Senior
Executives are one of the hardest-hitting crowds you will ever face as a
presenter.
Here's
what Senior Executives say that it takes to get the results you want.
"If
the first two minutes are good... I might give you five more."
What
Makes Presenting to Executives So Challenging?
We
find that executive-level presentations typically have four characteristics
that make them more challenging than your run-of-the-mill
presentations.
High Speed
Most executives are maddeningly time-pressed. Their schedules
are jam-packed and they must make high-stakes decisions quickly. Even though
you may feel you have important things to share, leaders simply don't have
the time to listen to things that aren't 100% relevant to the strategic
priorities they deal with.
High Expectations
Companies expect a lot from their senior executives; and
senior executives expect a lot from their staff. Because of their time
pressures, executives have high expectations for anyone presenting to them to
be quick, clear, concise and compelling.
High Stakes
High-powered executives make high-powered decisions and expect
high-powered results. If you are presenting to an executive, the chances are
that the situation, challenges and implications are visible, important and
complex.
High Level
Lastly, executives tend to work on the big picture and expect
their presenters to think, speak and relate at their level...that is, until
they have a detailed question related to one of your high level points. Stay
at thirty thousand feet but be prepared to duck below the clouds to answer
specific questions.
If
your presentation is short and insightful, you will be heard. Otherwise you
have missed your opportunity to make an impact.
Four
Keys to Present Like a Rock Star
We
believe clear communication is a sign of clear thinking. Walk into your
presentation with the full confidence that whatever gets thrown at you, you
can handle it because you got their attention, kept it simple, told a
compelling story and practiced like a rock star.
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Voice
of the Customer
"We
selected LSA Global's Presenting to Executives Training over 5 other
companies to help key executives improve their overall communication and
executive presentation capabilities. Feedback has been great. Everyone had a
great experience and many of them are feeding some of the lessons into their
teams. I highly recommend LSA to any executive team looking to better
organize and more effectively deliver key messages to C-Level
individuals."
Todd
Power | Office of the CEO | SAP AG.
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About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned
