Elevating marketing presentations: winning over CEOs and Boards with strategic communication
Crafting compelling narratives to align marketing initiatives with Business Goals and impress high-level stakeholders. (9 key tips, +1) #2
A long time ago, as I was starting my first job in marketing, a skilled professional gave me this main advice: "You'll see, the most important thing in a marketing-communications job is doing a lot of presentations!". At first, I laughed, but now, eight years later, I fully understand what she meant.
There are periods of the year in which I really think that my job is based on developing presentation decks (LOL); anyway, no, that is not the most important thing about my job…even if I can say it is the most effective one, once I adjusted my technique to let them become a real value to present a new project or the results of the team’s activities.
I am not just talking about the graphic and visual part of a PowerPoint deck but about building strategies and project presentations that capture and impress the board, even if they are not perfectly competent on the subject.
I hope this will help you shift your mindset to a leader of a critical business function who reports facts in the business context. Here are my 9 tips plus a bonus one!
1. Align with the company's vision, priorities, and objectives.
It may seem like obvious advice. Still, I saw many marketing plans just taking care of marketing actions, not business objectives: many creative and funny projects not linked to a real strategy…and so rejected with frustration from both sides - the marketer and the CEO. Be sure that your marketing strategy is closely aligned with the overall business objectives, and try to demonstrate which positive impact it can bring. Highlight how any action will strengthen customer relationships, enhance the company's reputation, and differentiate the brand from competitors in an effective way.
Moreover, this helps you emphasize your strategic thinking and unwavering commitment to the company's success. Remember: marketing is not just a job function but a corporate culture that can influence the entire company.
2. Grasp your audience priorities.
Use your marketing skills to understand what truly interests your audience, what concerns them, and what areas of expertise they have. Then, tailor your presentation to align with those perspectives. For instance, some may be highly focused on data and details, while others prefer to be immersed in the vision and envision future scenarios. Some may be attentive to financial aspects, sales, or innovative features. Knowing this in advance allows you to proactively address potential questions and demonstrate your attentiveness and empathy toward their priorities. It also enables you to make them feel involved by using a vocabulary and context they can relate to.
3. Please keep it simple and concise.
Avoid unnecessary details: the board doesn’t need to know all the tactical marketing information; they need to understand how the marketing supports the company's growth. Moreover, communicate this value in business terms, not in marketing terms! Site traffic and social engagement are required to manage the marketing team activities but can be tedious and non-sense for high-level executives.
4. Present outcomes and metrics, not on the process
First thing first: marketing outcomes must be aligned to business goals. I voluntarily said “outcomes” – the results and effect of the marketing activities - and not “outputs” – the deliverables we produce with our activities. When done well and with a strategic approach, marketing contributes to more than sales and branding, and that is precisely what you must focus on.
When presenting to high-level executives, your narrative should be on the marketing efforts and their positive outcomes for the company goals… You want your sausage, but you don’t need to know how it is made, right?
5. Find your quick & cheap wins while envisioning long-term strategies.
Especially when you are new in the role, don’t suggest only elaborate marketing projects that require a lot of money. Often, many highly effective marketing activities can be done at a reasonable budget and still have a significant impact on your company. You can try new tactics by just using your time and skills or reallocating funding from one part of your marketing plan to experiment with something new. This will show innovative thinking but also attention to the company budget.
6. Explain the context
Your audience may not know what good results are because they don’t have a framework to understand and compare the results presented. To let them be engaged is helpful to provide a context, for example:
Standard results for the industry, if they are available;
Internal benchmarks, such as previous year results;
Insight into the competitive landscape;
Case studies to illustrate similar marketing actions and their results;
7. Use this opportunity to teach, not to preach.
I heard many peers in marketing complaining because their C-level and sales departments don’t get marketing. And I admit it happened to me, too! Thinking of marketing as a company culture, it is essential to understand your role in teaching the rest of your team about marketing. With time and patience, they will develop a deeper understanding of the impact of marketing. Moreover, by connecting your plans and strategies to the overall business goals, the executives will understand the role of marketing in helping the business achieve its objectives. Finally, by communicating results in business terms, they’ll be able to see the value in a language they are familiar with.
8. Anticipate questions and doubts.
Before presenting, try to anticipate all the questions and any possible doubts. If you can, probe the ground on the more daring proposals with other board members, who can help you with their follow-up questions or sponsor you in the final presentation. Being prepared with additional information can mitigate the natural inclination to put up walls about things you don't know or understand well.
9. So…what’s next?
After your presentation, the main question to avoid is the “So what?”
The best way to conclude a marketing plan or project presentation is an implementation plan, timeline, and responsibilities. Seeing the actionable steps will leave your audience with a sense of confidence and a clear understanding of the following steps and their impact.
+1 Bonus Tip: Use visuals and storytelling.
This tip alone could fill dozens of newsletters, so I'll mention it...and introduce you to the Slide Queen, the first guests of this newsletter! Incorporate visuals, charts, and graphs to make the presentation more compelling and easier to understand. Craft a narrative that keeps people engaged. Don’t stuff the slides with text, express only one concept in each slide, avoid unnecessary transitions, and take care of your audience. These are just some of the things I hate the most, but the list could be so long!
Today’s guest
I announced that I would try to involve marketing and communication professionals I had crossed paths with, to share tips from the field. And who better than the Slide Queen could speak about effective presentations?
Slide Queen is a presentation agency based in London, Milan, and Rome run with humor by Elena Bobbola [the Blonde] and Marie Louise Denti [the Brunette]. This is how they present themselves: “We make the magic happen between you and your audience. In business, we go beyond bullet points. We help you design compelling presentations that clearly and directly achieve your goals: simple to understand and easy to remember. We turn your ideas into memorable talks supported by powerful scenography.”
I asked them to answer two questions we should ask ourselves before designing our presentation.
🎡 What should not be missing in an effective presentation?
One of the missing points in a compelling presentation is the Big Idea. Every presentation should start with a thesis, big idea or perspective that captures the main point of the discussion.
Adopting this approach ensures that our presentations resonate deeply with our audience, leaving them inspired and informed. Starting with a thesis sets the stage for the entire presentation, guiding both the presenter and the audience on a journey towards enlightenment.
The thesis-driven deck doesn't need to be an audacious proposal or a request for more funding. But it ought to frame an issue that requires audience attention.
With a well-crafted thesis at the forefront, our presentations become more than just slides and words; they become transformative experiences that linger in the minds of our listeners long after the final slide fades to black.
We leave you with a short exercise about the Big Idea. After you understand your audience, form your Big Idea as follows:
articulate your point of view as a speaker
convey what's at stake
write a complete (and single!) sentence
🎡 What is the mistake you see most often in business presentations?
One prevalent oversight during business presentations is the absence of a clear Call to Action. It's a rather curious phenomenon that seems to permeate presentations. Individuals either seem to overlook it (which seems improbable) or feel uneasy about requesting action from their audience at the presentation's conclusion.
This lack of clarity can be quite perplexing, considering that the primary objective of any presentation is to instigate action or evoke change from the audience.
Randomnesses
🗒️ Rishad Tobaccowala on Re-thinking Presentations.
🎧 The 3 ways to get a CEO to Green Light High-Risk Marketing Ideas
🌿 Artists for climate at TEDxVicenza. Use this visuals and act for climate.
📺 How your brain responds to stories, and why they're crucial for leaders in a TEDx talk
🌟 OT, To not take our freedom for granted: Lessons from my father, Alexey Navalny
Have a great week!
Take care,
Nadia
Thank you Nadia 💪