You’re getting ready to present a great idea… supported by a whole bunch of data… to the boss… What could go wrong? A lot. Bosses are human: they will remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see.
Here are three pointers to help you maximize the impact:
1. An executive’s most precious asset is time
And it’s always in short supply… Get to the point quickly. Get to the point visually. Cut extensive background information. If your boss doesn’t get the gist of what you’re proposing in 60 seconds, you’re probably doomed.
2. Executives want a summarized overview…until they don’t
They love to control the flow of information. Think of each slide as a gateway for conversation. If the door is opened, have your support slides and extra data ready…
3. Be agile
Think of the controls to your deck like a joystick. Practice going back, forward, drilling down, turning around… all on the fly. They want to discuss that graph back on slide 2? Be ready. They want to pour over one table the whole time? Be ready. They’re asking for more extensive analysis? Be ready.
Interested in learning more about executive presentation skills for your team or company? Head to our Influencing with Visuals workshop page.