‘Big Pictures, Clear Agenda and Call to Action’ – Impactful Executive Presentations
The ‘Art’ and ‘Science’ behind presentations is a careful recipe that needs to be formulated based on the audience consuming the content. To add to this complexity, we all learn differently and likewise consume content, make decisions and approach thinking differently. Executives and leaders add to this complexity based on their career history, experience and cultural uniqueness. With all these differences in mind, one constant still remains, keep it simple!
As children we grow up reading books that keep it simple. The characters are established and relatable, the setting is envisioned, the problem is clear, decisions are made, and the solution is carefully outlined one step at a time. Although we all grow up and become increasingly complex as individuals, our minds like simplicity, and crave it during high stress or complex decision-making situations.
Let’s take this same concept and apply it to presentations crafted and delivered to executives and leaders of an organization. I have seen many presentations built and delivered that had no place in an executive meeting or boardroom session. The story was all over the place, there was way too much text (and small font size), the audience didn’t know whether to consume and learn, or make a decision or take an action.
Take the following approach during your next big presentation. Make it very clear why everyone is in attendance by calling out the Purpose or Objective for the session. Within the first few minutes of the presentation each member of the audience will make an instant decision, if they should continue listening, pick-up their phone and check emails/posts/texts or determine their time is better spent somewhere else. So, this is your chance to set the tone for the rest of the presentation. This is where you need to define what content is going to be covered and the impact they as the audience will have on it. This is your chance to articulate the ‘WIFM’ – ‘What’s in it for me’.
Next, hit the most salient point hard with executives and leaders. They don’t need to know or care how you arrived at the findings or thematic scenarios. However, be prepared to discuss the approach taken if asked to ensure comprehensive data gathering occurred and these findings or themes are defendable. Review the findings and let them Learn by going through data points. This will also help get your collective audience on the same page and build trust.
Now is the time for these executives and leaders to do what they do best (at least we hope so), making informed Decisions and setting the direction forward. This is also a time when you need to be very clear on the decision that needs to be made, the impact it has and what may follow as a result. If you did your part correctly during the Review and Learn phased of the presentation, the Decision phase should be well-informed and quick. Don’t be surprised if your audience needs time to ‘digest’ the Review and Learn content and come back to you with a Decision. Also, be ready for differing perspectives during this phase and shifting to your consensus building facilitation skills. Again, lean on your Review and Learn content and maintain objectivity, this is their decision to make not yours.
Finally, the Call-to-Action phase, make it abundantly clear what will be done as a result of the decision and when they can see results. A misstep in the phase, will result in lack of trust in any future presentations you deliver.
Be Clear. Be Concise. Be Impactful.
