Executive presentation also known as an executive brief refers to a proposal or update that is presented to a company’s C-level executives. Consequently, these presentations need to be prepared with much thought and care. Well-structured and easy-to-understand ones can help professionals make a big impact in their company. Contrarily, poorly made presentations can ruin your credibility. Regardless, it is natural to feel nervous about presenting to the leadership. However, with a bit of planning and strategizing, you can increase your chances of giving a successful presentation. In this post, we will give you some effective techniques to ace your upcoming presentation.
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Prepare for the Presentation By Answering These 7 Questions
To get your executive’s heads nodding in your favor, it is critical to prepare ahead of time. Senior leadership staff is extremely busy. Preparing in advance will help you deliver a precise and laser-focused presentation that they actually pay attention to. Here are 7 questions that you need to answer to prepare well.
Q1. Why are You Presenting?
Have a straight and clear answer to this question. We recommend starting your presentation by answering this question. For example, “I am here to propose a novel way of doing….”
Q2. Why is Your Presentation Important?
Don’t start your presentation without first focusing on its importance. Executives don’t have time to listen to anything and everything. If they have taken time from their busy schedule to hear what you have to say, you must clearly state the significance of it.
Q3. What is the Context of the Presentation?
Executives come across many projects. Not all of them stay on their minds. Starting your presentation without a background will make it difficult for them to establish a common ground and make sense of what you are saying.
Q4. What is the Topic of Your Presentation?
This is the core of your presentation. Ensure that you say what your presentation is about, whether it’s an update or proposal, clearly and concisely in front of your audience.
Q5. What are the Next Steps?
In this part, you share your thoughts on how you plan to go forward with your initiative. Do not get caught up in the nuances. Just tell them broadly what action plans you have prepared and how they can help in the fruition of your objective.
Q6. What If Something Goes Wrong?
You need to be prepared to answer those who question the progress of your initiative. Be calm while responding. Give them your backup plan or actions that you will take in case something does not go according to the plan.
Q7. What If This Goes Right?
This section is all about the success of your presentation. Elaborate a bit on what you will do if your initiative works according to how you’ve envisioned. The best way forward is to tie the success of your project with another project that is close to the heart of the senior staff.
Sample Outline for an Executive Presentation
Successful executive presentations are brief and delivered well. In this section, we will share a persuasive and compelling presentation format that you can use.
- Slide 1: The first slide should start with a hook. Tie your executive presentation topic to something that the C-level staff deeply cares about. It will guarantee their full attention to what you have to say.
- Slide 2: Your second slide should be focused on making the presentation relevant to their interests. The best way to do this is to link your presentation hook (that you have already created, keeping in mind the interests of your audience) to your topic. In other words, this slide will tell them why they need to care about what you are proposing.
- Slide 3: Slide 3 will clearly state the main point of your presentation. Don’t make your audience wait anymore. Tell them upfront what you want from them.
- Slides 4 to 7: These three slides will lay out the supporting points and a clear business case. It will also include evidence to support your viewpoint. Sharing evidence is key to showcasing that you have made a real effort toward this.
- Slide 8: Slide 8 is all about how you plan to achieve your objectives. As always, keep it clear and concise. Tell your audience exactly what you aim to do or recommend.
- Slide 9: Tell the executive staff clearly how you want them to help you. Lay out the exact action they should take, whether it’s funding, giving approval, or anything else.
- Slide 10: The slide is all about getting the nod in your favor. If your audience does not yet approve of your idea, get their commitment to schedule a next presentation where you can explain to them the validity of your plan.
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How to Design Your Executive Presentation?
You might have solid evidence in support of your idea. Your vision may even have immense growth potential. However, all of it will amount to nothing if your presentation slides aren’t properly designed. Follow these tips to create engaging and informative slides for maximum impact.
- Give no more than one message per slide. It should be as clear and concise as possible for better understanding.
- Do not read the text on the slide out loud. Let your audience do that.
- The text should be short and clear with supporting visuals.
- Make your audience actually pay attention to the slide’s text by using contrast. Use a dark background and highlight the text related to your topic so it stands out.
- A single slide should not have more than 6 objects. These can be a mixture of text and images. Any more than that tends to overwhelm your audience.
- Slide titles should not have more than 5 to 10 words. All of them should be specific and accurate.
Final Words
If you’ve been given a chance to present in front of the senior staff, chances are, you might already be doing a great job. However, sometimes, nervousness gets in the way of a successful executive presentation. So, do your work, relax, and present confidently. That is all you need to turn the tables in your favor.
