Job Success

Determining your purpose

When giving a business presentation, chances are you already know your topic. To prepare, you just have to determine your purpose of presenting that topic to others. In doing so, you'll focus on what exactly you want to say.

To determine your purpose, consider the following:

• Audience. To whom are you presenting? What are the audience's special interests and concerns? Which part is most interesting or significant to the audience? How will they react to your topic? Are there any special or technical terms that should be defined?
  
  
• Order of importance. What aspects of your topic are most important or most serious? Choose three or four main points.
  
  
• Time. What can be most easily explained or discussed in the time or space allotted?
  
  
• Purpose. What do you want the audience to know, understand, believe, or do when you are finished? The answer to this question should be clearly written and should focus on your three to four main points. The sentence below will serve as your purpose statement.

Sample purpose statement: "By the end of my presentation on _________________, I want my audience to know/understand/believe/do _____________________, ______________________, and _____________________."