Statistics: (5698 Views) (2 Comments) Print Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 Categories: Leadership & Management, Soft Skills, Requirements Management and Communication (BABOK KA), General Business Analysis

Author: Jan Kusiak, IRM Training Pty Ltd

Like it or not, every business analyst (and usually most project managers and developers) will have to stand up in front of a group and present. The group might be your business clients, the project stakeholders or just your fellow team members but for many people, one of two things will happen:

• It will frighten the life out of them
• They’ll umm and ah their way through, sending the audience to sleep

Why is this so? As a business analyst we’re not expected to be great orators or motivational speakers. We’re simply presenting information and seeking agreement or at least understanding.

Well you don’t have to be an eloquent speaker to deliver a successful presentation but you do have to organise your presentation so that it’s relevant and meaningful to your audience. How you structure your presentation is what’s important – eloquence can come through practice but it’s not essential for success.

In this white paper we’ll look at simple but effective methods for planning a presentation - how to make sure you cover all the necessary facts but don’t swamp your audience in unnecessary detail.