22 November 2008 E-MAIL SEARCH
Home Page
Newsroom
From the Top
Business Buzz
Marketing Mix
Financial Focus
Management Matters
PR Points
Web Wisdom
Industry Reports
Business Glossary
Resources
U.S. Gov. Resources
Print this page Bookmark this page
  
  The Theater of Net Returns
 
Boardroom dramas are no less compelling than those of stage and screen. But just as those immortal magic moments are the product of carefully orchestrated rehearsal, so too are successful business presentations.

"The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and an actualizer ... He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen."

– Robert L. Schwartz Touch

Winning presentations are part art, part science and a great deal of perspiration. They are the culmination of intensive planning, preparation and rehearsal. Whether you're giving an in-house staff presentation, pitching to a client, or trying to win the favor of a venture capitalist, your presentation needs to be immaculate.

According to Philippe Gaulier, interviewed in Fast Company, leadership — command of the stage — comes from one thing: pleasure. And you can't communicate pleasure unless you feel it. If you are feeling pressurized or tense, your body language and tone of voice are going to communicate these feelings to your audience — they will begin to feel your discomfort.

figureFirst-time presenters, and even experienced presenters putting forward new material, are likely to feel on edge: there's nothing like venturing into new territory to get your adrenalin pumping. And that's why planning and preparation are so important: doing your homework, researching the necessary information, sourcing appropriate graphics. If you have a thorough knowledge of your topic, you're far less likely to get thrown by a curve ball from the audience.

Once you've prepared your presentation, you need to rehearse it again and again. A critical aspect is the ability to respond "on your feet" to questions from your audience, so "rent" one. Run through the presentation with people who are likely to give you constructive feedback to help you improve your presentation technique. Make sure you have all the tools necessary to do the job and that they are all in good working order. Your audience doesn't want to watch you trying to focus the screen, or flip through your notes, they want to get "on with the show."

No matter what the subject is, in essence, you are still telling a story. It could be a story about anticipated revenues, it could be a story about a new idea for a product or service. But you still have to "sell it" to your audience. You need to paint the picture that shares your vision, you need to clothe your business persona with an aura of command. Sounds melodramatic, doesn't it? Yet, according to Gaulier, "melodrama is not the damsel tied to the railroad tracks but the big issues — the good, the true, the beautiful and the evil that must be conquered. It's the basic script in which business is written...melodrama is the script of anyone who persuades you to buy or do anything."

As an entrepreneur, you are in the business of persuasion. Fueled by knowledge, conviction, passion and the vision to see what others can't, your mission is to take your dream and actualize it. To share the dream, you have to tell a compelling story. The stage awaits.


The Trendletter team welcomes your comments.


©2002–2008 Trendlines International Ltd. All rights reserved.
Phone: +972.4.958.3323 | postmaster@trendlines.com
Directions | Privacy Policy | Site Map
This site contains material copyrighted by third parties.
This site is best viewed in Internet Explorer version 5 or higher.