Division of Programs in Business Hosts “Presenting Across Cultures: An International Presentation Style” with SPS Faculty Dan Bullock and Raúl Sánchez

The NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business (DPB) hosted its first Industry Connection Series event of the Spring 2021 semester with SPS faculty Dan Bullock (DPB) and Raúl Sánchez (English Language Institute), in celebration of their forthcoming book, How to Communicate Effectively with Anyone, Anywhere: Your Passport to Connecting Globally. They were joined by the book’s illustrator and Professor Sánchez’s twin brother, Rod Sánchez, for a seminar entitled, “Presenting Across Cultures: An International Presentation Style.” While the book explicates an approach to global communication across key performance areas, including emailing, negotiating, networking, writing, public speaking, etc., this session focused specifically on the critical importance of intercultural presentation skills in this globalized era. 

During the first half of the session, the co-authors discussed key characteristics of culturally powerful presentations, how to cultivate a global and service-oriented mindset, why the presenter is the facilitator and not the source of change, and the importance of storytelling from a neuroscientific perspective. They also explored Maslow’s theory of motivation and how it applies to audience engagement, as well as the most effective types of presentation openers. 

The second half of the discussion highlighted the global context for powerful presentations, describing the three most common cultural presentation styles and how to integrate these patterns to reach a spectrum of audiences. The authors shared the importance of multi-sensory content, exemplified by a demo of the unique augmented reality feature of the book, in which readers can view book illustrations interactively on their smartphones. The webinar concluded with an emphasis on the role of the global communicator in furthering empathy, understanding, and unity among nations. To learn more, graphic notes of the session can be found below.

Now in its fourth year, the Industry Connection Series has garnered a growing audience for innovative topics such as "VisuaLeadership," "The Performance Management Revolution," and "Design Thinking & Understanding Your Customer." Each session provides DPB students, faculty, alumni, and staff with leading-edge insights into current business trends and industry developments.

Dan Bullock is a language and communications specialist/trainer at the United Nations Secretariat, training diplomats and global UN staff. He also serves as faculty teaching business communication, linguistics, and public relations within the Division of Programs in Business at New York University’s School of Professional Studies. Dan was the director of corporate communications at a leading NYC public relations firm, and his corporate clients have included TD Bank and Pfizer. He contributes to The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Business.com, and Thrive Global, where he writes about the intersection of global business communication, intercultural communication, and professional development.

Raúl Sánchez is an award-winning clinical assistant professor and the Program Coordinator of the Professional English and Corporate Education Program in the English Language Institute at New York University’s School of Professional Studies. He has designed and delivered corporate trainings for Deloitte and the United Nations, as well as been a writing consultant for Barnes & Noble Press and PBS. Raúl was awarded the NYU School of Professional Studies Teaching Excellence Award and specializes in linguistics and business communication. He contributes to The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Business.com, openDemocracy, and Thrive Global, where he writes about the intersection of global business communication, leadership, and intercultural communication.

Rod Sánchez is an award-winning visual communication designer, artist, and filmmaker.  He is a lead user experience/user interface designer at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and his experience includes designing and illustrating book covers for Penguin Random House and Scholastic.  He received design awards from: The New England Book Show and The Create Awards.  Rod has directed and designed campaigns for: Disney, Nickelodeon, and Baruch College – CUNY.  Rod’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, displayed on large-scale billboards in New York City, and published in HuffPost, The Guardian, Time Out New York, El País, AM New York Metro, and Thrive Global.

DPB is the largest division at NYU School of Professional Studies, with over 2,200 students, 500 faculty, and over 7,000 alumni. The Division comprises four centers of excellence that educate leaders in the functional areas of an enterprise. Each department’s credit and non-credit portfolio of offerings serves students at every level of their careers, providing them with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in critical positions in their professional development.