Making an Effective Business Plan Presentation
Many business plans are not only written, they are also presented. For example, if an
investment decision has to be made by a bank loan committee or consortium of venture
capitalists, it is more efficient to ask the business owner to make a presentation to the
group, rather than have each member read the plan. Presentations also allow an
opportunity for interactive questions and answers and for the investors to "size up" the
person to whom they are loaning money. This last point is not an inconsequential
consideration for both the investor and business owner.
We cannot, in this lesson, make you a great presenter. That takes knowledge of the
subject, confidence, and experience. However this lesson does start you on the path to
being a better presenter.
If a presentation is required as part of your course assignment, your instructor will give
you some guidance about length of presentation, proper format, target audience, and so
on. As emphasized below, this is critical information for making an effective
presentation.
The lesson outline is:
Fundamentals of Presenting
Suggestions to Make a GREAT Presentation
--Content suggestions
--Presentation suggestions
Additional Resources for Preparing and Delivering an Effective Presentation
Fundamentals of Presenting
Making an effective presentation isn't that difficult. The process begins with a few
fundamentals.
Know your target audience: As you did for the business plan itself, prepare your
presentation with the information needs, expectations, attitudes, and knowledge levels of
your intended audience in mind. Think about questions such as:
• Who are they (professional positions, ages, backgrounds, roles in this meeting)?
• What do they already know (knowledge of your industry, knowledge of technical
terms, have they read the plan already)?
• What's in it for them (expected benefits, learning outcomes, decisions to be
made)?
For example, assume the target audience for your business plan present