How to Structure a Business Presentation
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Getting ready for a business presentation requires preparation and practice. There are important steps to delivering a presentation effectively that you need to follow. You must be knowledgeable about your subject matter, but that isn’t enough. You must also have the information organized in a manner that will allow you to quickly capture the interest of your audience and that will keep it all the way through.

Attention-Grabbing Introduction

You only have a few seconds to convince audience members that it is worth their time to listen to your presentation. You must capture their attention right away in a manner that focuses their interest on your topic.

Strategies for capturing audience attention include:

•Raise a thought-provoking question related to the topic of your presentation

•Make an interesting observation that has something to do with your topic

•Make a controversial statement relevant to the subject matter you will be discussing

•Recite a relevant quotation that is related to the presentation topic

Well-Organized Body

Once you have captured the attention of audience members, they will be ready to listen. From there, you should move seamlessly to the body of your presentation, which should be well-organized.

You should organize and present the content in a logical manner that is easy to follow and that is suited to your audience. The way you organize your presentation should make it easy for listeners to follow and understand what you are saying.

Tips to keep in mind when organizing the body of a business presentation:
•Formulate a series of points to raise, choosing those that are most relevant to your purpose and the interests of the audience.
•Don’t overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is generally best to stick with no more than three to five main points, depending on the length of your presentation and what you are trying to accomplish.
•Makes sure that your presentation follows a logical progression, which is most easily accomplished when you have narrowed down to a few relevant points. Related points should follow one another so that each point builds upon the previous one.

Appropriate Conclusion

What you say at the end of your presentation is just as important as what you say at the beginning and throughout the main point. An appropriate conclusion previews for listeners that the presentation is about to come to the end and determines what your final impression will be. It can also play an important role in whether or not you accomplish your objective as a presenter.

Effective conclusions are structured in a way that:

•Summarizes the presentation’s main points.

•Reinforces your main purpose for speaking.

•Encourages readers to reflect on what you said and think further about the topic.

•Lets listeners know the expected takeaway they should have as a result of your presentation.

•Asks audience members for the desired response or action (i.e., make a donation, hire your company, etc.).

Accomplishing Your Objectives

Structuring your business presentations in this manner will go a long way toward setting you up for public speaking success in this aspect of your professional life.