10 Tips For Impressive Presentations To Senior Leadership And Executives
When might you have to give an executive presentation?
When you need to give organizational leaders an update on a project’s status at different points in your career, you might have to deliver an executive presentation. Additionally, if you’re proposing a new business initiative or project, you might need to give an executive presentation.
Successfully delivering an executive presentation may result in your project receiving funding and moving forward with the backing of organizational leaders, making such endeavors somewhat high pressure. In both of the aforementioned scenarios, the primary goal of your presentation should be to provide executives with fresh, pertinent information that will enable them to make crucial choices about the future of your project.
What is an executive presentation?
At some point in your professional career, you may deliver an executive presentation. It is a brief update or proposal. Executive presentations typically differ from standard presentations because of their target audience—C-level executives within an organizational structure. Executive presentations therefore call for experts to produce thorough, understandable content that leaders can comprehend through a quick presentation It can be difficult to complete this task because some professionals may find it difficult to condense complex information from their specialized work into a short period of time.
Although executive presentations can cover a wide range of topics, they typically have a set structure. This format is concentrated on giving executives pertinent information in a condensed manner so they can make important decisions with ease. Regardless of the goal of the presentation, there are a few important questions that professionals should try to address when giving executive presentations, including the following:
5 tips for giving a successful executive presentation
There are a few fundamental guidelines you should adhere to as you approach this task, even though the steps you take to deliver a successful executive presentation may vary depending on your specific role, project, organization, and relationship to executive professionals. Here are five suggestions for making an effective executive presentation:
Be as concise and succinct as possible
It’s crucial to keep your presentation as brief as possible when giving an executive presentation. This is because senior executives may not have much time to offer you during your presentation because their schedules are jam-packed with similar meetings. As a result, make an effort to respect their time and focus on making a clear and concise presentation. This can be accomplished by eliminating any fluff or pointless details from your presentation. Your writing should have a purpose, be concise, and make your point clear to executives.
Set expectations for the presentation early
You should brief executives on what to anticipate during your presentation before you begin. Explain to your audience how the presentation will progress, how much time you’ll spend discussing each section, and when you’ll invite questions and discussion. This will help you avoid interruptions from executives with questions as you speak and will keep your presentation structured and on track.
Start your presentation with a summary
Include a summary slide right at the start of your presentation. The main points you’ll cover in your presentation should be summarized on this slide. The flow of your presentation can be better understood by executives with the aid of a summary. Just include the information that is absolutely necessary in your summary; later on in the presentation, you can go into more detail.
Use intelligible models, charts and graphics to explain your points
Try to include visual elements in your slide deck, such as models, charts, photos, and more, to help executives understand your presentation. For executives who learn visually, these graphic elements can simply supplement the discussion you present and make information clearer. Additionally, using expert, attractive graphic elements can give you credibility and draw in executives who might otherwise ignore data visualization components.
Review, revise and practice
Even though you should always review, revise, and practice for presentations you deliver professionally, it’s especially crucial to do so before an executive presentation. You should try to take these opportunities seriously because they can be high-stakes and closely related to your professional development. Try to put together your slide deck as you draft your presentation and write the talking points you’ll use to address each one as the meeting goes on.
Review your work now, and carefully check it for errors. Prior to the day of your presentation, be sure to fix any errors you find. You should practice giving your presentation from beginning to end several times after reviewing and revising it. You might want to enlist a reliable friend or coworker to serve as your mock executive audience so that you can thoroughly prepare.
FAQ
What are the 4 types of presentations?
There are four types of presentations: informative, instructional, arousing, and persuasive. Informative presentations are used to inform your audience, while instructional ones are used to teach or instruct them. Use persuasion to persuade the audience to accept and agree with your proposal.
How do you create an executive presentation in PowerPoint?
- Start with the bottom line. …
- Respect our time. …
- Be prepared to be interrupted. …
- Be flexible. …
- Be candid. …
- Do your homework. …
- Make the connection. …
- Manage other stakeholders in advance.
What are the 3 types of presentation?
- Tip #1: Keep it Short. …
- Tip #2: Keep it Visual. …
- Tip #3: Keep it Simple. …
- Tip #4: Keep it Universal. …
- Tip #5: Start with Key Takeaways. …
- Tip #6: Keep it “Scan-Friendly” …
- Tip #7: Set Time Requirement Expectations. …
- Tip #8: Use Color Coding.
