Thirsty Thursdays: The Value of Simplicity in Presentations

Last week, Tom Heath, a local business reporter and columnist for the Washington Post, spoke with our students during one of our Thirsty Thursday events. Students presented their Field Team Study capstone projects to Tom and received feedback on how to improve their presentations.

The presentations to Tom were a unique opportunity to practice a business discussion, think on their feet, and test their knowledge of their project in advance of their final client meetings. Tom challenged students to simplify their presentations and to walk their audience through the charts.  A great chart is one the reader can understand on their own.  But if the subject matter demands a more complex treatment, students should carefully explain how the chart is constructed and what the chart represents, a piece at a time.

Final client presentations are next week!