How to Handle a High-Stakes Presentation to a Board of Directors

Case Study: Going Beyond the Jam-Packed Slide Deck

Here’s a favorite story of “John” who was preparing for his first appearance before his Board of Directors. He was about to ask for approval to acquire land for a new plant. A big ask.

John was struggling with a PowerPoint deck crammed with small numbers.  He said to me, “Board members expect me to use this format.  Everyone does it this way.  I have to show that I’ve done my due diligence.”

“Really?” I asked,  “Would you have been promoted to this position if they didn’t think you knew your stuff?  You’re not interviewing for the job. You already have it. Give the Board the gist of what they need to know.  That’s what they’re hoping for—not another boring presentation.”

Set Aside the Slides for the Board of Directors Meeting

What I coached John to do was to set aside his slides and tell me the story of the numbers in plain English. Overall, how were numbers trending since the last Board Meeting? Why did the international numbers look bad? What was the forecast?

I asked him, “If you were to shave this 15 minute presentation down to a 10 minute executive summary, what crucial pieces would you include?”  He made his choices.

“Now, go back and humanize the presentation with a mini-story, the names of real people or an analogy,“ I said.
John thought of an interesting historical note on the land acquired for a new plant, and a unique geographical feature of another. Just by using colorful word choice, he enjoyed the presentation more, which translated into more interesting energy for Board members.

Finally, I suggested that he go back and use a small handful of clean slides that would help him tell that story with colorful photos and simple bell curves; and make the complete deck available to Board members in a handout.
John called me after his presentation to tell me he had been a hit.  “You know what?” he asked, “Not a single Board member asked for a copy of the entire deck!”

Bring Your Heart into a Mind-Filled Room

It’s an easy trap to imagine that as a speaker, your job is to be brilliant and prove it with data. But the message that strikes us most deeply will never be about your IQ. It will be about the conversation, humanization, meaning and value you brought to our world. Sure, the Board may not say it, but they’ll feel it. And that’s enough.