You are presenting onstage, the lone illuminated figure in a darkened ballroom with 200 pairs of eyes trained on you. Never will you feel so alone—except for maybe on your deathbed.
Melodramatic? Perhaps. Unfortunately, many would rather face life’s toughest challenges than be onstage in front of a crowded room of work colleagues or customers. The fear can be so great that sometimes a great opportunity is lost.
Most great leaders have exceptional communication skills. They know good presentation skills can be a critical tool to share a vision, to motivate, to drive performance. A great communicator can do more to marshal the strength of an organization than all of the medals, tokens, and incentives a company can offer.
Therefore, a top training priority for any organization should be strengthening the oratorical skills of its executives. To that end, here are five helpful tips for you and your senior management:
1. Offer Coaching
Providing executives with coaching and presentation training is a tried-and-true way to ensure your executives are effective communicators. A coach can provide one-on-one, personalized training, with feedback from an outsider’s perspective. Also, a coach can comment on whether the message the executive is trying to communicate will resonate with an audience.
Another perk to using a professional coach is that they often offer tools that clarify recommendations. For example, many coaches use video to record the speaker and provide feedback. No matter how difficult it might be, the ability to see and hear themselves on camera can offer insight into body language, nervous habits, pronunciation, and eye contact, which they would not get elsewhere.
And coaches are not just for those who may be inexperienced presenters. Most can benefit from a refresher. The top presenters are the best because they work at it.
2. Help Them Be Prepared
Without a moment’s notice, crises happen. A good communications team should anticipate potential risks and ensure their executives are prepared with communication points to address the situation.
One way your company can prepare for an issue is with a question-and-answer document. Your communications team should be able to consider any potential questions that may arise and develop answers to share with executives. This prepares them with a consistent response that allows them to present the organization in the best light possible.
When a crisis hits, anyone will be nervous delivering a message. At least give your executives the benefit of having been prepared.
3. Use Data to Build A Case
Having a strong message will help your company’s executives communicate more confidently and with greater credibility. Concrete data supports the message they are trying to convey in a way words often cannot. Additionally, if the story they are telling is a tough one, data can tell the story on its own.
For example, if your executive has to relay the message that the company’s sales are decreasing, specific numbers and charts that highlight changes in the market can more clearly demonstrate what is happening and why change is crucial.
4. Build Stories They Want to Tell
One of the most important jobs a communications team has in helping executives be effective communicators is creating those compelling stories they will be excited to tell.
Use colorful anecdotes as examples to help their message connect with the audience, such as an innovative use of a particular product, or the way your organization’s service helped a company be successful. At Toshiba, we find patient stories most impactful. Stories will not only keep the audience engaged, but will ensure the message is remembered and often can be used to prove the speaker’s point.
Another way to guarantee the presentation will resonate with the audience is to use visually arresting slides. Effective visuals minimize words in favor of graphics and images. There is a reason for the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
5. Be Their Ears on the Street
The more senior a position an executive holds, the more insulated he or she can be from the average employee. Your company’s communications team is the right one to give executives a perspective they most likely will not get elsewhere. This will not only help them to understand the challenges your company is facing at every level, but will help them develop communications that resonate with all stakeholder audiences.
Being a good communicator is a skill that is developed over time. Anyone can be a successful communicator with dedication, preparation, and practice. And as the voice of the organization, your executive team needs presentation support they can count on.
Catherine Wolfe, senior director of corporate and strategic communications, Toshiba America Medical Systems, is responsible for communications and research. Toshiba America Medical Systems is a leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI, and information systems. Wolfe has contributed to the successful promotion of several of Toshiba’s leading products, as well as the company’s growing reputation and sales in diagnostic imaging. She has written numerous articles and spoken at industry conferences on marketing, communications, leadership, and customer satisfaction topics.
