In business, presentations are an important part of your job, and presenting to the board is an essential skill for any C-suite executive. Honing in on the best presentation possible will instill confidence in you as the presenter, and likely get favorable results as well. An effective presentation solidifies your value to the organization, could help push forward a project or objective and so much more.
Here are 4 ways to ensure you meet your objectives during the presentation:
Hone Your Message
Everything you say should be focused on your objective for the presentation. Keep ancillary and less important content out of the remarks you prepare. And, if the objective is to compel the board to take action/vote, the most convincing presentation is filled with key facts to help with the decision.
Create Strategy for Visuals
You should also ensure visuals are concise. Otherwise, this element of the presentation can cause you to lose your audience. Instead of listening to you, they are now reading your detailed slides. Instead, have very basic content on the slides to simply support where you are in each stage of the presentation. This aspect should simply support your message.
Be Prepared to Go Off Script
You will inevitably be led off script with questions from the board. By putting in a significant amount of time to practicing before the presentation, you will have a strong handle on the content, and can jump back in where you left off.
Start with a Bang
Great speakers jump right in feet first and find a way to capture their listeners’ attention. You’ve typically got 30 seconds to set the tone and expectation for the presentation. Use that time wisely.
