Talking tax: how to make a tax presentation.

• Author: Raabe, William A.

Psychologists tell us that most people's greatest fear is speaking in front of an audience. Despite this fear, public speaking is an important part of a tax practitioner's professional life. In many ways, it is the most accurate predictor of career success. When one is delivering an oral presentation in an effective and professional manner, the audience becomes convinced that the speaker also has other professional qualities. Conversely, an ill-prepared or ill delivered message can do much to erode the audiences confidence in the speaker, not just with respect to the topic of presentation, but in general.

Thus, it behooves tax professionals to develop (or hone) their public speaking skills. Such skills can mean the difference between enhancing and damaging one's reputation.

The advice given here is not a series of "tricks" to fool the audience into believing the speaker is more knowledgeable than he really is. Rather, they are some time-tested techniques for effective communication of ideas. Specifically, they are focused on the communication of tax analysis or research results (e.g., presenting spreadsheets and other financial reports to a supervisor in one s own firm, or discussing a complex research project with a client's board of directors), which poses special problems that make a review of oral communications procedures all the more valuable.

Communications and the Tax

Professional

For the most part, the tax professional's preparation is the same for both written and spoken communications. Needless to say, the practitioner must have first developed and applied an of the pertinent tax research and financial analysis techniques to be qualified and current on prevailing tax law. The challenge then becomes how to deliver this information in a manner that will be well-received.

Preparation for the delivery of tax communication, however, must go far beyond knowledge of the necessary technical tax material. As illustrated in Exhibit 1, on page 180, communication truly occurs only when the message desired to be sent by the speaker for writer) is received by the intended audience. Distractions of all sorts can make this process difficult to accomplish. Thorough research into the nature and expectations of the audience, the factors that may interfere with the delivery of the message, and feedback and corrective measures must make up a critical part of the communicator's preparation.

The term "noise" includes anything that might disrupt the communications process, including a mismatching of expectations as to message the chosen delivery method, the identity and nature of the sender and receiver of the message, other events competing for the attention of those involved, logistical difficulties, and technological problems. Feedback and corrective devices that can aid in successfully delivering the desired message include formal and informal evaluation processes, "real time" opportunities (such as question-and-answer periods and written comments received during the drafting of the document) and the sending and receiving of intended and unintended body language or other nonverbal communicative signals.

Generally, tax professionals are virtually untrained in applying communication methods to convey tax messages. The chief ingredients necessary to become an effective tax-content communicator are the desire to learn...