CHAPTER 3

Building the Body of the Presentation

There are three critical elements to think about as you build the body of the presentation: using the appropriate pattern of organization, selecting audience-centered content, and applying the principles of the Persuasion Triangle.

Follow a Pattern of Organization

Have you ever attended a presentation where the speaker rambled, bouncing in a seemingly random fashion from idea to idea? I bet you felt irritated and impatient, coming away with little comprehension or positive feeling about the speaker. That is why organization in the body of your presentation is so important. Unlike written documents, which have headings, topic sentences, paragraphs, lists, and indentations to signal organization and levels of detail, your audience needs explicit cues in an oral presentation to follow your ideas. These cues depend on the organization of your content and your oral transitions (often called “signposts”) from topic to topic and point to point.

Experiments show that organizational structure makes a difference in the effectiveness of oral presentations.¹ Not surprisingly, when a presentation is well organized and flows coherently, listeners report greater comprehension and perceive the speaker to be more competent and trustworthy. The key is to use proven patterns of organization that relate to your purpose. Most oral presentation patterns have three parts, each containing supporting points.² For example, a chronological pattern is common in business presentations—past, present, and future—often phrased in the form of questions, such as “Where have we been? Where are we now? Where do we want to go?”

Given the context of our case, we have chosen to use the problem–solution pattern, which follows the flow shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1. Problem–solution pattern.

Following the problem–solution pattern, you will 1) define and document the problem, 2) present your proposed solution, contrasting alternatives if appropriate, and 3) summarize the benefits, while addressing potential objections or concerns.

Develop Audience-Centered Content

Under each topic, you need to select carefully your supporting points, focusing on the information—facts, anecdotes, and documentation— most relevant to your audience and your purpose. Stick with the BIG IDEAS. Remember, the oral portion of your presentation is functioning as an executive summary.

Where we typically go wrong is to include too many details. We work so hard collecting information; we hate to leave anything out. Save most of the details for your handout. For example, the tuition reimbursement plan (TRP) issue has a tax angle. You may point out the tax treatment in your benefits section, but it would be a mistake to launch into a dissertation on the ins and outs of the tax law. Why? Because most of the decision makers do not really care about the details of the tax law. Given you have established credibility, they are interested in the application—how the law affects the decision. During the question-and-answer session, if you have a person in the audience who wants to know more about the tax perspective, you can point that person (and the audience) to the page in your handout that summarizes the tax regulations.

An outline, summarizing your main points, is helpful to clarify your thinking. As an example, Table 3.1 provides Carson’s outline of the main points for the body of his TRP presentation, organized under the topical headings of the problem–solution pattern. To reinforce the importance of meeting the needs of the audience, Carson also included a column that links his content with the questions he thinks his audience would like answered. At this stage, use full sentences in the key point content outline for clarity and precision. Later in the process, you will reduce the ideas to visuals and key phrases.

Table 3.1. Key Point Outline for Body of Presentation

Abbreviation: TRP, Tuition reimbursement plan.

Apply the Principles of the Persuasion Triangle

As you build your content to support your key points, think about ways to incorporate the elements of the Persuasion Triangle: credibility, logic, and emotional appeal. Following are some examples for each element.

Credibility

Your credibility, how the audience perceives you as the source of the message, depends on three primary factors: your relationships, your character, and your competence.³

Regarding relationships, we are more likely to trust people we know. That is why it is important, as noted earlier, to research your audience in advance, meet with each individual if possible, and seek areas of common interests, including personal factors such as sports or children. Perceived similarity is an important link between you and your audience. If you cannot meet with your audience in advance, arrive early for the meeting. Introduce yourself as people arrive and chat for a moment with as many as you can.

Your character is how the audience regards your sincerity, trustworthiness, and concern for their well-being and the well-being of the organization. The passion and conviction of your presentation delivery shapes some of this perception. We will look at that delivery component in a future chapter. But your track record also shapes the perception of your character. Have you met commitments in the past? Do you “walk your talk?” Have you demonstrated dependability in a challenging situation? For example, Carson has been with the organization 12 years, came out of the line organization, moved into HR, and worked his way up the chain to Regional VP. He has led two high-profile project teams successfully and was recently a lead negotiator in contract negotiations with the company’s truck drivers. He has a reputation as a tough but principled negotiator.

Your competence is how the audience perceives your expertise and knowledge of the subject. Your presentation opening lays the groundwork for your credibility by demonstrating that you are a confident professional in command of the presentation process. Now you must convince the audience that you have done your homework by providing evidence, with specific examples, to support your points and citing trustworthy sources, including empirical research when available. That leads us to the logic component.

Logic

Decision makers want numbers, especially if you are proposing a course of action that will cost money. So stay with me in this section, even if you’re not a “numbers person.” The following approach is what it takes if you are going to sell your argument to management.

For the TRP argument, the logic flow will include the following assertions:

1. Voluntary turnover of salaried employees at Serv-Pro is significantly above the norm.

2. The excess turnover generates a significant cost.

3. Research shows that TRPs can improve retention.

4. The amount saved in turnover costs by improving retention will be greater than the expected tuition reimbursement expenditures.

Carson will not only have to present facts, data, and financial analysis to support his argument, but will also have to interpret and draw conclusions from the evidence. For example, to say, “Turnover of salaried employees is significantly above the norm” is not enough. His audience will want to know how much above the norm, the basis for the norm, and the source of your evidence. Table 3.2 offers an example of data collected during Carson’s research that provides answers to what the audience will want to know.

Table 3.2. Comparative Voluntary Turnover Rate for Salaried Employees (Southern Region)

*Source: National Association of Wholesale Distributors Annual HR Survey

A conclusion Carson can draw from the data (besides that the negative trend is increasing) is that, with 325 salaried employees and given the 8 percentage points difference between Serv-Pro’s turnover and the industry norm in 2012, the company lost 26 more employees than it should have (325 × 8%). This calculation provides the input for the next step in the argument. Note that, from a credibility perspective, Carson is addressing only the number of lost employees above the industry norm.

In the same manner, Carson has to quantify the cost of turnover to the organization. Fortunately, a Google search reveals numerous studies and reports on the cost of turnover.⁴ The costs include elements related to separation, recruitment, hiring, training, lost productivity, and increased errors. Table 3.3 provides some examples of costs related to replacing an employee.

Table 3.3. Example Costs Related to Employee Turnover

The Society for Human Resource Management estimates that the total turnover cost for knowledge workers and managers can range from 90% to 200% of the annual salary.⁵ So, what is the salaried turnover above the norm costing Serv-Pro? Table 3.4 shows the calculations, using a conservative estimate of 50% of the annual salary. Note that Carson selected a conservative approach to build credibility.

Table 3.4. Estimated Annual Cost of Excess Turnover for Serv-Pro

The next step is to make the case that TRPs can improve retention. Again, Carson is fortunate that there are a number of empirical studies to support his argument. Table 3.5 presents summary statements from three studies that support the retention hypothesis.

Table 3.5. Excerpts from Empirical Studies on the Effect of TRP on Turnover

Abbreviation: TRP, Tuition reimbursement plan.

All of the quotes in Table 3.5 come from very credible sources, including The Journal of Econometrics, the Academy of Management Journal, and the National Bureau of Economic Research, respectively.

The final step in the logic is to project the expected annual cost of the TRP and relate that cost to the cost of turnover. Here are the facts according to Carson’s research:

Table 3.6. Potential Effect on Costs from a Tuition Reimbursement Plan (TRP)

In the chapter on visual support, we will discuss ways to present all this data in a digestible form, with details provided in the meeting handout. At this point, Carson is simply collecting and organizing his data.

Emotional Appeal

People don’t make decisions—even business decisions—on logic alone. We use our head (adding up the facts), but we also use our gut (assessing credibility) and our heart (satisfying our emotional needs). Emotional appeals—what Aristotle referred to as pathos—are intended to stir listeners’ emotions, creating feelings like sadness, pride, or even fear. Emotional appeal means making the listener want to take action to address the emotion. So how can Carson incorporate emotional appeal in his TRP presentation?

In addition to the hidden cost, the excessive turnover at Serv-Pro is also creating another problem—hindering implementation of the new corporate strategy. The company is making the transition from being a traditional wholesaler to a more sophisticated supply chain/logistics firm. The goal is to provide for the customers a variety of customized distribution services, technology support, and retail-level category management and merchandising services. The strategy requires upgrading the skills of current employees, as well as attracting new employees with experience in the new services being offered. Documenting this problem provides opportunity to incorporate emotional appeal into the presentation.

A growing body of research in the area of human capital links high turnover rates to shortfalls in organizational performance.¹¹ It makes sense when you think about it. The knowledge in an organization is in two forms: explicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge is the type that can be documented in procedure manuals. Tacit knowledge is what is in people’s heads, built from experience that allows them to perform at a high level. Often, they cannot really explain how they know when and how to do certain things. When they leave the organization, their tacit knowledge leaves with them.

Closely related to tacit knowledge is the concept of social capital, the relationships employees have built both within and outside the firm. Outside the firm, these relationships include intimate knowledge of the needs and preferences of external stakeholders such as customers, vendors, and government agencies. Again, when an employee leaves, some of the social capital, often developed over years, goes with them.

Carson can best illustrate the importance of this problem by explaining the tacit knowledge/social capital concepts and providing an anecdote or story gleaned from his exit interviews to illustrate the impact. For example, there is Mary, a customer service representative, who left after five years with the company. Mary had excellent relationships with her assigned customers and deep knowledge of their needs. She could often anticipate problems and had a knack for calming an upset customer. Mary left because she had a strong desire to finish her college degree to advance her career but could not afford the tuition. She joined another company that offered a TRP and a path for advancement. Since Mary’s departure, competitors have been able to gain a portion of business from two of her accounts. You can see how this story touches the emotions, both from sorrow over the loss of Mary and the angst caused by loss of business.

Another opportunity for emotional appeal lies in the psychological principle called social proof.¹² The principle of social proof states that people often decide what to believe or what action to take in a situation by looking at what other people are doing. People follow the lead of similar others. A lot of similar people following a course of action signals that it must be the right thing to do. Carson should include in his presentation that 85% of publically held firms offer a TRP.¹³ By talking with his HR contacts in competitor firms, Carson also found that Serv-Pro’s top three competitors in the specialty foods distribution arena offer TRPs. The two facts together should serve as powerful and persuasive social proof.

Another psychological principle is authority.¹⁴ People defer to experts who provide shortcuts to decisions requiring specialized information. We have already seen this principle applied through the use of credible resources such as the Journal of Econometrics and Academy of Management Journal to document empirical research on the effect of TRPs on reducing turnover. The same empirical studies also reinforce the assertion that TRPs help support the recruitment process. Table 3.7 provides two example quotes from the literature.

One of the recognized authorities on influence and the psychological principles of persuasion is Robert Ciadini, author of Influence: Science and Practice.In his book and in several Harvard Business Review articles, Ciadini lays out principles of persuasion that relate to emotional appeal and the presentation context. Table 3.8 provides a brief synopsis of his six principles of persuasion.¹⁷

I recommend that you read Ciadini’s work to learn more about the nuances of emotional appeal. Effective and ethical use of emotional appeal can be a powerful motivator that moves your audience to take action.

With a draft of the presentation body in place, Carson is now ready to put together a strong conclusion. The next chapter will show how to close with power.

Table 3.7. Excerpts from Empirical Studies on the Effect of TRP on Recruitment

Abbreviation : TRP, Tuition reimbursement plan.

Table 3.8. Ciadini’s Six Principles of Persuasion