1st Bac - Presentations

Giving successful presentations: The Eight Ps

How do you feel when you have to talk in public or give a presentation? Many people get very nervous and they don’t know where to start. There are a few key things to remember to help you to give a good presentation. If you follow these, hopefully you won’t be too nervous.

The first thing to think about is the people who will listen to your presentation – your 

audience

. This is important as some people are 

specialists

 and know a lot about a topic and for other people it might be completely new. So, you need to make sure the content of your presentation is suitable for the audience.

The second ‘P’ is for purpose. What is the aim of the presentation? What is the message you want to give the listeners? Think about the audience and the time you have for the presentation and choose the most important things to talk about.

The third important point is place. If the talk is planned for a lecture theatre with a lot of people you will need to use a microphone. You may want to use other technology such as a projector. You can even ask people to use Twitter and ‘tweet’ questions and comments to a big screen on the 

stage

. Whatever you decide, you need to think about the 

equipment

 you need in the place you are giving your presentation.

The fourth ‘P’ is 

preparation

. You will be less nervous if you 

prepare

 well. A good idea is to start with a plan of how you will explain your key message and ideas. From there you can write a detailed script and think about the language you want to use. When you are happy with the full script, make a set of cards to remind you of the important points you want to make. You can check these when you give the presentation, so you don’t forget any important points.

I have included phrases as the fifth ‘P’ to think about. There are some typical phrases to help the audience follow your presentation – this is called 'signposting' language. These words and phrases are used to explain ideas and show how different points relate to each other.

The most important ‘P’ is 

practice

. Many people prepare well, but they forget to 

practise

. When you rehearse your presentation, you can check the timing is correct and make sure everything is clear. The best thing is to practise in front of a friend or colleague. They can tell you how easy it is to follow the presentation and give you advice to improve it.

On the day of the presentation, you need to think about the 

performance

. If you have done the right kind of preparation, you will be more 

confident

, but even expert presenters can be nervous. Remember to speak slowly and clearly and talk to the audience. Try to be 

enthusiastic

 about what you are talking about.

Finally, it is helpful to 

plan

 for the questions that the audience may ask. Think ahead and write a list of questions they could ask. Try to prepare your answers for these questions so you are ready for anything!

1st Bac - Problem Solving

Business Problem Solving

Very rarely do entrepreneurs find quick, easy and long-lasting solutions to business problems. Most problems are complex and must be analyzed from a number of perspectives before solutions can be generated. However, by following a systematic approach to problem solving, entrepreneurs and their mentors can build a deeper understanding of specific business problems and find solutions that provide the biggest reward with the lowest risk.

There are three main steps in solving business problems:

1. Identify the problem.
2. Consider your options.
3. Choose the best solution.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

At times, you may be too tightly wound up in your business to notice a problem, especially at the early stages. Even when you start to think something’s wrong, you still might not know what the real problem is. Some problems are actually symptoms of other more complex problems. Consider this example:

• Entrepreneur: “I have a big problem. I don’t have enough staff to do all the work my company has committed to.”
• Mentor: “Why don’t you have enough staff? You hired three new employees last quarter.”
• Entrepreneur: “They all quit. That’s my problem!”

It’s important to understand the causes of the problem, rather than simply looking at its effects. Here is a process for problem identification:
Ask “why?” until an answer cannot be provided. By asking “why?”, you back up to the true cause of the problem. In a continuation of the example above:

• Mentor: “Why did all your staff quit?”
• Entrepreneur: “I don’t know.”
• Mentor: “OK, now we’re getting to your problem.”

State the problem. For example: Staff quitting in under three months.
Develop a detailed problem description by answering the following questions:

• When did the problem first appear?
• What factors or events led to this problem?
• What factors or events made the problem more evident?
• How and to what extent is this problem affecting the business?

With a clear understanding of the nature and extent of the problem, you can move on to Business Problem Solving Step 2: Consider Your Options.

Step 2: Consider Your Options

Even when problems are correctly identified, they are often not given the attention they deserve nor the action they require. Once you know what the
problem really is, you must take action to solve it. Try this approach to come up with some potential solutions to act upon:

Consider the specific factors that must be addressed in the solution. By spending some time looking at the problem from an open and objective perspective, you will be able to generate a clearer picture of the factors that need to be addressed in the solution. Create two vertical columns on a page. In the left column, list all the factors you can think of.

Identify potential solutions that address most or all of the factors. In the right column of the page, write down potential solutions beside each factor to be addressed. Be creative!
With several potential solutions identified, you can move on to Step 3: Choose the Best Solution.

Step 3: Choose the Best Solution.

Evaluate the alternatives. For each potential solution, determine where on the grid it fits, according to how easy it would be to implement and what level of impact the solution would likely have on your business goals. With this analysis, you can narrow down your alternatives and select one or two tentative solutions.

Weigh the risks of your tentative solutions. This is your opportunity to prepare for and take steps to avoid any potential negative effects of your final decision, at no cost.

For each of your alternatives, ask yourself the following questions:

• What RISKS do you see in the solution? Or in other words, what could go wrong?
• How would you MITIGATE the risk?
• Who would take the RESPONSIBILITY to mitigate the risk?