Blog: Business Communications

You have a unique idea that would benefit an organization, a client, or management. How do you present your proposal?

Plan It Out.

• Gather all the information you can before making your presentation, and ensure that it is all correct and fits a need. Make sure it fits a niche. Decide if it is something that is required or if it is something that will be a temporary request, wish, or ambition. This will help you in deciding how to set up your presentation.
• Examine all avenues to see if the same proposal was previously considered. If it was, what was the circumstances? Find out why it was turned down or rejected. Maybe you can make improvements on the original idea.
• Test it out and speak with others to see what others think. They might have other suggestions to improve upon your proposal.
• Create a mapping for yourself to see how your idea fits within the realm of the organization or helps to resolve issues that a client faces.
• Create an outline for how you are going to make your presentation and test it out in front of others who also support you.

Upon Presenting.

• First be able to make a beginning statement in one sentence as to what your proposal is about.
• Next state how the idea came about or how you derived at the idea.
• Then state why it is needed. Give an example of how it fills a void, or how it solves a persistent problem.
• Next explain all its benefits. For example, state how in the end, the client or the organization can function more efficiently, or gain more momentum, or reap more rewards.
• Explain how this proposal came about.
• Include with the presentation a slide show, a white board, or video. Make sure that within any of these communication methods, you have captured everything to make the above points and that it shows the objective of the presentation.
• Give out handouts. Include within the handout the resources needed, cost, graphics indicating benefits, etc.
• State how the proposal will be accomplished. List the steps that will be taken to achieve the goal. Include how long it will take to accomplish the task and what resources or budget is needed.
• Create a project plan to include details of the, e.g., development of the product, or the milestones that need to be reached till the end result is accomplished.

In the end, to be successful, be confident when presenting, and make sure that they understand your idea and the reasons behind it, but most importantly, its benefits and its future usage. End the presentation by welcoming feedback. Any comments should not be rejected nor should they be taken internally to lose confidence nor to have misgivings about your idea. Use any negative comments as an experience to be learned, or as a way to see how you need to make changes to your proposal to make it better.

Do you have any other ideas to add? If so, please leave a comment.