Persuasive Business Presentation Plan and Visuals
This assignment has two parts: (1) a plan; (2) visuals.
Scroll down for directions for each part and for tips and guidelines, including selecting an appropriate topic.
Watch the videos.
You will upload the plan and the visuals separately. The plan should be in a Word document; the visuals should be a PowerPoint or other slideshow software file.
Part 1: (12a) Presentation Plan
Create an outline of a persuasive business presentation. Include key elements:
- BusinessAudience Description (Managers at your company? customers? potential investors?)
- Presentation BusinessGoal (What you want the audience to DO.)
- Attention Getter
- Three main points with two supporting points each (data! evidence!)
- Concluding statement (close the deal!)
- At least two references correctly cited
Part 2: (12b) Presentation Visuals
Create the visuals to go along with your plan. Most businesses use PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint, use one of the free tools available online, such as Google docs.
Create a set of approximately 8 slides. Follow the principles outlined in Chapter 8, beginning on page 433.
Slides are evaluated on:
Readability
- Appropriate amount of text, that is, minimal text
- Contrast colors that make reading easier
- NO typos, misspelled words, grammar errors
Images
- Quality of images … photos, graphs, charts, NOT clip art
- Appropriateness of images: Do they help communicate
- PowerPoint Rules:
- No spelling or punctuation errors! None!
- No sentences. Bulleted phrases okay.
- No clip art. Quality images are readily available on the Web for you to use.
- No animations. They’re distracting.
- Put references in small print at bottom of the related slide or together at the end of the slide show.
- Use high contrast text v. background, e.g., light, bright text against dark background.
- Use contrasting colors for text v. background, e.g., bright yellow against dark blue. NOT bright yellow against bright pink.
- Include at least one slide with graphic representation of data… a graph or chart. Limit tables to 6 cells max.
- The 5×5 rule for text: No more than 5 bullet points on a slide; no more than 5 words per bullet.
- Credibility: In Business presentations, everything you display speaks to your credibility. Content, appearance. Use strong, reliable resources/ references to support your points. Be confident. Inspire confidence.
- (There’s nothing new here. It’s a very concise version of information in your texts.)
Persuasive Business Topic?
Be sure your topic is both persuasive and business-based. See the table below for examples.
Note that although some political activities are a business, persuasion for support on political issues is not the same as persuasion on business issues. Vote for Joe or Vote for XYZ Proposition is political. Buy from Joe is business. If in doubt, email the instructor with your topic idea and ask for feedback.
| Audience | Information Topic | Persuasive Topic |
| Executives of your company | A report on customer satisfaction | Please implement a flexible work week schedule |
| Workers you supervise | How to improve your computer skills | Please join our “Use Less Paper” team! |
| Your co-workers | Information on a new product they will sell | Let’s start an exercise group that will improve our health and morale at work. |
| Potential investors in your company | Update on the company’s financial status | Please invest now! |
| Your employees | Information on a new retirement plan | Please participate in our team-building project. |
| Your vendors or potential vendors | Information on your requirements for a new copier | Please adopt a just-in-time logistics operation. |
| Your customers | Information on new web site | Buy/rent/subscribe to _______________. |
