The author maintains that oral presentations by a company's representatives affect its reputation and competitive position, and typically exhibit certain shortcomings. He describes these shortcomings and how they can be overcome by the application of good developmental techniques. He notes that many companies are providing their employees with professional help in developing oral presentations and recommends that all companies address this issue.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>