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Business Grammar & Composition May 2014
Study Guide
Business Communications III: Advice for PowerPoints & Presentations
June 2014
National Association of Elevator Contractors
Business Communications Study Guide III: Advice for PowerPoints and Presentations
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About this Study Guide ........................................................................................................... 1
Parts of the Presentation ......................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2
Body Content ..................................................................................................................... 4
Closing ............................................................................................................................... 6
Recommended Resources........................................................................................................ 7
Sample PowerPoint Presentation ............................................................................................. 8
Contents
Business Communications Study Guide III: Advice for PowerPoints and Presentations
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This guide is intended to supplement your individualized Skillsoft learning by providing materials and examples specific to the vertical transport industry.
The content of this guide provides helpful information about giving presentations and creating accompanying PowerPoint presentations. A sample PowerPoint is included.
Information included in this study guide is intended for educational purposes only. Check with your company for specific guidelines.
About this Study Guide
Business Communications Study Guide III: Advice for PowerPoints and Presentations
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Every presentation must keep its audience foremost in its mind. Be considerate of their time, attention, and interest. Remember, you are presenting for them to take some sort of action.
Introduction
The following information can be found in Skillsoft as follows:
Course: Basic Presentation Skills: Planning a Presentation
Section: SkillBrief on Organizing Ideas
When planning your presentation, you need to have a good idea of what you want to achieve with it. You also have to ensure that the purpose is something that will interest your audience. When determining the purpose of your presentation, be specific. Determine what specific action you'd like your audience to take as a result of your presentation.
You can convert your purpose into a memorable headline. This gives a focus to your presentation. Headlines usually follow a subject-verb-object format. When formulating the purpose of your presentation, make sure it's measurable, realistic, and achievable.
Parts of the Presentation
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The following information can be found in Skillsoft as follows:
Course: Basic Presentation Skills: Planning a Presentation
Section: SkillBrief on Writing a Successful Presentation
Creating an Effective Opening Section
The opening acts as a hook that draws the audience in to your presentation and sets the tone for what follows. There are three key things to cover in the opening:
introduce yourself properly – Aim to establish a rapport with your audience immediately. You should also give them a "roadmap" of what you'll be covering. State how long the presentation will last and whether there'll be a question-and-answer session at the end. Also, clarify whether you expect them to take notes or whether you'll be providing ha ndouts.
provide the main point of the presentation – State your main message in the opening remarks. Make sure the audience understands what the purpose of the presentation is and how it will benefit them.
include an attention grabber – Include an attention grabber early on that will get the attention of audience members. You might tell them about a personal experience you've had or describe a hypothetical situation. You could also include a startling fact, a rhetorical question, or an anecdote to stimulate their interest.
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Body Content
Remember to identify and organize your key points, all the while keeping them to a manageable number.
The following information can be found in Skillsoft as follows:
Course: Basic Presentation Skills: Planning a Presentation
Section: SkillBrief on Organizing Ideas
As well as conveying information, you should aim to tell a story. If you merely list a series of facts without an overall narrative structure, your audience is likely to get bored.
You can use a number of approaches to present your information. You might select a time-scale approach or a problem-solving approach. Other options include contrast and compare, or question and answer. Another approach is to tell a story.
The following information can be found in Skillsoft as follows:
Course: Basic Presentation Skills: Planning a Presentation
Section: SkillBrief on Writing a Successful Presentation
The second part of a presentation – the middle section – is where you make the key points that support and reinforce your main message. This section contains the bulk of your presentation. When writing the middle section of your presentation, there are several things you should keep in mind:
limit the number of supporting points – The middle section should contain points that support your main message. Aim to have from three to five supporting points. This is a manageable number for you and your audience. You can present these in your notes as a series of headings.
elaborate on each supporting point – You should elaborate on each of the supporting points, making sure they support the main message of your presentation. However, don't give too much information, as this will only obscure the main point. Present this information as bullet points under each heading.
use an organizing method – Many speakers use an organizing method to structure the middle. You could simply number your points. You could also repeat a phrase or theme before each of your main points to link them, or play on a popular theme, su ch as "Big, Bigger, Biggest."
ensure support material is clear – Do your supporting points really support your main message? If they aren't relevant, leave them out. Are your supporting points independent of each other or do they overlap? If they overlap, they are subpoints. Are your supporting points clearly stated and consistent with one another? They should be worded similarly and be unambiguous.
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ensure support material is accurate – Your credibility will be undermined if a member of the audience discovers an error in your presentation. So double-check all facts and figures. Make sure all names and titles are spelled correctly and that direct quotations are presented accurately.
provide frequent directional signals – Directional signals are transition words that link your ideas together. They can help focus your audience's attention. You can provide directional signals by including a mini summary at the end of a set of points. You can also use smooth transitions as you move from point to point.
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Closing
The following information can be found in Skillsoft as follows:
Course: Basic Presentation Skills: Planning a Presentation
Section: SkillBrief on Writing a Successful Presentation
The closing is where you tie all your points together and bring your argument to a compelling conclusion. When writing the closing section of your presentation, there are some guidelines you should follow:
Reiterate the main points of your presentation. Don't provide any new information.
Give appropriate conclusions or recommendations. If you want the audience to do something after hearing your presentation, this is the time to ask them to do it.
Leave the audience with a memorable impression. You can do this by ending with a quotation or inspiring thought, or by issuing a challenge to the audience. You could also tie the presentation to a current topic in the news.
Thank the audience for their time. This is particularly important if your presentation lasts for more than 30 minutes
Make a smooth transition to the next phase. This lets the audience know what happens next. If you're holding a question-and-answer session, or if there's a scheduled break, tell the audience.
A well-structured presentation has an opening, a middle, and a closing. In the opening, you identify your main message. You support and reinforce your main message in the middle. And you tie everything together with a memorable conclusion in the closing.
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Below are recommended online guides for using PowerPoint.
Source Title URL
“Creating an Effective PowerPoint Presentation” http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/powerpoint.html
“Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation: Quick Guide”
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/686/01/
“Five Tips to Make PowerPoint Sales Presentations More Effective”
http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/five-tips-to-make-powerpoint-sales-presentations-more-effective/
Recommended Resources
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This section provides an example of a PowerPoint sales presentation for a prospective client.
Sample PowerPoint Presentation
Newman
Elevator
Corp.
Newman
Elevator
Corp.
Introduction of Newman Elevator Corp. and
Initial Proposal for Services for Wellness
Assisted Living Facility
Presented by: Allen Allan, Sales Manager
April 11, 2014
•Introduce Newman Elevator Corp. •Review identified needs of Wellness Assisted Living Facility and Newman Elevator Corp.’s response to those needs •Address questions and collect additional information as needed •Delineate next steps
• Locally and independently owned, spans four generations of industry experience.
• Serves Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. • Performs work for commercial, residential, hydraulic, traction,
wheelchair, material, and freight lifts. • Skilled in maintenance, repair, modernization, and new
construction. • Competent technical, design, sales, and support staff. • Maintains a customer retention rate of 98% with some
customers spanning over 28 years.
Maintenance: Effective maintenance which results in reduced cost
resulting from reduced number of breakdowns
Service and Repair: Reliable, quick response and quick service
and repair
Modernization: Five elevators are old and excessively unreliable
Construction: Two new elevators are required for the new wing
Wellness Assisted Living Facility Needs Newman Elevator Corp.’s Response
Maintenance Maintenance
Need continuous service with infrequent breakdowns.
Recommend full maintenance agreement with monthly maintenance service.
Maintenance will allow for identification and replacement of worn parts before they break down.
Wellness Assisted Living Facility Needs Newman Elevator Corp.’s Response
Service Service
Facility elevators are different models from different manufacturers.
Elevator technicians are trained to work on most makes and models.
Need response to call for service of less than two hours.
Newman Elevator Corp. maintains a dedicated roving team with an average response time of less than two hours.
Wellness Assisted Living Facility Needs Newman Elevator Corp.’s Response
Repair Repair
Need service completed in two hours.
Newman Elevator Corp. has excellent diagnosticians and troubleshooters. The Company maintains an extensive on-site warehouse of old and new elevator parts. Our response and repair times exceed the industry standard.
Need major repairs completed in reasonable time period with minimal disruption of service.
Repairs that exceed two hours are initiated and completed in consultation and agreement with owners. Newman maintains on call repair teams .
Wellness Assisted Living Facility Needs Newman Elevator Corp.’s Response
Modernization Modernization
The ongoing repair cost for 20-year-old elevators is excessive. Need elevator access during period of modernization
Modernize the elevators with new technology, equipment, and appearance. Highly skilled and experienced staff will assist with all customization needs. Modernization will bring elevators up to current ADA code. Out of service time during modernization period will be minimal and adhere to customer schedules.
Wellness Assisted Living Facility Needs Newman Elevator Corp.’s Response
Construction Construction
Need new elevator for new wing which is cost contained and high quality. Need competent project manager. Need flexibility in future choice of service provider.
Newman Elevator Corp. offers competitive pricing. Materials must meet a high minimum standard. Project managers are experienced and qualified by industry agents. Most are QEIs (qualified elevator inspectors). Equipment is not proprietary and therefore can be serviced by other companies.
•Contract process is flexible and customized •Payment schedule for construction is based on the nature and duration of the job •A list of references is available •The Company and its workers are appropriately licensed, insured and certified •Ninety-nine percent (99%) of our jobs finish on time
Newman
Elevator
Corp.
What additional information can we provide you?
I will contact you in two weeks, on April 25, 2014.
You can reach me by phone or email at:
Allen Allan, Sales Manager
Phone: 610-555-1234,
Email: [email protected]
1215 Landing Way / West Chester, PA 19380
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE
NEWMAN ELEVATOR CORP. AND PROVIDE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO
MEET YOUR ELEVATOR NEEDS.
