Big Dogs Tips
Speaking to the Big Dogs® : A Boardroom Survival Kit
by Rick Gilbert
In their own words, here is what the Big Dogs are saying about senior level presentations:
"It needs to be good for the customer, good for the shareholders, or bad for the competition, otherwise, why are you telling us this?"
"You can convey a huge amount of material in 30 seconds."
"Get any bad news out real quick. The last thing you want is for me to figure it out before you tell me."
"Most executives are not looking to kill their employees. They want them to be quite successful."
"The amount of story telling and emotion diminishes the higher up in the organization you are presenting to."
"PowerPoint is a crutch for people who are scared of public speaking."
When we speak to the highest executive level in our companies, the stakes are high, and the rules are very different from other presentations we make. Knowing how to play the game at this level can be career enhancing. Not knowing can be career limiting.
Speaking to the Big Dogs® is our new, one-day training program that can give you the skills you need to make those senior level presentations a huge success. Our interviews with a dozen "C-Level" executives are revealing some of the secrets of being a successful presenter at this level.
The People
The Presentation
-
Use the 10/30 rule. Prepare ten minutes of material to fill a
30-minute presentation.
-
Use the "Big Dog Filter": Hold back the technical support and
just "net it out."
-
Prepare to have time cut. Use the PREP (Position; Reason;
Evidence; Position) model for impromptu speaking.
-
Greatly reduce the number of PowerPoint slides. Have
back up if they want to drill down.
-
Do not hand out copies of your slides until the end.
-
Expect questions along the way.
The Process
About the Workshop