From the course: Communication Foundations (2018)

Tool kit: Presenting up

From the course: Communication Foundations (2018)

Tool kit: Presenting up

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- In this toolkit, you'll find activities designed to help you get your C-suite presentations off to a great start and prepare for whatever comes your way during these high stakes meetings. The first thing is to create an SCQA introduction for your next persuasive attempt. What is the current situation? What's the complication? What is the key question you'll be answering in your presentation? And what is that answer or your recommendation? Plan for tough questions. Meet with a colleague, review your main points and ask for three tough questions that the intended audience might ask. Repeat this three times with additional colleagues. Prepare for your questions that have come up by creating a slide for each answer. Either hyperlink to the corresponding slide with the information, or create a supporting handout to share with your audience when the question comes up. Plan for curve balls. Before you deliver your next presentation to executives, imagine this scenario and prepare for them. You're in the elevator with a key decision maker who was supposed to attend your presentation later on that day. She says, "I can't make your presentation this afternoon. Can you give me the general idea?" Summarize your entire presentation in two to three sentences. Or what if the executive says, "I've had a change in travel plans, can you please take me to the airport and give me the rundown on the way?" What do you do? No visuals, no handouts. Your presentation becomes a conversation while you drive. Write down some points to prepare for this scenario. Or what if you start the presentation and the projector shuts down? No light, no power, no problem. Now how would you proceed? Make some notes and changes to prepare for this possible scenario. What if you start your presentation, but the key decision maker isn't physically present, but has joined in by phone? What would you do? Are you prepared to juggle the virtual audience that has no notes and cannot see the visuals? Practice explaining your visuals in one sentence in case you need to say, I'm showing the group this and, et cetera, et cetera. Now don't laugh, we share these scenarios with you because they have all happened to our clients. Being prepared will assure your success with all your C-level presentations.

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