326 / PLANNING TO PRESENT
Presenting formally
Keeping focused
When you are asked to make a formal
presentation, always request guidance
about what is expected from you—what
is the desired length, content, and
context of your material. Play it safe—
don’t attempt to be too innovative with
the structure; rather, stick with a tried
and tested formula.
Preparing to succeed
Before a formal presentation, seek
out people who know the members of
the board. Find out everything you can
about their backgrounds, concerns,
and predispositions. Use what you have
learned to prepare your arguments
carefully; if appropriate, try to gain
advance support for your position with
members of the board.
Confidence is another key success
factor. You will be expected to take a
strong stand and support all your
arguments with compelling evidence.
Handle challenges with calm assurance
and keep in mind that it is your position,
rather than your personality, that is under
attack. Finally, if you are presenting with
colleagues, make sure you “get your
story straight”—that all your materials
are consistent.
In many presentations, you are in control of what you say and how you
say it. But be aware that some types of presentation are much more
formal, following rules, requirements, timescales, or formats dictated
by the audience or by a third party. They include presentations to
boards, regulatory bodies, and examination and assessment panels, all
of which require high levels of planning and rigorous attention to detail.
Introduce the topic, the
argument you are about
to make, and the conclusion
that you will reach.
How to structure a
formal presentation
Presenting to a board
Keep your presentation concise and
limit the detail that you include. If
presenting to a board of directors, for
example, bear in mind that they don’t
get involved in day-to-day management
and have many demands on their time.
Focus on what they really need to know,
but ensure you don’t withhold anything
important—choose your words very
carefully to ensure that you cannot be
interpreted as being misleading.
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PRESENTING FORMALLY / 327
Being a panelist
Panel presentations are often a feature
of conferences. If you are asked to be a
panelist, make sure you understand
the specific areas or questions you
have been invited to address. Find out
who is talking before and after you, and
what they are focusing on to avoid
repeating their content.
Build flexibility into your
presentation, since time slots often
shift to accommodate delays. Make
sure you have time to present your
key points. If you feel the topic is too
complex for the time frame, suggest
an alternative.
Following protocol
Some expert panels are very formally
structured, with individual members
asked to stand and present on a topic in
turn before fielding questions from other
panelists or the audience. Others are
much looser, with any panelist permitted
to interject, or add remarks or questions
at any time. If the format of your panel is
unstructured, always be attentive while
others are speaking, don’t interrupt
others too often, and don’t speak for too
long. No matter how informal the
structure, always take the time to develop
your key messages in advance.
EXPECT TOUGH
QUESTIONS
Formal presentations to
boards and panels may
be met with adversarial
questions—boards may
view harsh questioning as
perfectly acceptable, so
come prepared with
robust answers.
Tip
Develop your arguments
clearly and persuasively,
justifying what you say.
Facilitate discussion of your
presentation; check that
everyone has understood
exactly how you have arrived
at your conclusion.
Make a conclusion:
summarize your main
arguments and explain the
relevance of the conclusion
made; explain why you are
confident of your conclusion.
You will be expected to take
a strong stand and support it
with compelling evidence
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