Executive Presentation Skills: Inform, Inspire & Persuade

I recently did a blog on the topic of executive presentations.

Exactly what separates an executive presentation from any other?

Not much.

Perhaps it’s just the title of the person presenting the material – or, speaking at the board level.

After all, every presentation has a purpose. The goal as a speaker is to determine what the purpose is.

As an executive, I may want to …

•Inform my organization about what is going on within the organization (to inform)
•Inspire trust and loyalty in my employees
•Encourage people to buy into a plan or product purchase

Over all, it’s all about informing, inspiring and persuading.

Aristotle described the principles of Logos/Ethos/Pathos.

Logos translates into logic. Every great speaker needs to be easy to follow (logical), and filled with evidence and reason. That alone can inform an audience.

To move people as well, to truly inspire them, requires the added use of Pathos. Emotional appeals, stories, and examples which hit the heart, will do that.

Then, there is the credibility factor of the presenter (Ethos). Even if an executive delivers an excellent presentation, if the audience doesn’t trust the person – the presentation will fall on deaf ears.

Position alone isn’t enough to inspire.

An executive who is believable, trustworthy, and admirable, will have a much easier time of giving an inspirational presentation.

So, being an executive speaker really just boils down to 3 things:

1)Being an executive.
2)Having a well-organized message that is relevant, inspirational and believable.
3)Delivering the message in an attentive manner -- showing passion, enthusiasm and credibility.

Why make things more difficult than they have to be?

If you need help turning a lackluster presentation into a memorable, executive-level experience, sign up for my 1-hour webinar on September 14 (12:30-1:30 pm EST): “How to Present Your Ideas Persuasively to Better Influence Others at Work.”