Network Update Lab Prepare and Present Your Proposal

Learning objective: By the end of this exercise, students will be able to prepare and present a network update proposal, effectively communicating the technical details, business justification, and implementation strategy.

It’s showtime!

You’ve got a thorough proposal document ready to go - now it’s time to present it to General’s leadership team and key stakeholders. This is your chance to bring your vision to life and secure the buy-in and resources you need to make it a reality.

Complete this exercise in a new Google Slides presentation. Use the proposal document as a guide, but don’t just copy it verbatim. Your presentation should be a high-level overview that highlights the most important points and engages your audience.

Use bullet points, images, and diagrams to make your points easy to understand. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text. Your slides should support your presentation and be a visual aid, not a script.

Your presentation should be a maximum of 10 minutes, so be mindful of the time limit you’ll have to present your slides.

Presentation structure

Here are some tips for a successful proposal presentation:

• Don’t forget the basics: Ensure your name and the presentation’s title are present on an introductory slide.

• Know your audience: Tailor your content and language to the various roles and priorities in the room. The CFO will care about cost, the CISO about security, and the CIO about business enablement. Address each of their key concerns. While it’s important to be technical, remember that not everyone in the room is a network engineer. Avoid jargon and acronyms unless you explain them.

• Tell a story: Structure your presentation as a narrative arc. Start with the challenges of the current network, build tension with the risks of inaction, and then reveal your update plan as the hero that will save the day and enable a bright future.

• Use visuals: Don’t just rehash the proposal doc. Use slides, diagrams, and even live demos (e.g. of the Meraki dashboard) to make abstract concepts tangible. Just keep it streamlined - no 50-slide decks!

• Personalize it: Share anecdotes of how network issues have impacted real General employees and customers. Humanize the technical problems to make them relatable.

• Anticipate objections: Be prepared for tough questions about cost, timeline, risk, etc. Have data and examples ready to bolster your case. Acknowledge concerns while pivoting to the solutions.

• Exude confidence: You’ve done the work, and you know your stuff - now convey that in your presence and delivery. Speak clearly, make eye contact, and project calm authority. Passion is great, but aggression will backfire.

• Engage the audience: Don’t just lecture - invite discussion. Pose thought-provoking questions, ask for feedback, and create a dialogue. Getting the audience to participate creates buy-in.

• Close strong: End with a clear call-to-action and next steps. What decisions/approvals do you need from the group to move forward? Set specific action items with owners and due dates.

💡 You don’t have the complete picture of some of the above details (for example, how network issues have impacted real General employees and customers). For this exercise, you’re permitted to fabricate details like this.

Remember, a successful proposal is not just about getting a “yes” - it’s about kickstarting a collaborative partnership to drive real, meaningful change for General’s network and business. So bring your A-game, and get ready to rock this proposal!

In a professional organization, if you were giving a presentation like this, you’d want to follow up with a thank-you email, the requested action items, and an offer to address any lingering questions or concerns.

Deliver your presentation

Finally, record yourself delivering your presentation. You can use a video conferencing tool like Zoom to do this. Remember, your presentation should be no longer than 10 minutes. Be sure to focus on clarity and simplicity.

After you’ve recorded your presentation, add the full business proposal as a link on the second-to-last slide and the recording to your presentation deck as the last slide. Finally, submit the slide deck.