The Purpose Filled Presentation

The key to getting your message organized in a business presentation is identifying your purpose.

Generally speaking, the purpose of your presentation will be to inform, to convince or to persuade. When your purpose is clear, you'll structure your material more easily and your audience will follow you more closely.

If your purpose is to inform, you’ll probably be presenting an update. Presentations like this are common. Monthly updates showing new financial figures or comparing current sales figures with targets are all informational. If you’ve recently attended a conference or returned from a project site visit, presenting what you’ve discovered will also be informational.

An informational presentation can be organized many different ways, depending on the needs of your audience. You might organize it according to personnel. In a sales update, for example, you’d report on who sold what. A sales update may also be organized according to product, explaining what is selling where. Informational presentations may be organized according to topic, department, sequence, chronology, location and even according to the letter of the alphabet. No matter how you organize it, however, the information itself will not change.

If your purpose is to convince, your intention is to have your audience agree with you. When you attempt to get management buy-in on an idea, for example, you need to be convincing. The same holds true if you’re making recommendations for improvement on systems or procedures. Being convincing means getting your audience to believe you.

A convincing presentation is organized around information that supports your ideas and recommendations. This may include statistics, research, case studies and testimonials from experts, all of which provide evidence and support for your conclusion.

If your purpose is to persuade, your intention is to have your audience take action. You may want them to join your cause or sign your petition. You may want them to participate actively in a company-wide campaign. Or, if you’re delivering a sales presentation, you may simply want them to buy your product. All of these require motivating your audience into action.

To be persuasive, start by convincing your audience that they have a particular problem or need for which you have the solution. Sell them on your solution through explaining how they will benefit from it, and then explain easy steps for them to acquire what you have.

Recognizing the purpose of your presentation – to inform, to convince or to persuade – is your first step towards getting your information organized. The more organized you are, the easier it will be for your audience to follow you.