Professionally Speaking...

C-Level Presentation Tip #8: Don't Use All Your Time

Executive level presentations can threaten the equilibrium of even the most skilled business presenters. A planned delivery can be tossed upside down as unexpected interruptions, questions and dialogue usurp the allotted time.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can maintain your balance successfully in the C-Suite.

TIP #8: DON'T USE ALL YOUR TIME

A good rule of thumb is that your presentation should take only 70% of the time you've been given. This adequately allows for interruptions, discussion, Q&A and unexpected delays.

For example, if you have a one-hour time slot, design your presentation to take 40 minutes. That extra 20 minutes might seem like a lot of time left over, but think about the number of presentations you've seen that run out of time because of energetic dialogue. It's a given that executives will not sit mutely in their seats but will participate with questions and comments.

And besides, if you do happen to finish a bit before the end of your time slot, what executive was ever upset to have a presentation end a few minutes early?

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #7: Anticipate Tough Questions
C-Level Presentation Tip #6: Beware of Too Many Slides
C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience
C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/Airbourne Supremacy  C.C. 2.0

C-Level Presentation Tip #7: Anticipate Tough Questions

Executive level presentations can strike fear into the hearts of even the most courageous business presenters. The conditions can be stormy and the likelihood of obstacles high.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can navigate successfully in the C-Suite.

TIP #7: ANTICIPATE TOUGH QUESTIONS

This can be a landmine in senior level presentations because most presenters don't spend adequate time preparing for questions.

When you are preparing your presentation write down every question you can think of that might be asked. Look at your content through the executive's eyes:

• What might not be clear?
• What might she disagree with?
• What are his hot buttons?

Play devil's advocate. What might be the arguments on the other side of the issue? Prepare your responses. Then, when faced with challenging questions or opposing points of view during the presentation you'll be ready.

Techniques that are useful in handling questions include:

• Redirect. It may be perfectly appropriate to ask if someone in the audience would like to comment on or has had experience with what's been asked.

• Rephrase or confirm. Ensure that you have understood the question correctly and are therefore providing the right answer. For example, "So what I hear you asking is..."

• Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." You will get far more respect by admitting you don't know an answer than by trying to bluff your way through. But always follow up with the answer or clarifying details after the presentation.

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #6: Beware of Too Many Slides
C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience
C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

Photo Credit:
flickr/On the Helm  C.C. 2.0

C-Level Presentation Tip #6: Beware of Too Many Slides

Presentations to senior executives can seem a lot like ice climbing -- the terrain is slippery, it's hard to get a solid grip and the drop is a long way down.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you won't slide sideways in those executive presentations.

TIP #6: BEWARE OF TOO MANY SLIDES

Just like sliding down a wall of ice can result in physcial disaster, hiding behind a big deck of slides in the C-Suite can result in career disaster.

Slides can seem like a safe haven in an anxiety-laden senior level presentation -- helpful for jogging your memory and good for taking the focus off you. But having the audience focused on you instead of on the screen is exactly what will make the presentation most impactful. The executives want to hear your opinions, analyses and recommendations, not read them on a slide. Only you can communicate your expertise and your passion.

Keep slides to a minimum so the audience can absorb and process your message. Don't overwhelm them with data especially when you want them to make a decision. You can engage an audience more effectively with dialogue than with slides.

Keep slides clean and simple. Use them only where they can add value or further explain what you're saying. Favor charts, graphs and pictures over bullet points.

 

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience
C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

Photo Credit:
flickr/Visit Anchorage PR  C.C. 2.0

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience

Executive level presentations can entail all the challenges of scaling Mount Everest: the footing is slippery, balance is critical and the drop is a long way down.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can perform successfully at the altitude of the C-Suite.

TIP #5: ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE

This is a fundamental best practice for all presentations, but nowhere is it more critical than with a C-Level audience.

Do your homework before the presentation to discover how the executives in your audience like to receive information. Does the CFO, for example, need time to analyze the financial implications of what you’ve presented before being asked to make a decision? Does the CEO prefer to see an agenda before the presentation? Does the CIO want charts and graphs rather than bullet points?

Uncover this information by analyzing previous presentations you’ve made to this audience or asking colleagues who have presented to them. Understanding C-Level needs helps you structure your presentation to address them. It also minimizes the likelihood of losing your footing and other unpleasant surprises.

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/Deetrak  C.C. 2.0

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail

Executive level presentations can seem like swimming in shark-infested seas, even for the intrepid business presenter. The risk of drowning is high.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can successfully navigate through any C-Suite waters.

TIP #4: BEWARE OF TOO MUCH DETAIL

Drowning in detail is a surefire way of getting into trouble in an executive presentation.

Senior level executives think more strategically than operationally. When considering a topic, they want to understand quickly what the impact is on the big picture or the bottom line without wading through the weeds of specific details.

Structure your presentation around high level concepts. Not only does this address the needs of your audience, but it also shows that you are capable of thinking strategically. Be sure, however, to have lots of facts and supporting data ready so you can supplement with examples, figures and analysis when your audience wants them.

Pay close attention to your audience's body language and questions that may suggest they want more or less detail. Being flexible and responding quickly to their needs is the best way to keep your head above water.

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/sponng  C.C. 2.0

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions

Question: What's the relationship between sky diving and making executive presentations?

Answer: Apart from the metaphorical comparisons of being at high altitudes, both activities routinely strike fear into the hearts of the people daring to attempt them.

Soaring through your presentations in the C-Suite is certainly possible, but not without focus on some key strategies. This series of tips will help you avoid any nose dives.

TIP #3: EXPECT AND BE HAPPY ABOUT INTERRUPTIONS

When you get interrupted during your presentation it means either you’ve sparked an idea that the audience wants to talk about OR you’ve confused them and they are seeking clarification. Strive for the former.

Be attentive to your audience so you can determine what is important to them to pursue. It is far better to allow the audience to interrupt you and dialogue around something in your presentation that interests them than to stick rigidly to your script. If you have sparked a lively discussion it means that your audience is engaged.

The key to comfortably managing interruptions is to know your material backward and forward so you can determine when a spontaneous discussion is productive, when it isn’t and how to get back on track.

You can corral a chatty audience by saying things like, “This has been a great discussion. I want to now cover the final two benefits of this proposal so that you will have all the information you need to make a decision.” Or, “We’ve generated some great ideas here. I’d like to use that last point as a springboard to tell you about the next phase of the implementation.”

Use transitional statements such as these to bridge between what’s been discussed and the next point in your presentation.

C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

 

Photo Credit:
Flickr/Sky Diving with Clara  C.C. 2.0

 

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues

Executive level presentations can seem like swimming in shark-infested seas, even for the intrepid business presenter. Stakes and visibility are both high.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can successfully navigate any C-Suite waters.

TIP #2: LINK TO BUSINESS ISSUES

Do some homework before the presentation and explore the over-arching business issues and challenges facing the executives you'll be speaking to. Every audience, no matter how senior, asks themselves the WIIFM (“What’s in it for me?”) questions.

• Why should I listen?
• What benefit will I get from this presentation versus all the other things I need to do?
• How will this information help me achieve my business goals?

Clearly show how your message is relevant to key issues the audience is focused on -- for example, corporate strategy, profitability, employee engagement, revenue or ROI. Don’t leave it up to them to figure out. Demonstrate the links through specific statements, examples and metaphors.

C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

 

Photo Credit:
Flickr/Blacktip Shark, Moorea, French Polynesia  C.C. 2.0

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

Executive level presentations can strike fear into the hearts of even the most courageous business presenters. Both stakes and visibility are high.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can navigate successfully in the C-Suite.

TIP #1: START WITH CONCLUSIONS

C-Level audiences are results focused. So play to this by starting your presentation with the conclusion. Don't keep them in suspense or you'll lose them. Tell them up front what the problem is, what you recommend or what you're asking for. And then support that conclusion with the necessary details and facts.

For example, "Approximately 50 percent of our prospective customers abandon their order on our website because the process is too cumbersome. The system enhancements I am recommending can cut that abandon rate in half which will increase our revenues by $500,000 annually. The additional benefits will be happier customers and more accurate metrics. Let me show you how we can achieve this."

You've told your audience the bottom line, clarified their expectations, and outlined briefly the benefits they can expect. Now you can proceed to back up your recommendations with more detail, linking back to the conclusion as you go through the presentation.

Photo Credit:
Flickr/Shark Fin  C.C. 2.0

How to Introduce a Speaker

If you're fortunate enough to be asked to introduce a speaker, relish the power this gives you to set the stage for the entire presentation.

The normal routine is for the introducer to read fact after boring fact from a speaker's bio, with little eye contact or inflection, perhaps even stumble over the speaker's name, and then withdraw with relief.

Not only does this type of introduction not benefit the speaker, it doesn't create any enthusiasm or anticipation in the audience.

Here, then, are five steps to turn your introduction from boring to breathtaking:

• Prepare What You're Going To Say :: Don't wait until minutes before the introduction to scribble a few notes or read for the first time something the presenter has prepared. If the speaker has written an introduction for herself, get it in advance so you can read through it several times to familiarize yourself. If it's too long or too boring, let the speaker know that you will be modifying it slightly.

• Be Brief :: Your job is to build interest and anticipation and leave the audience eager for the presentation to begin so keep your introduction to under a minute. We generally have an inaccurate sense of how long something takes, so time your remarks to be sure you're in that 30 second to one minute range.

• Make It Relevant :: Whether you're editing what the speaker gave you or creating your own introduction, include information that is relevant to the audience. Answer the questions "Why this speaker?" "Why this topic?" instead of reeling off degrees, job titles and awards. Unless the presentation is about marriage and families, the audience probably doesn't care that the speaker is married to the former Sally Jones and has two delightful children. Highlight aspects of the speaker's background and accomplishments that will pique the interest of the audience. The very act of saying out-of-the-ordinary things in the introduction will cause the audience to listen attentively.

• Pronounce the Speaker's Name Correctly :: Determine the correct pronunciation of the speaker's name and then practice it several times so it feels comfortable. Write it out phonetically [RYE FEN STINE] at the top of your notes so it will be visible as you're speaking.

• Be Confident :: Your introduction will most certainly affect the mood in the room so walk confidently to the front and speak loudly enough that everyone can hear. Ensure you have everyone's attention before you begin speaking. Make plenty of eye contact with the audience while you are reading the introduction, which won't be a problem if you've familiarized yourself enough with it. And don't forget to smile, showing the audience that you're happy to be there and looking forward to the presentation.

What other techniques have you used or seen used when introducing a speaker?

Photo Credit:
flickr/EIFF's photostream  C.C. 2.0

 

 

 

 

In Presentations, Less is More

In this age of information overload, any time you can streamline the message you present, your audience will be thrilled.

Now I'm not suggesting that you strip it down to the point that you leave out meaningful or relevant information. But most presentations include way too much detail. Most presenters, in preparing their presentation, neglect to ask the question, "What does my audience need to know?"

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, it's less work for a presenter to just include everything he knows about a topic rather than assessing what the audience may already know and then what would be most valuable for them.  It's also frequently difficult for us to edit our own material.

The benefits of presenting less, rather than more, are several:

• a smaller quantity of data is easier to organize and easier to present in a clear, logical flow

• less information leaves more time for questions and dialogue, providing a richer experience for the audience

• if the audience isn't suffering from information overload, they'll be better able to focus on the salient points you're making, rather than becoming bored, confused or scrambling madly to take notes

• depending on the circumstances of the presentation, it may not be a bad idea to simply whet the audience's appetite for your topic and leave them wanting more information [e.g., when you're previewing the products and services you offer or introducing a new concept]

For another perspective, take a look at this video where Guy Kawasaki, in his charmingly blunt style, gives us the 10-20-30 rule for simplifying presentations:

Photo Credit:
Flickr/Andreas H. Lunde CC 2.0