Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint
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Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint
This course is part of Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach Specialization
Instructor: Alex Mannella
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There are 4 modules in this course
This course is all about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation, to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for effective visuals and slides. You'll gain skills for client-facing communication - including public speaking, executive presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, which you'll need to turn into a presentation - which you'll deliver with iterative peer feedback.
This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.
This course is about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation and how to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for creating effective PowerPoint slides with visuals displaying data. Though application based exercises, you'll gain foundational communication skills - including public speaking, professional presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, that you will use to create a presentation. You’ll receive peer feedback that you can use to enhance future presentations. This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017
What's included
13 videos5 readings1 assignment5 discussion prompts
13 videos•Total 48 minutes
- Welcome to Course 4•2 minutes
- Welcome to Week 1•3 minutes
- The eight-step approach to prepare for a presentation•4 minutes
- Step 1 - Know your audience and Step 2 - Know your purpose•6 minutes
- Step 3 - Structure the body of your presentation•8 minutes
- Step 4 - Plan how you will start your presentation•4 minutes
- Step 5 - Plan how you will end your presentation•2 minutes
- Step 6 - Prepare your visual aids•4 minutes
- Step 7 - Anticipate the questions you may be asked•6 minutes
- Step 8 - Practice your presentation•3 minutes
- Presenting on short notice•3 minutes
- Week 1 Closing•2 minutes
- A Message from our Chief People Officer at PwC•1 minute
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Course Overview and Syllabus•10 minutes
- Meet the PwC Instructors•10 minutes
- Case Study and Materials•10 minutes
- Outlining and Wireframing•10 minutes
- The eight-step approach to prepare for a presentation•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Week 1 Quiz•30 minutes
5 discussion prompts•Total 50 minutes
- Meet Your Classmates•10 minutes
- How do you get to know your audience?•10 minutes
- When do you field questions during a presentation?•10 minutes
- Preparing for a presentation on short notice•10 minutes
- When is it appropriate to change the order of the eight-step approach?•10 minutes
This week, we will be covering the different types of communications styles. You’ll start off by gaining an understanding of your personal professional presence and learn how to maximize it. You’ll learn about verbal and nonverbal communications, and strategies to enhance your questioning and listening skills. We will also discuss how differences in culture can impact how you communicate.
What's included
9 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
9 videos•Total 67 minutes
- Introduction to Week 2•2 minutes
- Maximizing your professional presence•13 minutes
- Communicating with confidence•3 minutes
- Verbal communications•5 minutes
- Non-verbal communications•7 minutes
- Cultural Considerations in Communication•8 minutes
- Culture and Presentations•19 minutes
- Questioning and listening skills•9 minutes
- Week 2 Closing•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Tip Sheet: Communicating with confidence•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Week 2 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- How do verbal and non-verbal communications impact your message?•10 minutes
This week, we're discussing how to create effective slides using PowerPoint. You’ll learn about the tools available within PowerPoint, how to structure your storyline, create storyboards, identify primary elements of slide design, display data and finalize your slide presentation. There is a peer review activity where you will apply the skills learned and create a storyboard. Finally, you will also get a chance to identify errors in a presentation to test your knowledge of standard industry practices.
What's included
9 videos5 readings2 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts
9 videos•Total 49 minutes
- Introduction to Week 3•2 minutes
- Introduction to PowerPoint (2013)•13 minutes
- What type of deck should you use?•4 minutes
- Structure your storyline•9 minutes
- Creating a storyboard•6 minutes
- Primary elements of slide design•3 minutes
- Displaying data•5 minutes
- Finalizing your deck•6 minutes
- Week 3 Closing•2 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- PowerPoint Practice Activity•10 minutes
- Types of logic•10 minutes
- Tip Sheet: Storyboarding•10 minutes
- Slide writing guide•10 minutes
- Tip Sheet: Displaying data•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
- Identifying errors in a deck exercise•30 minutes
- Week 3 Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Create a storyboard in PowerPoint•120 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- What other tools have you used to create a presentation?•10 minutes
- What experiences do you have using cloud based presentation tools?•10 minutes
This week, you’re going to build and deliver a presentation to your peers, and receive feedback from them. You will create a presentation of about 10 slides, employing the guidelines and industry best practices that have been discussed in this course. You can use the presentation storyboard that you created last week, which your peers have reviewed and given you feedback on. Review what you’ve developed so far, and make changes or additions that you think will enhance the presentation. Once you’ve finalized your presentation, you will present it in a video using your smartphone or computer. Once you’re satisfied with the PowerPoint presentation and video, you will be submitting both for peer review. You can use this feedback for current and future presentations that you will make during your career.
What's included
2 videos2 readings1 assignment1 peer review
2 videos•Total 4 minutes
- Introduction to Week 4•3 minutes
- Week 4 and Course Wrap-Up•2 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
- Final course simulation•10 minutes
- Best tips for recording your own video•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Simulation Validation Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Delivering your final presentation•120 minutes
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Reviewed on Feb 20, 2018
Very useful although more 'soft skills' which are very important and often neglected. Very well presented and the information and projects are relevant.
Reviewed on Dec 15, 2019
Rather challenging due to the peer review section. Recording myself for the presentation was also rather unique but I enjoy the course and learnt useful basic skills.
Reviewed on Jan 11, 2022
I found the content very helpful, and I have some good frameworks for giving presentations, but the materials for the presentation assessments felt unclear and inadequate.
Frequently asked questions
You'll learn how to turn data and business messages into a clear PowerPoint presentation and deliver it with more confidence. It starts with audience, purpose, and structure, then moves into slide design, storytelling, and delivery. Along the way, you'll apply the process to a case study by building a storyboard and a final presentation for peer feedback.
No, you don't need strong PowerPoint experience to start. The course is beginner-level and includes an introduction to PowerPoint plus practice with formatting and slide creation. It moves fairly quickly into building slides and working from basic charts, so complete software beginners may need a little extra time.
Yes, it's beginner-friendly if you're new to business presentations and want a step-by-step way to improve. The course breaks the work into manageable parts, from planning your message to designing slides and presenting with confidence. If you're mainly looking for advanced PowerPoint features or highly specialized data visualization, this course will feel more introductory.
More questions
Financial aid available,
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