Process or Demonstration Presentations

In a process or demonstration presentation, you either explain how something works or show your audience how to do something. For example, an engineer explains how fuel cells work. Or a training manager shows employees how to use the company’s new web conferencing system. (Table 16.3 includes additional examples of process or demonstration presentations.)

Since processes and activities take place over time, a chronological pattern is often the best organizational structure for this type of presentation. The audience is better able to follow the sequence if you make frequent use of signposts, such as First, Next, and The last step. Here’s an example of a process presentation organization:

Speech thesis: Creating a compost pile involves easy steps, using common household waste materials.

Main points:

  1. First, select and prepare the right location in your yard for the compost pile.
  2. Second, determine the types of household waste materials appropriate for composting.
  3. Third, begin creating the compost pile by layering the waste materials to encourage proper decomposition.
  4. Fourth, be prepared to quickly address common problems in compost piles.
  5. Finally, identify when the compost is ready for use.

In process or demonstration presentations, many speakers make the mistake of moving too quickly through each step. To avoid this, slow down the pace of your delivery by using internal summaries (“So as you can see, most materials that wind up in your kitchen garbage disposal or recycle bin can be used in the compost pile”). This type of repetition also supports your listeners’ ability to remember the information later (see Chapter 7 for a discussion of the listening process). Visual aids, such as diagrams and props, can further help your audience understand the steps you’re describing. For example, a diagram showing how to choose a good location for your compost pile would enhance your verbal explanation. Finally, as with expository presentations, take the time to define unfamiliar terms and jargon so you don’t confuse your audience.

Whenever you give a speech, listeners may have follow-up questions for you—asking for more information or wanting to further discuss or dispute a point. This type of question-and-answer session is common after a demonstration speech, when audience members may want clarification. For ideas on how to handle such situations, see the How to Communicate: Responding to Audience Questions feature on pages 412–413.