Useful to students

1. Business Presentations to
Customers and other stakeholders

2. • Business Presentations to Customers and other
stakeholders is an important task in business field.
• Presenting to stakeholders is an opportunity to deliver
high-quality data and valuable insights to people who
can make things happen.
• Having a clear and concise purpose will help you
structure your presentation and focus on the most
relevant and valuable information. It will also help
you align your presentation with the goals and
expectations of your stakeholders, and show them
how your proposal or solution benefits them.

4. • Presentations are an indispensable tool for business
success. They enable you to engage, communicate,
and influence your audience effectively.
• By leveraging the power of presentations, you can
showcase your brand, communicate complex
information clearly, foster collaboration, and drive
sales and marketing efforts.
• Presentations are vital for business and they can drive
growth, influence stakeholders and foster meaningful
connections.

6. • Engage and Captivate Your Audience:
Presentations provide a platform to engage and
captivate your audience like no other medium. By
combining visual elements, persuasive language, and
storytelling techniques, presentations can grab
attention, evoke emotions, and leave a lasting
impression. The ability to captivate your audience is
crucial for effectively conveying your message,
building relationships, and generating interest in your
business offerings.

7. • Communicate Complex Information Clearly:
Business concepts, data, and strategies can be
complex, and presenting them in a clear and concise
manner is paramount. hashtag#presentations allow
you to distill intricate information into digestible bits,
enabling your audience to understand and absorb key
messages efficiently. With well-structured slides,
visuals, and well-crafted narratives, you can simplify
complex ideas, making them accessible and
actionable for your stakeholders.

8. • Influence Decision-making: Presentations
have the power to influence decision-making
processes. By presenting compelling
arguments, supporting evidence, and
demonstrating the value proposition of your
business , you can sway opinions and
encourage stakeholders to take desired actions.
Presentations offer an opportunity to showcase
your expertise, build credibility, and create a
persuasive case for the adoption of your ideas
or solutions.

9. • Showcase Your Brand and Professionalism: Every
interaction in business is an opportunity to showcase
your brand and professionalism, and presentations are
no exception. Thoughtfully designed slides with
consistent branding, polished visuals, and attention to
detail demonstrate your commitment to quality and
professionalism. A well-executed presentation reflects
positively on your business, instilling trust and
confidence in your audience.

10. • Foster Collaboration and Alignment: Presentations
serve as a common language that facilitates
collaboration and alignment within teams and across
departments. By presenting goals, strategies, and
updates, presentations create a shared understanding
of the organization's direction. They provide a
platform for brainstorming, gathering feedback, and
fostering a collaborative culture where diverse
perspectives are heard and valued.

11. • Enhance Sales and Marketing Efforts:
Presentations are powerful tools for sales and
marketing. They allow you to showcase your products
or services, highlight key features and benefits, and
address potential customer pain points. With well-
crafted presentations, you can effectively
communicate your value proposition, differentiate
yourself from competitors, and ultimately drive sales
conversions.

12. • Create Memorable Experiences: Presentations have
the ability to create memorable experiences for your
audience. By incorporating interactive elements,
multimedia, and compelling visuals, you can leave a
lasting impression that lingers in the minds of your
stakeholders. Memorable experiences can lead to
stronger brand recall, word-of-mouth referrals, and
increased opportunities for business growth.

13. Tips on presenting to stakeholders:
Lead with your key messages:
• This is particularly appropriate when
presenting to busy, time-poor stakeholders.
• Start your presentation with your key
messages right at the start.
Use stories to illustrate your key points:
• Stories are one of the most engaging ways
to grab an audience. Look at the most-
watched TED (Technology, Entertainment
and Design) Talks and one of the common
elements in each is that the speakers tell
stories.

14.  Practice, practice and practice again
• Rehearsing a presentation is something we all know we
should do, but often it's the last thing we actually want to
do, or actually end up doing. One reason we put off
rehearsing is that you may feel silly doing it. To counter
this feeling (which is often perceived only by you)
consider the risk you run of being embarrassed in front of
your stakeholders because you failed to practice properly.
For example, poorly chosen words in the moment can
send a presentation off in the wrong direction - if
someone in your audience takes a different meaning from
it.
• Practising gives you the chance to refine your wording.

15. Encourage feedback, and be prepared for
questions
• The best presentations are a two-way street. Clearly,
the focus is on you communicating information to an
audience not only to inform, but also to get
agreement. It's also a valuable opportunity to gather
more information and feedback from your
stakeholders. Inviting your audience to ask questions
and feed back their expert views is crucial. Depending
on what you are presenting, you may want to invite
questions throughout, or leave them to the end. It's
worth brainstorming what questions you are likely to
receive from your audience, either by yourself, or
with colleagues who've presented to your audience in
the past.

16.  Critique your own performance
• When you walk out of the presentation and your memories are
still fresh don't squander the small window you have to record
everything you can about your performance. Leave it too long
and you may forget observations that prove to be vital.
Undertaking a post-presentation debrief follows the same
principles as undertaking a retrospective at the end of a
project. It's all about continuous improvement and asking
yourself the right questions (find useful retrospective
questions which you can apply to a post-presentation analysis
in the 'learn lessons' section of The Six Step Guide to Practical
Project Management). The presentation may be just one part
of what goes into making stakeholder management a success,
but it's an important one. It's also an important skill to develop
for your overall career development, not just for your next
stakeholder engagement.

17. Effective Presentation Skills in Business :
• Effective Presentation Skills Every Business Person Needs to Know.
• The following are the important effective presentation business skills:
1) The ability to capture and hold the attention
• The ability to capture and hold attention is essential for any presentation.
This can be done through the effective use of PowerPoint slides, voice
inflection, and eye contact.
• Slides should be designed with a clear message in mind and they should
be kept simple so that the audience doesn't get bored or confused. Voice
inflection is important because it allows the speaker to emphasize certain
words or sentences which helps keep the audience engaged.
• Eye contact is key because it allows the speaker to make a connection
with those watching and makes them feel like they are being heard.
• Effective communication skills are needed for this type of interaction
because there need to be good listening skills as well as the ability to
understand how another person is feeling based on their tone, body
language, and facial expression. Good communication also means being
able to say no without offending someone if necessary.

18. 2) Strong eye contact
• Strong eye contact is one of the most important things you
can do in a presentation. Making eye contact with your
audience will make them feel like they are being listened
to and respected. It will also help keep their attention on
what you're saying.
• One way to maintain strong eye contact is by looking at
the person who asked the question first and then glancing
around the room before answering so that others can see
that you're acknowledging their presence.

19. 3) A clear, strong voice
• To have a strong, clear voice, it is important to use proper
breathing techniques and speak from the diaphragm.
• This will allow you to speak loudly without straining your
voice. To practice speaking with a strong voice, try this
exercise: Stand up and place both hands on your stomach.
Now exhale all of the air in your lungs (don't force the air
out).
• As you inhale, push your stomach out against your hands as
though you are inflating a balloon. Keep pushing until you
feel that your lungs are full of air and not empty. When you
are ready, start speaking in an assertive tone.
• If this exercise doesn't seem like it is working for you, try
reading aloud from a book or magazine for about five
minutes.

20. 4) Enthusiasm
• Many skills are important for business success.
Knowledge of the industry, excellent negotiation
skills, and knowing how to navigate a tricky
situation can all come in handy. However, there is
one skill that trumps them all: effective presentation
skills.
• There is nothing more important than being able to
communicate clearly and effectively with others.
You need to be able to speak with confidence and
sound like you know what you are talking about
even if you don't have a clue what's going on!

21. 5) Passion
• What should I do? I'm so nervous! What's my audience going to
think about me? These are just a few of the thoughts that run
through one's mind during the lead-up to a presentation.
• It's understandable and important that people should be nervous
when it comes time for them to present, but it can be detrimental
if they let those nerves get the best of them. For this reason, here
are some tips on how you can help your business presentation go
off without a hitch.
• Practice oral presentations in business communication in front of
friends or family before presenting. Make sure you have all your
materials and notes in order beforehand so you don't have any
distractions while presenting.

22. 6) Confidence
• One of the most important aspects of presentation skills in
business communication is being confident. It's not
enough that you have a well-thought-out idea and are
prepared to back it up with facts and figures, if you don't
believe in your presentation, then why should anyone
else?
• To make a great first impression, stand up straight with
your shoulders squared. Smile when you make eye
contact with people, even if it feels fake at first. When
speaking, don't mumble or rush your words. Speak clearly
and slowly so that people can follow along easily.

23. 7) Poise
• Poise is the most important aspect of a presentation. It's what
keeps the speaker calm, confident, and in control. Here are a
few tips for maintaining poise:
• Stand up straight with your shoulders back, looking at the
audience instead of your notes. This will make you feel more
confident and poised.
• Try not to shift around too much and keep your hands at your
sides or on the podium unless they're gesturing while you
talk.
• Use an even tone of voice that is neither too loud nor too soft.
-Don't move around excessively and avoid distracting
movements like fidgeting or chewing gum. Practice making
eye contact with the audience, but don't stare them down since
this can make people uncomfortable or nervous.

24. 8) The ability to handle questions with ease
• No matter how well you have prepared, there is always a chance
that someone will ask a question you haven't anticipated. This is
where your presentation skills come in handy.
• Be sure to always have an answer and be able to present it
confidently. You don't want your audience wondering if you
know what you're talking about. Furthermore, if someone asks a
question that is outside the scope of your topic, redirect them
back with a solid response.

25. 9) Preparation
• Before you can even begin the presentation, your preparation
will determine the quality of your message and how it resonates
with your audience. To ensure that you are ready for any
situation, we recommend:
• Doing some research about the company or organization to
which you are presenting. Understanding their core values and
what they do makes a big difference in how you deliver your
message.
• Practicing in front of a mirror or with friends and family until
you are comfortable enough with what you want to say and how
you want to say it.
• Dressing appropriately for the occasion by wearing clothes that
won't distract from what you're saying but also fit into the
culture of where the event is being held.

26. 10) Naturalness
• It's important to be natural when you present. Practice your
presentation in front of friends and family members and get their
feedback on how you're coming across.
• When delivering a presentation, make sure that you are making
eye contact with the audience, not looking down at your laptop
screen or phone screen, standing up straight, and projecting your
voice so that the audience can hear what you are saying.
• There is nothing worse than a presenter who walks around the
stage or fidgets in place during their presentation because it
distracts from the message that they are trying to convey.
• It is also important to have good posture when presenting as it
will help make you look confident and authoritative. If you find
yourself feeling nervous before a presentation, try practicing
some deep breathing exercises before going on stage.