presenting-to-executives
February 01, 2018
Financial presentations can quickly go south if the information isn’t presented in the context of the business story you want to tell. Don't make the mistake of relying on “the numbers” to convince your audience of what conclusions to draw or actions to take—OR of the benefits of your recommendations. Instead, discover the secrets to powerful financial storytelling. Here are 3 reasons data-driven presentations often fail and what you can do to make yours a success.
June 06, 2017
You worked really hard on your presentation. You practiced it multiple times end-to-end. You feel good. You look great. You got this. Suddenly, your presentation time gets cut from 60 minutes to 10. Uh-oh. Moments like this can catch anyone by surprise—and they happen all the time. When the squeeze is on, will you be ready? Can your presentation pass the Pressure Test? Read on to find out.
April 20, 2017
Securing an initial conversation with decision makers is tougher than ever. When you do finally get someone's attention or time, the first 60 seconds of your interaction are critical. Which is precisely why it's so important to think before you speak. To get the results you want, you must be intentional about how you engineer the first minute of your conversation. Read the blog to learn more.
March 23, 2017
The average person’s attention span is shorter than a goldfish’s. That can make grabbing and keeping the attention of busy professionals a challenge of epic proportions. Here are 5 strategies to help you win the attention of an easily distracted audience. (Hint: Providing better information than anyone else isn’t enough.)
January 12, 2017
What do unproductive meetings have in common? Poor or delayed decisions and decisions made too slowly. In meetings where you must share information to support critical business decisions, what can you do to get better results faster? In our experience, high-performers approach meetings differently. Here are 3 high-performer strategies you can use right now to get better results.
December 15, 2016
Of all the topics I’m asked about in my 30-plus years of coaching speakers, dealing with anxiety is the most common. Here are several anxiety-reducing techniques you can use before your presentation to help calm your nerves and make your experience a more enjoyable one for you and your audience!
September 29, 2016
In my 32 years of experience as a speaking coach, I’ve learned a few things that could be helpful to you as you strive to make your own ideas heard and to improve how you communicate with others—whether it’s making a sales presentation, updating stakeholders on the status of a project, or presenting to the Board of a Fortune 100 company. Here are 6 crucial tips to help you on your journey.
August 18, 2016
Death by PowerPoint is real. I hear it all the time from executives and B2B buyers: “PowerPoint presentations do more harm than good.” Could your sales team's poor use of slides be killing your sales? Here are three things you can do to avoid "Death by PowerPoint" and deliver more powerful, precise, and persuasive sales presentations.
July 07, 2016
In his 30-plus years as a communications coach and trainer, Steve Mandel says there are two concerns Fortune 500 executives raise again and again about how people communicate with them. He shares what those concerns are and how they directly correlate to steps you can take to become a more skilled, confident, and highly competent executive communicator.
Note to our readers: This is an edited version of a blog post originally published on April 3, 2014.
May 12, 2016
When you’re talking to colleagues and customers, what does YOUR word cloud look like? Too often, clouds are filled with crutch words like, “ums” and “ahs” and “you knows.” The good news? People can change the shape of their word clouds using an underrated, yet powerful, communication skill: the ability to say nothing at all. Using the “power of the pause” will make you a more effective communicator. Read on to learn more.
April 28, 2016
Executive time is a scarce commodity. Why do meetings squander it? Because, too often, they fail to focus on the strategic issues that are most important to executives. They fail to drive progress on the decisions that need to be made in order to move your business forward. Here are 3 things you can do to change that and to insure your executives' time is well-spent.
November 12, 2015
What characteristic do we prize most in the people with whom we interact? Learn how our perception of this trait is influenced by communication skills.
August 20, 2015
Innovation can be challenging, because organizations — and the people in them — are almost hard-wired to resist change. If you want your ideas to get adopted, here are three things you should know before presenting them.
March 27, 2015
It's just business - nothing personal." How often have you heard someone use that phrase to justify a decision based on the bottom line, even when that decision created pain and problems for employees or customers? It's called the "It's just business trap," and it can sabotage your organizations ability to succeed. Here's how to avoid it.
February 06, 2015
Presenting on-camera can be a nerve-wracking experience. Just walking onto the video set at Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) raised my anxiety. Here are three suggestions I learned from my own experience that may help you better manage anxiety when it’s your turn to record a video.
November 20, 2014
When you present to senior executives, you expect scrutiny. You know they'll be evaluating whether what you have to say is of value to them. But, there's something else they're looking for from you.... And, it's further proof that when the stakes are high, both what you say AND how you say it can make all the difference.
November 06, 2014
Many people feel like they're being sent into the proverbial lion’s den when they have to present to senior executives. While there's reason to be wary, take a lesson from Androcles: Find the thorn and pull it out. Here's how to turn scary lions into career-building advocates.
September 11, 2014
By necessity, entrepreneurs understand something that other professionals can take a lifetime to learn. Learn this lesson early, and it could make the difference between career success and failure.
August 21, 2014
Even though you yourself might not be an executive, you must come across in a manner that demonstrates you're confident, credible, and someone who understands the executive's world. Here's how to project executive presence when selling up.
July 03, 2014
Executive Briefing Center presentations are typically high stakes. When millions in revenue are on the line, expectations are high on both sides of the table. If you're asked to present, you feel the pressure. That's why preparation is essential. And, practice is mandatory. Here are a few essential tips to help you prep for and deliver world-class briefings.
May 29, 2014
By asking better questions, your sales team can engage in stimulating and productive customer conversations. A recent book demonstrated how a lesson from the elementary classroom applies to Fortune 1000 sales executives.
May 22, 2014
While customer-driven dialogue should be the goal of every sales meeting, make no mistake: there are key “moments of presentation” during these conversations that can determine your success or failure. The best sales people know when they need to shift gears and jump into presentation mode, and they do it well because it's a skill they've practiced.
April 17, 2014
The two-part blog series on How to Communicate with Executives was so well-received, I wanted to write a third and final bonus post. Not to mention, Fortune 500 executives have shared so many invaluable tips with me with over the years, that it's difficult for me not to want to share them all. So, this week I'll conclude the series by focusing on (1) the use of slides when presenting to executives and (2) how to manage push back when interacting with executives.
April 10, 2014
This week, in Part II of this series, I'm going to focus on how to present yourself to executives in order to earn their respect and confidence. How do you communicate non-verbally? What's your body language saying? Or your vocal tone and volume? Here's what executives believe executive presence should look like.
April 03, 2014
In Part I of this two-part series, Steve Mandel shares two common concerns Fortune 500 executives have voiced again and again about how people communicate with them. Their concerns directly correlate to steps you can take to become a more skilled, confident, and highly competent executive communicator.
Latest Posts
- Questions I Wish I'd Asked (How to Improve Sales Conversations)
- How Much Do People Remember From Your Presentations?
- Two Important Tips for Better Leadership Communications
- Relying on Your Dog? Time to Get Another Opinion
- No Time for Training?
- The Power of "What If" Storytelling
- The Price of Poor Communication May Shock You
- The Secrets to Financial Storytelling (Why Data-Driven Presentations Fail)
- Using Artificial Intelligence for Communication Training Reinforcement
- How to Communicate to Break Through the Noise in 2018