First, imagine. You’re delivering a presentation that will decide whether a project you care about will go forward or not. You’ve got one shot. The leadership team — the deciders — are gathered and attentive, but they don’t have the benefit of knowing what you know. They don’t understand the complexities and nuances of what you’re bringing to the table. You’re an expert on the topic. You’ve immersed yourself in the data, thought through the countless scenarios, and are confident in the right course of action. All you need them to do is say ‘Yes.’ And so you begin.
Sadly, there’s a massive difference between being an expert on a topic and being an expert at designing a high-stakes presentation. Subject matter expertise often introduces confusion rather than clarity.
A good presentation gets to the point, builds authority, and transforms your audience. Here’s how to do it right, the first time.
Make your presentations (and reports, and conversations) stand out by adopting the executive mind. The executive (and the entire company for that matter) are on a quest. And to advance the quest, he or she needs to answer a series of questions. That’s why you’re there. So, before you ever open PowerPoint, you need to . . .
- Adopt the executive mind. You must enter the mind of the person you’re really creating the presentation for.
- Articulate the quest. What is the prize they seek? What are they on the hook to deliver?
- Now, what is the question THIS presentation seeks to answer? Every quest has trials and obstacles that must be overcome, and that is where the questions lie.
Read the full article here.
