Structure - Overview

The second part of the presentation structure is the overview.

In this part there are two sections listed.  One is about the presentation and the other is contents.  Please note that some presenters will combine the "about" section with the subject/title/purpose of the presentation found under the introduction part (first part) of the presentation structure.  It is entirely up to you, but for the beginner it is best to follow the presentation structure as laid out.

Don't get confused with the "about" section.  This merely is the overview. 

----------About Your Presentation----------

In this section you are most likely on the second page of your PPT presentation (or other visual type aid).  Here you can give brief information about your presentation.  It could include statistics, prior data or an impact statement.

ex.)  In 2010 sales averaged 2.5 million US dollars per month, in 2011 sales dipped to 2.2 million per month average.  I have compiled the figures from those years and also analyzed the possible reasons for the decline.  I will also go over proposals to increase our numbers back to 2010 levels and possibly even higher than that.

ex.)  Did you know that teenagers (those between the ages of 13 and 17) now account for 22% of total on-line sales?  However, most website are not user-friendly to this market segment.  I will go over the ways to reach these customers in my presentation.

The second example is called a rhetorical question.  This type of question does not expect a response.  The purpose of the rhetorical question is to have the audience thinking about the possible answer(s).

----------Contents----------

In this section you are listing the contents of your presentation.  Generally a presentation will have 3-6 main parts.  However, in each main part there may be additional sub-parts.  As your role as the presenter, you will guide your audience through this part so they have an understanding of what kind of information they will receive.

See the sample contents page below:

When putting your visuals into words, try to explain it like a story.  Everything should be combined smoothly and clearly so your audience can follow what you are telling them easily.  Notice how I link each main part of my contents with each sub-part.

ex.)  I have divided my presentation into three parts.  The first part is the demographics of teenagers - Those whose ages are between 13 and 17.  This part includes the statistical number and the purchasing power of teenagers. 
In the second part, we will look at the trends of on-line shoppers.  The trends will focus on the top on-line shopping sites and the top purchases made on-line.  Furthermore, I have analzed the top purchases by each customer segment to show you what people are buying on-line and who they are.  The last part of my presentation is the implementation plan to target the teenage customer by making it easier for teenagers to purchase on-line.  As you know, marketing to teenagers to make on-line purchases needs parental supervision and approval.  So, I have carefully considered several marketing strategies that would not be considered inappropriate.