On-site Seminars: Executive-level Presentation

Whether you are pitching a proposal to executives, leading a meeting, or negotiating with a customer, supplier or partner; you’ve got to be clear, credible, confident – and relevant. You’ve also got to listen actively and think on your feet, adapting your approach as you learn about your audience. And you’ve got to stay calm and focused when executives interrupt and challenge you.

Our two-day seminar equips you to present your ideas with clarity and power and to facilitate collaborative decision-making in an executive-level meeting. You get tools for thinking on your feet and framing issues and proposals more effectively. You get skills and strategies for focusing discussion, handling distraction and driving decisions.

The class is small (no more than eight participants) to allow for individualized coaching. You’ll prepare for an upcoming presentation or conversation from work, role play on videotape, and get candid feedback and coaching from the instructor and from peers. (You’ll get a DVD of your work in the session.) You’ll also get suggestions for improving your slides and other visuals. The instructor determines the specific agenda in response to your individual goals.

The Margaret Keys two-day seminar teaches you how to:

• Gain alignment upfront through "framing." Get to the point quickly, and in executive terms.
• Prepare in a way that lets you "think on your feet" and "reframe" the discussion on the fly.
• Better position data and ideas through pre-wiring.
• Manage power dynamics in an executive context.
• "Verbally draft" your presentation.
• Avoid the "detail trap."
• Handle challenges without losing your authority or credibility.
• Reduce stress and anxiety in high-stakes situations.
• Squeeze a 30-minute presentation into 5 minutes.
• Use slides as part of a "visual strategy" that supports your message rather than distracts from it.
• Close strong.

The skills and strategies you learn in this course equip you to lead more effectively in casual conversations, on e-mail and conference calls, and when you’re presenting ideas to executives.

Design

On Day One you’ll meet your colleagues in a series of baseline interviews.

You’ll learn models for preparation and managing discussion dynamics.

You’ll see how framing creates clarity and focus and can help you drive decisions.

You’ll practice frames for launching your presentation, handling questions, and closing strong. You’ll apply these tools to a specific presentation or conversation you want to practice.

You’ll watch yourself and your colleagues on videotape and practice giving feedback and coaching.

On Day Two you’ll test-drive your presentation in a small group before role-playing with the whole group. You’ll get valuable feedback and coaching for the instructor and your peers. You’ll learn as much from observing and coaching as you do from your time at the front of the room.

Contact us to schedule a custom on-site seminar.