Presentation Training Tips: How to Present to a Board of Directors

Gail was the Association Executive when I was president ofthe National Speakers Association. We planned the board meetings ahead of timeat a health spa in Palm Springs. We would exercise in the morning, plan in theafternoon. She told me a story about her first board of directors presentationthat was as good as a presentation seminar..

At Gail's first board meeting, she was just going to standup and give a presentation. At three days' notice, Nido Qubein said, "Putyour information on a flip chart so we can see it better."

By using good graphics, the board got a bigger view of whatwas going on. After her very first board of directors presentation, she got astanding ovation. Understand that presenting to the National SpeakersAssociation Board is tougher than most, because we are all full time speakers!

Afterwards, she went to her room and cried, she was soexhausted, and it was so stressful. The point is: if Nido had not suggested theflip chart, she would have just stood up and her board of directorspresentation would not have gone as well.

Presenting to a board of directors is very important. Youwork hard all year, but they only see you a couple of times a year as a packageof everything you do, a picture of the association and what is really going on.It doesn't matter how efficient you are; if you do not present your ideas well,you will be perceived as less efficient.

When delivering a board of directors presentation, youshould bring all the things that you are concerned about, what you and yourstaff have been criticized for, and handle any problems that you think aregoing to erupt. The importance of making an ally of the president, if possible,cannot be overestimated.

We instituted an idea that if you had a new program idea, ithad to be presented to the staff one month before the board meeting so theycould assess the implications, the cost and staff time beforehand. You have toplan and anticipate questions that will come up at the board of directorspresentation.

Mr. Lewis Schneider advises to get in front of your boardsand address them as much as possible. It is a problem if they are not used toyour presentation style, especially if you have bad news, about not making budget,for example. Present as much good news as possible. Secondly, get to know them,and adapt your style as much as possible to theirs; if it is casual group andthey wear khaki, don't go in to deliver a board of directors presentation witha blue suit on.

I encourage everybody to go to the board meeting room ahead of time for yourboard of directors presentation. Whether you are a speaker, a board person oran association executive, go to the room and get comfortable.

Patricia Fripp

PersuasivePresentation CourseBetter Public Speakingand Presentation

Think of the last really memorable talk or presentation thatyou attended. Now, was that easy to do, or did you really have to rack yourbrains to remember one? Sadly, too many presentations are easy to forget. Andthat's a big problem because the only reason the presenter gave the talk was tocommunicate something to you!

However, there are three basic things that you can do toensure that your verbal messages are understood – and remembered – time andtime again. Think of them as a brief presentation course.

Although somewhat obvious and deceptively simple, these are:

Understand the purpose of the presentation

Keep the message clear and concise

Be prepared

Be vivid when delivering the message

Understand what you want to achieve

Before you start working on your talk or presentation, it'svital that you really understand what you want to say, who you want to tell andwhy they might want to hear it. To do this, ask yourself: Who? What? How? When?Where? Why?

Who are you speaking to? What are their interests,presuppositions and values? What do they share in common with others; how arethey unique?

What do you wish to communicate? One way of answering thisquestion is to ask yourself about the ‘success criteria’. How do you know ifand when you have successfully communicated what you have in mind?

How can you best convey your message? Language is importanthere, as are the nonverbal cues discussed earlier. Choose your words and yournonverbal cues with your audience in mind. Plan a beginning, middle and end. Iftime and place allow, consider and prepare audio-visual aids.

When? Timing is important here. Develop a sense of timing,so that your contributions are seen and heard as relevant to the issue ormatter at hand. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. ‘It’s betterto be silent than sing a bad tune.’

Where? What is the physical context of the communication inmind? You may have time to visit the room, for example, and rearrange thefurniture. Check for availability and visibility if you are using audio orvisual aids.

Why? In order to convert hearers into listeners, you need toknow why they should listen to you – and tell them if necessary. What disposesthem to listen? That implies that you know yourself why you are seeking tocommunicate – the value or worth or interest of what you are going to say.

Keep it simple

When it comes to wording your message, less is more. You'regiving your audience headlines. They don't need to and are usually notexpecting to become experts on the subject as a result of hearing your talk.

If you're using slides, limit the content of each one to afew bullet points, or one statement, or a very simple diagram.

Be prepared

Preparation is underrated. In fact, it is one of the mostimportant factors in determining your communication successes. When possible,set meeting times and speaking and presentation times well in advance, thusallowing yourself the time you need to prepare your communications, mindful ofthe entire communication process (source, encoding, channel, decoding,receiver, feedback and context). By paying close attention to each of thesestages and preparing accordingly, you ensure your communications will be moreeffective and better understood.

Of course, not all communications can be scheduled. In thiscase, preparation may mean having a good, thorough understanding of the officegoings-on, enabling you to communicate with the knowledge you need to beeffective, both through verbal and written communications.

Unforgettable delivery

Your delivery of your speech or presentation will make orbreak it, no matter how well you've prepared and crafted your clear, concisemessage. Some useful tips for keeping your presentation vivid include:

Use examples to bring your points to life

Keep your body language up-beat – don't stay stuck behind arostrum

Don't talk to fast. Less is more here too. Pauses areeffective.

Use a variety of tones of voiceUse visual aids.