PowerPoint Presentations*

Strategies for Success

*please print a copy of your presentation off, for professor, and in case of emergency

I. Of course, understand audience and purpose.

• In the final project, you are trying to persuade an investor by providing information of your restaurant concept, fully considering all business and cultural aspects of the proposal.
  

II. Organization / Development of Presentation

• The most important aspect of a presentation is the clarity, and ordering your information (from slide to slide) in a logical manner

• Remember Organizational Patterns, Chapter 7
  

• How are you starting the presentation? What information comes when?

• When do you discuss the economics? Do you include all of the money aspects at once, or spread throughout presentation?

• When do you discuss community and how your place fits in?

• Real estate – property value (rent, or buy?)

• Neighborhood?

• When do you discuss the food, the look of the restaurant, etc.?
  

III. Slide Rules

1. Each slide should be used effectively by having a smaller purpose that fits into the larger purpose of presentation.
2. Divide presentation into larger categories (see II. above) of information and break down each category with individual slides in individual sections for each category created.
3. Don’t spend too much time on one slide in presentation (30 seconds per slide).
4. Thinking of 1-3, each slide should be made reader-friendly. Don't stuff any individual slide with too much material. One slide=one purpose (like a paragraph!).
5. Use non-distracting graphics that fit within textual content. (Don't use offensive or controversial images, or random "cool" graphics just to get them in.) 
6. Balance out the text v. graphics in each slide.
7. Use backgrounds, fonts and other formatting techniques that will relate to your overall business concept. (Don't use neon colors for a "classy restaurant proposal"! But, if you're doing a retro-'80s place...gnarly.)

IV.  Content meets form: Re-hashed

• Legibility of font; appropriate font size
  
• A font that thematically fits presentation and restaurant
• Color of font and slide background to fit theme, too
  
• Graphics – variety of graphics; pictures or model of restaurant, including dining area, kitchen, outside look, and logo/sign; neighborhood shots
• Charts and Graphs: use to break down the budgetary concerns for at least the first year, and you may project the first five years!

V. Effective Language

• Short, uncluttered sentences
• Language that mimics the restaurant concept
• Language that is aware of its purpose within the PowerPoint (bullet points for numerous points, for example) 
• Verb choice appropriate to slide purpose
• Use of nouns over pronouns
• Support you main points with statistical/numerical data
• Reference your graphs and charts, and other graphics, in text. Don't just put in charts without prior interpretation of data...

Final Project:The Business of Food

Final Project Presentations (300 pts)
Due: Finals Week, June 15-19 (exact finals date TBA)

Prompt and Guidelines:

In groups of three, you will put together and make a 15-20-minute presentation to the class, using visual aids. Notice the plural in there; aids. The most basic visual aid will that you are required to use is a PowerPoint presentation. You must also put together a brief proposal (2-3 pages) with cited research, a poster and a sample menu. You must also hand in a Bibliography (Work Cited page) of researched data used in all documents.

Specifically, you are a group of burgeoning restaurateurs / restaurant owners. You have an idea for a restaurant, you’ve done your research on both the food and the business side, and you need a financial backer. You set up a meeting with a wealthy businessman and his group of lawyers and accountants. You must impress him with both a thorough consideration and outline of the economic aspects, as well as showing him your vision of what the restaurant will look like.

Immediately start research on restaurants and what kind of material goods (from building space to stoves to forks) will be needed and how much things cost (budget!). Those who choose option 2 should to immediately start looking up modern architectural terms, designs, etc. Both groups will benefit from understanding some of the basic/known figures and terms in either the culinary (cooking) or architectural worlds.


Expected Material:

1) Restaurant Concept business proposal

• With restaurant design/concept and other logistical considerations outlined
  
• Discuss menu items and approach towards customers
  
• Explanation/ rationale for concept (why your place will make money)
  
• Researched, thought out points (cited studies)
  
• Address budget concerns; show were money is going!
  

2) PowerPoint with visuals, and main points of proposal highlighted and visualized

• Use of graphics
  
• Use of bulleted points
  
• Clear, readable slides
  
• Prepared team speech to go along with slides
  

3) A poster/advertisement for restaurant that includes graphics, color and appropriate formatting and content choices

• Colors and fonts that fit concept
  
• Important logistical information, appropriate placed 
  
• A memorable slogan and/or content that fits concept
  

4) A sample menu for restaurant

• Content – example food dishes
  
• Design aspects
  

5) Bibliography (Work Cited Page) of research for project

6) One extra technical document – your choice…something group feels is needed for with presentation

7) Other visual/ audio aids: poster-board with restaurant sign; appropriate music (to enhance vision); a company website (this would be impressive and time-consuming, and those with skills and knowledge are encouraged to go with your guts!)

5/27: Charts and Graphs in Documents

Charts and Graphs tutorial...

Practicing Chart

Below is the data that we will use to familiarize ourselves with making charts and graphs. Though the process can be intimidating (at least it is to me, the professor!), and involves using both Word and Excel, once you get the hang of making the graphics, you'll find them not as hard to really make.


1) Having your data handy is the very important first step. You need:

• The numerical values (money spent, intervals)
  
• The items whose values you are comparing (on Excel they call these "categories")
  
• How many times you plan to compare the items (one year, two year, etc.)
  

Example: 2009 Budget for Nike-Apple Integration for Apple

1. Project Management combined salary (executive personnel): 200,000

2. Software Design Team combinedsalary: 450, 000

3. Chicago Technology Lab (new division/area): 1 million

4. Ground transportation of product: 300, 000

5. Air Transportation of product/ team members: 150, 000

Okay, above are example budget concerns that may show up in a proposal. All of this numerical data can be better displayed using graphics. Below are steps outlined for using Word 2003.


Microsoft 2003 steps for making a chart:

1) On the Insert menu, click Object, and then click the Create New tab.

2) In the Object type box, click Microsoft Graph Chart, and then click OK.

Microsoft Graph displays a chart and its associated sample data in a table called a datasheet.

3) To replace the sample data, click a cell (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.) on the datasheet, and then type the new text or numbers.


Note: If you close the datasheet you can reopen it by double-clicking the chart and then clicking Datasheet on the View menu.

In-Class Work, 5/20:

What economic factors play a role in determining a business' actions in dealing with another business? 

This important question will  drive your working on the economic proposal for BTS 3. In the economic proposal, you must outline both the direct economic considerations between two companies, but also outline the cultural-business impact through research and use of an economic research study. 

For in-class practice, let's read the following blog post from The Wall Street Journal and then answer the following (10-20 minutes):

"IBM wants to buy out Sun Microsystems because it believes the consumer market makes it a good move. First, why does IBM believe this?  Secondly, answer what some of the possible consumer factors IBM should research before going through with the deal."

BTS 3: Economic Proposal

Due: Friday, 5/29/2009 


Your task:

After sending the first memo recommending a business venture (BTS 2), your CEO asks to see a follow-up memo from you explaining how our company will integrate the product into its business. His/Her schedule is pretty busy so you need to be clear and concise, using graphics to help out. He/She wants to know a few basics on the suggested use of the other company’s product, including discussion of economic factors. The boss really wants to see some economic studies done within the area 

The basic questions that he’d like addressed in your proposal are (p. 413):

1) What personnel is necessary to go through with the projected integration? How many of the company’s own workers will need to be included in the integration? What kind of personnel? What is the role of the other company, the one whose product your company is going to use?

2) Whose facilities are going to be used – theirs or ours, or both, or someone else’s?

3) What kind of equipment is involved? Are we going to have to buy or subcontract new equipment?

All of these questions should be integrated in your proposal to the CEO. However, you will want to structure your proposal as follows (p. 414-419):

I. Introduction:

a. Explain the product again and how and why using the product will benefit company (What is the opportunity?)
b. Explain the basic structure of the integration/use of the product (What is the scope of the project?)
c. Who would be in charge? This goes along with b., but should be emphasized.

d. Introduction of economic viability (mention a relevant economic study done that you will then explain in the third section of proposal (see below).

II. Proposed Program:

a. Go into more detail about each of the basic questions asked above.
b. Use at least one chart or graph that clarifies your company's projected economic expenses or profits. Here are some options for this graphic:

- Profit of your company, profit of their company’s product, predicted potential profit increase
- Cost of integration versus potential profit increase
- Budget for product integration, which would include projection of how much money is put in manpower, facilities and equipment over next five years. This projection should be a visual representation of the information within the proposal.

III. Economic Research Study

- Section dealing with a current economic market trend relevant to your project 

- Use both writing and a graphic to support the recommendation for doing project.

IV. References or Experience:

- Choose one of these brief sections to end the proposal
o References: source material used for economic projections
o Experience: qualifications of those would will be in charge of overseeing the project

Format Requirements: TWO (2) pages; 10-12 pt font size; Times New Roman font

Developing your point throughout

The Business Memo is similar in structure to an essay, where you introduce your thesis/purpose, outline the highlights, and then go into depth on persuading the audience into buying your thesis. For a visual model, check out p. 353 in our text, and also work with the templates in Microsoft Word.


Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences


1) Put in your section headings (if not already done) to help guide reader

2) Each paragraph should have a focused individual purpose that develops out of the thesis/main purpose for writing the document.

In a blank Word Document, write out the four different topic sentences; one for each section:

• Purpose
• Summary
• Discussion
• Recommendation

Remember to use specific language in each section, and to repeat the subject of writing in each section.

3) AFTER providing topic sentences for each section, then go back and and work on each section as a smaller part of the larger memo.

Effective Sentences

Today, as we continue discussing Effective Language, we will focus on a few syntactical issues (sentence structure issues) we can work on polishing.

Let's go to the Owl Website, first to look at some of the suggestions and examples, and then to practice with the on-line worksheet.

Design Principles: outlined refreshment

Here are some key considerations for document design, outlined, that we will continue to emphasize with all documents (page 257):

1) To help readers understand the structure and hierarchy of information.

2) To help readers understand information.

3) To help readers remember the information.


Below is an outline of design principles. Along with the reiteration of our textbook, I have connected the three goals above to those design principles below. Your job is to take apply these goals and principles into the design of your documents.


Understanding Design Principles


Proximity - providing enough space between headers and text, between sections and sections. The human eye and mind need text broken up into related ideas, so you will want to make sure you give proper spacing between each of your three main parts of BTS 1.

- Consider the distance between each section, even when use use section headings.

- Consider the distance between a section heading and the text within that section.

- Related material should always be closer together, but still readable.


Alignment - use indention, columns, etc. to help also clarify #1, showing the different levels of importance of information. Section headings, headings, graphics, and the text itself; how do you structure so that the reader can understand?


Repetition - Your purpose is much clearer in your documents if there is some repetition in the specific content within each section. For example, instead of inventing and using different examples to clarify each part you look at one example in different ways in each section (as you were to do with BTS 1's example ethical dilemma!).


Contrast - bold, italics, COLOR, because using an appropriate amount of COLOR can really help your readers remember specific content.

Business Memo Link, 5/15

To help with writing our memos, click here, to get to another universities template and strategies for writing a memo. We will discuss and emphasize some of the same rhetorical considerations. 

Of course, our own memo has a different subject, audience, and purpose, but like with many technical documents, most memos have a standard flow and format.

Active Voice

To help us practice writing with an active voice, we have two writing activities for you to complete after briefly reviewing active and passive voice.


1) We will do the activity found here ....by clicking this link.

2) We'll do a re-write of today's homework:

• Open up a new Word document file and begin to revise "from scratch," making conscientious choice to eradicate the passive voice when it is wordy or switches focus to a different subject. It is always easier to read work that doesn't have unnecessary words! Try to keep it to a verb, as discussed below.
  
  
• It is also easier to make sure the subject of the writing is the subject of most of the sentences. Therefore, go through your writing and make sure that the subject (the noun that does the verb!) is the focus of the sentence.

One Verb Considerations:

• Look for -ing verbs that you can make put into present or past tense. For example: "Jason has been working here since 2008" can be said more concisely, "Jason has worked here since 2008." The second sentence is more concise, or says same thing with less words, here.


• Look for hidden subjects of a sentence; sentences that turn the focus around on the wrong noun. For instance, "The dog was walked by Catalina" is passive, and Catalina becomes the object! This is wrong. She is the one in charge. An actice, quicker way to make this statment: "Catalina walked the dog."

BTS Student Example, With Comments