuously
without being disturbed and, only at the very end, replying audience questions. The speaker of a
monologue presentation must prepare the contents of his speech beforehand keeping both the topic of
the presentation and the audience in mind.
◦ ii) Guided Discussion: A guided discussion is like a guided tour where the speaker acts as a guide to
the audience and takes them on a tour with regard to the subject of discussion. The speaker acts like
an expert guide who shows the audience the salient features of the topic being discussed. In a guided
discussion, the questions raised or issues analysed are those which both speaker and audience have
agreed on beforehand. Guided discussion works at its best when the audience too has knowledge of
the subject. The task of the speaker, then, becomes merely to supplement, i.e., to complete or enhance
the
 Types of Presentation
◦ iii) Sales Presentation: The purpose of sales presentations is to inform the target audience regarding certain products or
services or some new ideas. In a sales presentation, the speaker tries to convince his audience to buy his products or
services by talking to them, raising their curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions. This helps them to clear their negative
notions about the products or services and finally assist the customer in decision-making about the buying of the product or
service.
◦ iv) Persuasive Presentation: A person making a persuasive presentation wishes to induce his listeners to agree with his
proposals. A successful persuasive presentation offers a solution to a heated disagreement, argument or an unwelcomed or
harmful situation by presenting enough logic, evidence, and emotion to bring its audience to consent to its thinking.
◦ v) Energising Presentation: An energising presentation is meant to encourage its audience to take action to accomplish a
certain objective. successful energising presentation must make its audience to do something instead of just thinking about it.
The speaker should first try to win over the audience perspectives or viewpoints; he must make them embrace with zeal. To
make an energising presentation, the speaker needs to employ the art of effective speaking in the best possible way, e.g., by
using figures of speech and other devices in order to convey his message. It would also be extremely helpful if the speaker
himself has immense charisma.
◦ vi) Informative Presentation: Information exchange, (i.c., the purpose of informative presentations), can take place in many
ways. It could be through a direct presentation, a seminar, a workshop, a conference, a meeting or a talk addressed to a
group of people within or outside one's own organisation. In the world of business, presentations are made by supervisors to
subordinates at different organisational levels to pass on or exchange information regarding organisation's products, services
or procedures.
Types of Presentation
◦ vii) Goodwill Presentation: If someone from an organisation or company makes a goodwill
presentation to an audience, its purpose is to build goodwill, i.e., to earn the trust of the
members of the audience and also earn regard for the organisation and its product not only
from the members of the audience, but also from one's own colleagues, supervisors and
subordinates in the company. Goodwill presentations, often made in the form of speeches take
place after dinner, are meant to be amusing or enjoyable.
◦ viii) Training Presentation: A training presentation can be on a topic which enables an
audience to develop new abilities or help them learn to perform a new task, such as operating
unfamiliar equipment. It gives its audience the opportunity to participate actively in the
presentation by trying out the product live, practice working on the product and provide
feedback so that mistakes can be corrected.
 Types of Presentation
◦ B) On the Basis of Number of Persons: On the basis of number of persons, presentation can be of
following types:
◦ i) Individual Presentation: An individual presentation is one made by a single person. In this kind of
presentation,the person may speak about the details of some work he has done in summary fashion.
Individual presentations can be made in a number of possible situations, i.e., a small classroom, in
the workplace, as part of a comprehensive lecture, in a team meeting or in a one-to-one tutorial.
◦ ii) Work-Team Presentation/Group Presentation: Group presentations involve not just a single
speaker but many participants. They are often better than individual presentations since not just one
but many perspectives come into play and interact with each other. While preparing to make a group
presentation, each participant should be given enough time to get ready with his points, encourage
diverse viewpoints on certain matter or issue so that the best of them or even a combination of them
can be used on the final day. Let each speaker present that section of the presentation for which he
has the talent and ensure that the overall presentation appears as a coherent whole, even though
different parts of it are presented by different people.
Types of Presentation
◦ C) On the Basis of Medium of Delivery: On the basis of medium of delivery, presentation can
be of following types:
◦ 1) Written Presentation: Presentations in which written or printed words are read by the
audience are called a written presentation. They include more or less any presentation which
requires an audience to read the content, e.g., presentations in the form of pamphlets,
brochures, etc.
◦ ii) Oral Presentation: An oral presentation involves a presenter actually speaking to an
audience in order to present his ideas and points of view. It is not an oral report. The crucial part
of the word is “present"
◦ The presenter should be able to confidently be present before his audience and have an
extremely good grasp over his subject matter so as to make his presentation both educative
and entertaining.
 Effective Presentation Skills

◦ The list of effective presentation skills is as follows:

◦ 1) Keep the Listeners in Mind: Formulate a presentation from the audience's point of view. The main objective of an effective
presentation is to fulfil the various needs, wants, and sentiments of the target audience. If the presentation has no relevance to the
physical, emotional, or financial welfare of the audience, the audience is tend to lose the attention and interest within the first two minutes
of the presentation.
◦ 2) Offer Value to the Audience: The presentation should be such that there is something to be offered to every person in the audience.
And if that is not the case, the presentation is bound to fail as the audience would be in no mood to listen to such irrelevant information.
◦ 3) Begin with the End in Mind: As everyone is interested in gaining advantages and end results, and not in assurances and generalities.
The audience should be aware of what to expect, the way in which the information can be utilised and its direct advantages to them.
Hence, start the presentation while considering the end, and adjust the presentation as per the needs and wants of the audience present
there And thus focus on the delivery of presentation more carefully once the theme is planned.
◦ 4) Connect with the Audience on an Individual Level: Establish a direct contact with each and every individual who is part of the
audience as if he is the only person in the room. The presentation should b and in correlation with the reason for which audience has
especially come to attend it. The audience should be given necessary confidence that by the end of the presentation they will have a
better perception, information, and will have relevance with the data provided. This is possible if the speaker is an expert in the subject of
the presentation.
◦ 5) Practice the Presentation Style: Take an account of the three different styles of presentation namely, visual, audio, and kinaesthetic
(hands on) which are a part of the delivery. How to shift between them? It is definitely true that practice always leads to perfection. One
technique of practicing and sharpening the presentation skills is to arrange a video recorder and record the presentation. Then a
presenter can take the opinion of a colleague or any reliable friend by showing him the recorded presentation. Practical remarks about the
delivery and styleused in the presentation are important for rectifying the errors in the presentation.