Do you get 'The Fear' Speaking to Senior Leaders?
Jen Wagstaff
Sales, Mindset & Presenting Coach l Founder of CreativeMind Training l Global In-house & Virtual training l Open courses in Bristol
I'd like you to imagine that you get asked to speak in front of senior leaders.
The big deal, the top dogs.
The "scary hairies" (as we call them).
What's your first thought?
Well, after "oh s**t",
Most people's brains start to think,
What am I going to say?
How am I going to make a good impression?
What am I going to wear?!
Then,?you start gathering your points, building your slide deck, and picking your outfit.
Writing it from your?perspective?is the?biggest mistake?you can make when building a presentation.
You?think about?yourself?and?your ego.?You see the spotlight shining on?you, and?you build the presentation from your perspective.
Why is writing it from?your?perspective?the biggest mistake?
Well, when we tear ahead with a presentation written from our perspective, it is relevant to us, not our audience.
We talk too much about our facts, background information and detail.
The hard truth is that when we create a presentation like this, the audience doesn't care.
Just because it is important to you doesn't mean it is important to them.
So, let's flip this on its head.
You are about to present to a group of very busy, very senior people.
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Who should the presentation be about?
Yes, the entire presentation should be about them, not about you.
That should feel like a good thing.
You're helping others; you're shining the spotlight on them.
Think about it; this is a huge mindset shift that completely changes the content and structure of your presentation.
And it applies to every single presentation you deliver.
Think about all the presentations you have done in your life.
Who were they about? You and your ideas?
Time to make some changes!
So this week, before you start to speak, take a minute and think.
Find that delete button on your computer and start hitting it with vigour.
Get rid of all that stuff about you.
And your influence and engagement will skyrocket.
Lastly - don't worry, you're not alone. Many people struggle to speak to senior leaders.
For more advice, sign up for my free mini-series of videos on How to Speak to Senior Leaders.
Shake off the imposter syndrome and nail that presentation.
Professional Speaker, Coach & Adviser on the Psychology of Human Behaviour. Specialist in Child & Adolescent Development. Leadership Coach & Mentor. Formerly Senior Partner at Key Issues Consulting.
1 年It's also the responsibility of those senior leaders to get it right too...if speaking to them makes you feel uncomfortable then they too have a part to play in removing that fear.
?? Your Brilliant Strategic Ally ?? I help by removing bottlenecks and overwhelm, enabling you to make an impact for your clients ?? Certified OBM? ?? Intuitive Business Consultant & VA Mentor
1 年Key thing is the 'big wigs' don't have much time, you are spot on - make it about them, make it short and make it punchy! My kind of presentation really, means I don't have to spend so long in the spotlight ??
Head of School K-12 | Rector | School Leadership | Focus on academic excellence, operational efficiency & sustainable growth | Learn & grow with purpose | Engage in meaningful action | Put Learners & their Learning First
1 年Great points Jen. I would add that it’s best to focus on top points, get to the point fast and just be prepared to give more detail or supporting details as needed. Often we plan to tell them A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, etc., plus additional sub-points but they really only need A, B, and C presented well. If we prepare to listen and not just to talk, the audience will let us know what they want. Know your stuff of course, and be prepared to give additional info as required but don’t prepare a looooooong presentation.