Presentation Tactics: A discussion on the topic “difference between presenting to the top management and presenting to people who are your colleagues” on a popular social network resulted in a very interesting and informative dialogue. Here are the excerpts from the discussion –
…There are probably obvious reasons that presenting to your management might be different than presenting to your colleagues. You probably need to provide more information to set the stage; you’ll probably want to have a more formal tone; and you’ll probably want to do more to tell the full story of your project…
…The difference I guess would be predominantly in the kind of content that you would display to Top Management and to your colleagues. So for Top Management you would probably make a presentation that is more succinct and with a lot more overall/strategic content than for colleagues… It goes without saying, but you better make sure your strategic content looks top notch and professional. Use a professional PPT formatting service
…Keep it short – those in top management are busy! Don’t go into details unless asked – instead, give a more general overview, but have the information to support a closer look if necessary. Do the research, and anticipate questions. And be prepared to be flexible – high-level executives know what they’d like to discuss, and it might not be exactly what you hand in mind!…
…Your presentation shouldn’t flow across slides. Try and present the content in less than 10 slides Minimal text is welcome. Important messages can be in ‘bullet’ points with short text. It’s good to combine relevant graphics with text (pictures or graphs). Prepare well so that you understand in depth the requirement. When you are prepared well, you are more confident in designing and putting right data across the slides… Here’s a style guide for further reference
…No matter who your audience is, you need an engaging opening and a solid close. No matter who is listening, you want to be authentic from beginning to end. Whether you are addressing top management or colleagues, your story should be clear and well organized, your language conversational, and your energy and enthusiasm should shine through…
…A good presentation–whether to peers or top brass–is warm, friendly and professional. Adopting a robotic and unnaturally formal style is a mistake I see too often among young professionals–and it kills a presentation every time…
…Looking for words to impress, instead to speaking to express, does nothing to make you look good. In fact, it can ruin everything. Be yourself–and you’ll be great.Content and focus must always target the audience’s needs and hot buttons–no matter who they are. Style must always be authentic–no matter who they are…
…Organize your content to tell a story that addresses the exec’s concerns. If you’re invited to present for 60 mins, assume you’ll present for 20 mins. Always have a one-page summary. If it has a staple in it, it doesn’t get read. Be very specific about what you’ve already done and what you need from the exec. Don’t come in expecting the exec to solve your problems. Do 90% of the work and ask the exec for a few very specific things you need to get over the goal line.
…The higher up the ladder the audience members, the shorter the presentation generally has to be. When you are visiting the C-Suites the emphasis has to be on strategic, high-level concepts. If they want more details, they will ask and, of course, you better be prepared with them. Having some hidden slides in your deck that you can call up to support and illustrate your answers will impress…
…Be visual. When communicating trends, use simple graphs. When communicating concepts use images vs. bullet points (when appropriate)…
…Provide Context: Don’t assume that the management team can go right down into the tactical issues that the team members deal with every day. Make sure that you are contextualizing your subject…
…Know your audience and know how they like being presented to. Some CEO’s will be very specific in how they want presentations given to them i.e., time limits, key questions answered. Some will require that you send your presentation with appendix for pre-reading to the entire exec team well in advance…
…Know the organizational culture and the best practices and the biggest blunders. Talk to those who have gone before you. Always review with your boss ahead of time and get his/her feedback and coaching. Your boss wants to look good and your presentation delivery is a reflection of your department and boss ..
Further, here are some more tips on planning presentation content that might be useful when the presentations are meant for different target audiences.
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