Conclusion

If this book is about anything, it is about the search for collaboration within an often brutal corporate landscape filled with bright, competitive people driven by the demand for quarterly profits. In Part I, we saw the pressure executives are under and their lack of job security. That impacts your interactions with them, which then drives the triumph or failure of your presentations and perhaps of your career. Given the stew of performance pressure, personality variables, time constraints, and the urgency of getting what you need from them, you need all the success strategies you can muster. That is what Parts II and III were about.

In Part II, our six management heroes entered the presentation room and learned some hard lessons. The first time out they failed miserably. After getting advice from top-level executives, they came back and were successful. They mastered the “Seven Deadly Challenges” of the boardroom. These strategies are easy to learn and easy to use. The trick is to remember what they are. Before your next top-level presentation, go back to Part II and do a quick review.

In Part III, we explored how to develop and deliver a senior-level presentation. The demand of senior leadership to get to the point and be flexible dictates the presentation design. Remember two things: 1) Content is king at the top level, and 2) Poor delivery skills can torpedo a well-constructed presentation. Using the delivery tips in Chapter 13 will keep your audiences engaged, and your content clear. We also explored what Steve Kirsch might call “The 80/20 Rule,” which says that your success may be 80 percent determined by your ability to facilitate the discussion and only 20 percent determined by the content.

In Part IV we dug deeper into the life experiences, the values, and the careers of 11 executives. Your career journey may be different from theirs. But even if you have no plans to obtain a seat at the table, knowing what they care about, what has moved them, and what they have learned along the way, will surely give you an advantage.

While presenting to senior people can be intimidating, it can also be full of opportunity. Look at it as a chance to collaborate with the people who run your organization. Dan Warmenhoven put it best:

There are corporate cultures where they grind people up, but it’s very rare. They want you there or they would not put you on the agenda. They’re interested in your message, and getting to know you as an individual. They’ll be testing you to see how well you understand your topic, but don’t panic. Remember they’re on your side. We’re all part of the same team. They want you to be successful.

As this book is going to press, the world economy is very uncertain. The fate of the Euro and even the European Union is shaky. The stock market is experiencing wild swings daily, and a number of Middle Eastern countries are in chaos. What lies ahead is hard to tell. While there will always be uncertainty in business, and in the economy in general, one thing is clear: people who can get their points across to senior decision makers will be valued by their organizations. The skills you have learned in Speaking Up^®: Surviving Executive Presentations will help keep your career on track, regardless of the turmoil around you.