Why this is important

You may need to make presentations to win work, sell your products or services, get funding or support, promote your business or promote changes and new strategies to staff or board members. Making successful presentations is important as it may help to boost your sales, bring more investment to your business or to take your business in a new direction.

Who might do this

You might do this if you need to:

• ask for a loan or grant from a funding provider;
• take part in a sales event such as a network meeting or exhibition; or
• present business plans or proposals to the board of directors or partners of your business or social enterprise.

What it involves

Make presentations about your business involves:

• identifying the requirements of your target audience for the presentation;
• preparing a presentation in an appropriate format to suit the specific audience; and
• communicating proposals, quotations or other relevant information to the intended audience in an effective way.

Other units that link closely with this

1. Identify the requirements of your target audience for information.
2. Identify the main purpose of your presentation for your business.
3. Agree with the intended audience how and when to make the presentation.
4. Make the presentation in a manner that helps the intended audience to understand its content and promotes your business, its products or services.
5. Provide the audience with opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on all aspects of the presentation.
6. Make sure any objections raised are properly recognised and responded to in a friendly, logical and professional way.
7. Make sure you stay within the limits of your personal authority and what your business can deliver.
8. Find ways to encourage your audience to agree with, approve or accept what you are proposing.
9. Make sure that any oral agreements are clearly understood by all the parties and followed up in writing.

Making presentations

1. The purpose of your presentation. (For example selling products or services, seeking a loan or grant or making recommendations to your board of directors or partners.)
2. The key differences when making presentations in different contexts. (For example formal or informal, face-to-face or in writing, group or individual, large or small groups).
3. How to identify and clarify the information about your business required by different audiences. (For example extracts from business plans or details about the products or services.)
4. How to identify the right format for making a presentation. (For example written proposals, power point presentation, informal talk or a mixture of formats.)
5. What is expected by your audience when making presentations in specific cases. (For example preparing proposals or quotations in the house style or using other conventions recognised in business.)
6. How to establish rapport with your audience.
7. The techniques that can be used to influence people.
8. How to deal with points of clarification about your presentation.
9. How to respond constructively to any objections or criticisms about your presentation and maintain rapport with your audience.

Products and Services

10. The features and benefits of the products or services of your business.

Negotiation

11. What your business can deliver.
12. The terms and conditions that you would be prepared to accept. (For example knowing which products or services can be offered, and any discounts for bulk orders or special offers you can agree or knowing how much finance you need and what you can afford to pay for it.)

Yourself

13. How to identify the limits of your authority to make decisions on behalf of your business without reference to others such as partners and other stakeholders.