Business Presentation Skills for Consultants 1: Getting Started

Learn how to accept and give a presentation assignment. Make sure you understand the scope and objectives.

Introduction

Scenario: Your PL (project leader) says to you, "I need you to present our findings to the client next week." How does that make you feel? 

Warm Up

If you have to deliver a presentation, how would you respond professionally to your boss? What would you say? 

Role play a response with your teacher.

Language

A. Clarifying presentation assignment and scope

When you get an assignment, it's important to understand the goal, the audience, the context and scope, tone and style, and logistics and deadlines with your lead. Make sure you get the information you need, or schedule a meeting. 

  1. Clarify the objective
    1. What's the main goal of the presentation?
    2. (Create your own question)
  2. Understand the audience
    1. Who will be in the audience?
    2. (Create your own question)
  3. Content and scope
    1. What should I focus on?
    2. (Create your own question)
  4. Tone and style
    1. Should the tone be formal or conversational?
    2. (Create your own question)
  5. Logistics and deadlines
    1. How long do we have to deliver?
    2. (Create your own question) 

B. Guided role play

Role play with your teacher.  Your teacher will take on the role of project leader, and you will be a consultant.

Teacher: Hello, I’d like you to present to the client next week.
You: Accept positively. Check if you can ask questions.
Teacher: Of course. I've got a few minutes. What would you like to know?
You: Ask about the purpose of the presentation.
Teacher: Good question. We want to persuade them to move forward with our recommendations. They’ve seen the data, but this is about driving the point home.
You: Confirm your understanding. Ask about the audience.
Teacher: It’ll be the VP of Strategy, two senior managers, and a couple of analysts from the client’s side.
You: Check the content and scope.
Teacher: Keep it light on the details—just enough to show it’s sound. Focus on the insights and why they matter.
You: Confirm and ask about tone and style.
Teacher: A conversational delivery is fine. We've got a good relationship.
You: Ask about time constraints.
Teacher: Plan for 15 minutes of presenting, then 10 minutes for Q&A.
You: Summarise your understanding and next steps--ask about a deadline.
Teacher: Can you get me an outline by 9am tomorrow?
You: Respond.

Practice

You are the project leader. Assign a presentation to your teacher, a junior consultant. Here are the details: 

  • Presenter: Your teacher
  • Audience: Director of Operations (Client), Head of Logistics, Regional Manager, Internal Stakeholder from Finance
  • Objective: Show the client how they can make their supply chain more cost-efficient.
  • Client background: The client has already seen their past supply chain results. They have not seen the new model or the scenario analysis yet.
  • Content focus:
    • Give a short overview of what we looked at (criteria and data sources)
    • Highlight expected savings in clear financial terms
    • Explain how easy the plan is to put into action
    • Show how risks will be managed
  • Tone & style: Formal, clear, and data-driven.
  • Format & timing: 20-minute presentation + 5-minute Q&A.
  • Deadline: Send slide deck to PL by Friday morning for review. Client meeting is Monday.

Start the conversation: I’d like you to lead the presentation to the client.

Swap roles and practice again.

Reflect & Review

Reflect on this first lesson and identify one takeaway you will use straight away. 

More reading:


 

Next Steps

The next lesson is on planning your presentation. You will ensure that this is clear for all involved. Just like a meeting, a good presentation needs a clear through-line and payoff at the end.