How to Deliver a Virtual Presentation to Management Successfully

Developing an effective presentation virtually is a skill that modern B2B marketers need to possess.

But how can you ensure you’re able to deliver a compelling performance despite the short attention span of attendees, unstable WiFi connections, or naysayers?

Whether it’s via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, or any virtual meeting tool, the key is to focus on the things within your control, including:

• The content of your presentation
• Your communication style and delivery
• The environment in which you will be presenting
• And your overall preparation

Before you start, understand your audience well

This should be a no-brainer, but the first rule of thumb is to gain a solid understanding of who will attend your meeting and who are the decision-makers or influencers within that group.

Talk to colleagues or managers who have presented to them in the past, and based on what you find out, try and determine what kinds of presentations they enjoy.

You should be aware of their current feelings about the material you’re looking to present. Do they like the topics? Do they feel what you’re proposing is a money drain and will likely drag their feet before making a decision? Gauging their perceptions about the topic will help you determine your presentation structure and flow.

Most executives value visuals, graphs and data more than words, so really make an effort to translate what you’re trying to say through meaningful imagery and concise information.

You should always be prepared to share your screen; if you’re new to presenting in front of a group virtually, it’s a great idea to do several test runs beforehand to ensure you’re not losing your audience as you work through becoming familiar with the technology and practice your opening.

As you prepare, you’ll need to determine how much information you want to pack into your deck, as well as the pacing. I’d suggest finding a balance between high level and detail. When it’s too high-level, they will ask numerous questions. When it’s too detailed, you’ll lose their attention. Finding that balance is a personal judgment call that reflects how well you understand your audience and what you want to communicate.

You also need to have data to substantiate your claims. This is especially important if you are asking for more budget and headcount. Have 2-3 references to back up your points and recommendations.

Lastly, knowing your executives’ preferences is a critical factor in delivering a smooth and effective presentation.

Do your research and use your best judgment. You might also consider harnessing the power of AI; it can help you gather data, tighten up what you want to say and how you want to say it, develop compelling visuals, and more. Here are some in-depth reviews of some of the best dedicated AI presentation makers on the market

Your Presentation – Content is King

If you have a chance to present to senior executives or C-suite, this is an opportunity for you to shine and for them to become more familiar with your experience and knowledge.

It is also a great opportunity to learn from them. Don’t shy away from presenting. Even if you’re not a natural-born public speaker, practice makes perfect; if you don’t do well the first time, use the takeaways to improve in your next go-round.

For both new and seasoned presenters, it is critical to think through your presentation flow carefully and strategically.

Remember: It is not about what you want to say, it is about what you want to say in a context that your executives can relate to. Explain your points from their perspectives.

In general, there are 3 scenarios you’ll likely find yourself needing to present to senior managers:

1. Presenting research results or trend findings
2. Pitching specific ideas you want to get approved
3. Providing progress updates on key initiatives

Regardless of the nature of your presentation, each one should have 3 acts:

1. Opening
2. Middle
3. End

The Opening

The opening should clearly identify “WHY” you’ve asked these individuals to attend your presentation. Are you providing research findings so they can contemplate product roadmaps? Are you pitching an idea to get funded to expand their businesses? Are you just providing key initiative updates so they know what’s going on?
You should make your objectives obvious in the first 5 minutes of your presentation so there is no confusion about why they are on the call.

Here is the rule of thumb:

Allocate 5-10% of your time to set the stage by giving a quick background after stating your main objectives, and laying out the agenda.

Then focus 65% of the time on your topics, the meat of the presentation, and 20-25% for reinforcing key points, guiding decision-making, addressing outstanding questions, and communicating the next steps.

Here are 3 example slides based on the 3 scenarios I mentioned above.

The opening for presenting research results or trend findings

For this type of presentation, I recommend starting with an executive summary. Share the results or findings before you do your deep-dive, because the executives’ attention focus is almost always better at the beginning of the meeting. Don’t bury the results in the middle or the end. Get their attention up front.

Be sure to categorize your thoughts in a way that senior management can understand. They may think in terms of departments, revenue, cost, or risks.  Can you categorize your information based on that so it is easy for them to process your information?

See this example:

The opening that articulates specific topics you want to get approved

For this type of presentation, you are asking for something from management. Focus on why this project will benefit them. Give background info and move to your high-level recommendations as the starting point. This sets up the stage for the recommendations and your requests. Explain how senior executives and the company will benefit if they approve your projects.

See this example:

The opening for updates of initiatives and project status

If you provide project progress reports or updates, it is important to connect your initiative with corporate imperatives. Companies are bound to undertake some big initiatives every year. Can you connect your project with any of the big initiatives? This should be your first slide, as it will help your executives connect the dots and remind them why it is important.

Next, I would recommend showing the timeline or project milestones. Once they connect the dots between your project and the corporate initiatives, this timeline or milestone slide gives senior managers a 30,000-foot view right away. Many of them are big-picture thinkers, and this will provide them with context.

See the example:

The Middle

Once you’ve set the stage clearly in the opening, the framework you created will guide management through the middle part of the presentation. Setting up a good framework makes the middle part easier to create. However, it still takes time to create slides and convey your points with compelling visuals and graphs.

The middle for presenting research results or trend findings

Based on the slide I shared in the opening section, you’ve already provided high-level findings and categorized those findings by groups that senior executives can understand. Now, you can use your categories to guide how you want to share details. This can lead to key survey questions and results. Based on the results, you can follow up with your recommendations.

See the examples:

The middle articulates specific topics you want to get approved

Once you set up the 2-3 topics you want to discuss, you can discuss them one by one. The 3-column or 5-column approach is a good option to present your ideas in a way that is easy for executives to follow.

The key is to think through how you want to present the information. Rather than using many words and bullet points, is it possible to communicate your thoughts with graphs, visuals, or charts?

For each slide, understand what you want to convey and the key takeaways, then determine what is the best way to show the information. It may take several takes to create the visuals and graphs you like. I always tell my clients to start executive-level presentations early.

See examples:

The middle for updates of initiatives and project status – Articulate the specifics

For progress updates, once you show the overall timeline, you can discuss what has been accomplished in the past several months, what challenges have been encountered, and the proposed solutions moving forward.

See the examples:

In addition, you can also present the information by departments or by budget. There are many ways to present the project updates, so you need to determine what makes sense for you and your executives.

Take the time to think critically about this; the creation of the presentation will come naturally from there.

The End

The key question you need to answer is all about what you want your managers to do. Are you asking for more funding, or for approval for the next steps? Are you just going to tell them what the steps are?

If you need them to make a decision, you need to lead to the decision part starting in the middle and guide them to make the decision at the end. If you do not need them to make a decision, you need to take command and inform them of your next steps. It is okay to tell your executives what you’ll do; after all, you are the expert.

Management tends to ask for more information before they make decisions, which can lead to analysis paralysis. If you anticipate that will be the case, you need to share the consequences of not making a decision when you present your deck.

For example, the project could face being delayed by several months, or sales may not get the support they need this quarter. Whatever it is, you need to articulate the risks well and set expectations up-front to avoid delays.

Be firm and honest. Don’t shy away from telling it like it is.

Your presentation style

Your style plays a role in your delivery. Everyone’s style is different. I do not ask people to change their styles, but I give tips and tricks to refine and improve it. The best tip: practice and preparation. That’s it! You’ll only be comfortable and confident when you know your slides and subjects well.

And if you’re presenting as a team, you’ll need to make sure this applies to everyone. Again, doing a test run or two beforehand is never a bad idea. If that’s not possible for the whole team, be sure everyone at least knows very clearly and concretely how the deck will be divided up across team members, and know your own parts well.

Do several dry-runs and practice in front of a mirror or your peers and managers.

You also need to think through the types of questions that executives may ask. In addition, you need to know the details well enough to talk about key points or challenges intelligently; be prepared to go off script if necessary. Bring additional team members to support you to answer technical questions should they arise.

Your style matters, but a solid logical flow of presentation can guide your delivery and boost your confidence. A well-structured presentation shows that you know your stuff.

Note: It is nerve-wracking to present in front of executives. As I said, practice is the best way to minimize nervousness. What if you cannot answer executives’ questions on the spot? Well, it is totally okay to tell executives that you don’t have the answers and you’ll get back to them after the meeting.

The View of Your Workspace on Webcam

Your background and lighting play a critical role when you present. Imagine you are putting on a show; make sure that the background is clean and people can see you. I would recommend you invest in ring lights, cameras, or photography lighting so that people can see you nicely on a webcam.

Selfie ring lights and portable photography lighting are pretty popular. I prefer ring lights myself (the lighting is less harsh; here’s a recent guide from CNN that dives into the best options on the market), but others seem to favor key lights like Elgato’s Key Light Mini. Here’s PCGamesN’s recent breakdown of the best streaming lights for your consideration.

Meanwhile, you want to make sure everyone can hear your message clearly, so investing in a quality condenser microphone and/or headset may be well worthwhile. Here’s a recent comprehensive guide from Popular Mechanics; they voted Logitech’s Blue Yeti as the best overall for its ease of use, but they get into the pros and cons of five other top options to think about.

When you present, you should also determine if you want to stand up or sit down. I prefer standing. I feel that I can move my hands more freely.

You can try to sit down or stand up in front of your webcam recorder, then determine which option looks better for you. The important thing is that you need to be comfortable.

Another important thing when doing virtual presentations is to show your face and let your audience know how confident and passionate you are about your topic! To keep everyone feeling engaged, you might also consider using one of Zoom’s newer features, the immersive view; it gets rid of the blocks and allows up to 25 people to feel like they’re in the same room.

And while we all know unexpected hiccups like background noise or general chaos can happen when live streaming, do your best to prevent problems before they happen. For example, ensure you’re presenting in a quiet place, and turn your phone to airplane mode to avoid distracting notification sounds. And to protect against other distracting sounds, some virtual presentation platforms also allow you to suppress background noise in the settings.

You should also try to keep your surroundings looking tidy and professional, but if that’s not possible, I’d recommend that you use a virtual background to disguise it. Or, you could really get into it and make your PowerPoint presentation your background, which is a possibility on Zoom.

You can do it

As a virtual presenter, you automatically command less of your audience’s attention. Working from home presents many distractions to our listeners, such as dogs barking, babies crying, doorbells ringing, and even WiFi problems. Not everyone likes to be on camera, so you may be unable to gauge audience reactions and emotions. It’s hard, and that is why content and preparation matter. Content is king!

The more you present to your executives, the better you will get over time.

Remember to focus on the flow and the quality of your content, practice, and prepare your presentation, and create a nice workspace to present.

Focus on what you can control. Don’t stress about the rest of it.

I help marketers compile their executive-level presentations, create their annual marketing strategy decks, and facilitate planning workshops.

I love to make my clients look like rock stars. If you have any needs, please schedule a free call.

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