Importance of Oral Presentations

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Recommended: Public speaking progress

Robert Burton once said, "A blow with a word strikes deeper than a blow with a sword" (cited World Of Quotes, 2003). With this one statement he is explaining how powerful our speech can be. Effective oral presentation skills are essential in educational, social, and professional life. By means of understanding our speech, recognizing where and when they are important, and learning how to improve your skills, most of our experiences in life can be more effective, enjoyable and much easier.

Since the dawn of recorded history, people have had to learn to communicate effectively with others. From asking for help to offering our help, from learning to the intricacies of teaching, we cannot escape the need for efficient, clear and complete communication skills. The most common form of communicating is that of speaking. "We as individuals conduct our own presentations on a day-to-day basis, sometimes unaware of our actions" (Harper, 2004). Most of our time is spent associating with other people. Whether it be at work, school, clubs, or even home. Understanding that the way we communicate regularly can be applied to giving oral presentations, is easy when we look at what its structure is.

We are constantly on display in everything we do. No matter what the circumstances are, people are making opinions about us by the way we look, act, and of course, talk. Most people fear giving professional presentations or those in front of any crowd. This fear has to be overcome to excel in anything in current life. Reesa Woolf stated, "The fear of public speaking is the number one fear of all fears, outranking the fear of death, which comes in at number seven. 41 percent of the population has some anxiety when asked to spea...

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...k, T. (2003, June). How to sell an idea. Supervision, 64(6), 15-16. Retrieved September 6, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Russo, R. (2003). World of quotes. Retrieved September 7, 2004, from http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Robert-Burton/1/

Waugh, T. (2004, June). Benefit from seminars and speaking engagements. Accounting Today, 18(11), 8-9. Retrieved, September 6, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Woolf, R. (2001, July). Stay cool when things get hot: How to present and communicate your ideas effectively. Business Credit, 103(7), 18-19. Retrieved September 6, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Wyeth, S. (2002). The three commandments of presenting and how to obey them. Consulting To Management, 13(1), 8-12. Retrieved September 6, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

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