How to make better business presentations

1. HOW TO MAKE
BETTER
PRESENTATIONS
Module 6
By Chrystal Robison

2. TRAINING
Training presentations allow the trainer to
teach participants skills for the job.
Topics might include: sales, techniques,
policies, team building, or product overview.
In most business situations training requires
participation from the audience.
The more active the audience the more they
will learn.
(BusinessTown.com, n.d.)

3. HOW TO PREPARE
The first step is planning:
Know who will be the audience
Select visuals to meet the needs of the group
Know and understand the purpose of the presentation
Ask the question “what is in it for me?” answer as if
you were them
Chose a place for the presentation: web-conference,
live, or both
(Cook, n.d.)

4. A GOOD PRESENTATION
A powerpoint is a convenient form of presenting
information.
It is important to face the audience, it will help gauge
understanding.
Be time conscious, know how much time you have
and stay on track.
Make sure the information is consistent, relevant, and
clear.
Provide the audience with packets that include the
powerpoint slides, this allows them to take notes on
each slide.
(Darlington, 2010)

5. SLIDE LAYOUT
Slide one- title, date of presentation, name of
presenter, and position.
Slide two- capture the audience; use interesting facts
or ask questions to see what they already know.
Slide three- identify the points of the presentation.
Bullet-point the topics that will be discussed.
The proceeding slides will cover each topic with text,
pictures, charts, and/or graphs.
(Darlington, 2010)

6. SLIDE LAYOUT
The conclusion should highlight what the audience just
learned.
Have a “questions?” slide after the conclusion to open up
discussion with the audience, this will create an interactive
presentation.
The last slide should have the presenters contact information
and any links the audience may find useful.
(eHow.com, n.d.)

7. KEEP THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED
Allow the audience to absorb the information.
Do not read verbatim from the slides, paraphrase and
elaborate what they have seen.
Be enthusiastic about the topic, listeners will pay
more attention.
Use props to keep listeners engaged, but only when
necessary.
Do not let the props steal the presentation.
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

8. PRESENTATION REVIEW AND
DELIVERY
Have someone review and edit the
presentation.
Practice alone or in front of a co-worker.
Set up in advance and have the room arranged
to accommodate the audience.
Be present when the audience members arrive
and greet them with friendliness and
confidence.
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

9. CONCLUSION
In the end, a powerpoint serves as a good tool
for training.
The right preparation will result in a good
presentation.
Engaging the audience will help them to
follow along and to participate.
Being prepared and enthusiastic at the time of
the presentation will show confidence and
interest.

10. REFERENCES
BusinessTown.com. (n.d.). Small business presentations: Types of presentations. Retrieved from
http://www.businesstown.com/presentations/present-types.asp.
Cook, E. (n.d.). Making business presentations work. Retrieved from
http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/presentation101.htm.
Darlington, R. (2010). How to make a good presentation. Retrieved from
http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Presentation.html.
eHow.com. (n.d.). How to write a powerpoint presentation. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/how_5596713_write-powerpoint-presentation.html.
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and products (7th ed.). Independence, KY:
Cengage Learning.