For this exercise, pretend you are in an investment group and your group has been selected to deliver an updated presentation on the company/division discussed in one of the following articles:

Nestle article http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/apr2009/pi20090428_699553.h tm?chan=investing_investing+index+page_stocks+%2Bamp;+markets Chrysler article (includes a video!)

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/may2009/db2009051_2 97080.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_news+%2B+analysis Zipcar http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090430_38355 5.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_technology Although these BusinessWeek articles work well for this exercise, almost any article that includes financial performance data will work as well.

Your audience will consist of potential investors in the company, all of whom will be logging in to a Web presentation.

If you are not already working with a team, form a group of four or five people for this exercise. Each group will have 40 minutes to develop a 5-minute oral presentation that, since it will be delivered remotely, is heavily dependent on visual aids for communicating key ideas and maintaining interest.

(Your team can choose who will present—not everyone needs to speak, although it is fine if you want everyone to deliver part of the presentation.)

Your presentation should convey the company’s current situation and prospects. Your group may make an investment recommendation, if you wish, but you are not required to do so. You do not need to use all the data in the article, and you may add other information about the company (if it is from a reliable source). Each group member should offer suggestions about what key messages to include in your visuals. The team then needs to agree on the “storyboard,” that is, the ideas to be conveyed and the content and sequence of graphics.

Use the paper and the markers provided or your computer to create the visual aids you will use for your presentation. Of course, in the real world, you would have more time to make your visuals look professional. For today, you should focus on your story, capturing key messages, expressing them graphically, and presenting them effectively (remember to include an effective opening, strong transitions, and an effective closing for your presentation). Your visuals may include quantitative charts, diagrams, qualitative drawings, and word slides (where needed). Be sure to do the following:

• Include a title chart with the names of the group members and the company.

• Write a title that tells the main message of the presentation.

• Create “so what?” titles for each visual.

• Limit your content or “body” visuals to a number you can comfortably present in 5 minutes.