Successful Boardroom presentations? The dullest answer in communication… it depends

There’s a lot of advice about boardroom presentations.

Don’t tell stories.
Do present with gravitas.
Get to the point.
Make it interactive.
Don’t make it interactive.
Remember, it’s not a TED Talk.

In my experience, the truth is rather less exciting:

It depends.

IT - DEPENDS - ON - THE - BOARD.

For instance, there’s a huge difference between presenting to the board of a charitable organisation and the board of a large corporate bank. Some boards are highly supportive; others are divided. Some are at loggerheads with the CEO, as I’ve witnessed on a couple of occasions. Some love the CEO but distrust the rest of the C-suite. Some love the leadership team, there’s great chemistry but no challenge. Occasionally everything is aligned and constructive.

The dynamics of the room matter.

A good example of this came when I was working with the C-suite of a large Middle Eastern bank, helping them prepare their board presentations.

Very quickly the topic of storytelling came up.

Several executives were anxious that storytelling would be inappropriate. “This isn’t a TED Talk,” they said. “We’ve only got ten minutes and we need to get through the numbers.”

Then the most experienced and best presenter in the group,  the Head of Digital,  said he disagreed.

“I use stories all the time in board presentations,” he said. “The trick is that they’re very relevant and very very short.”

He explained that most members of the board were older and didn’t fully understand digital banking. When he presented digital investment proposals, he needed to get the whole room aligned quickly.

So he used what he called a micro-story.

“Five years ago,” he told the board, “if you wanted a loan from this bank you would visit a branch. You’d make an appointment, return a few days later, fill in forms, have another meeting and (if you were lucky)  about twenty days later you might get the loan.”

He then paused.

“Today the same customer walks down the street, walks past the bank, opens their phone and applies for a loan on our app.”

And then he landed his point:

“That’s why we must keep investing in our app. It isn’t just a digital channel. It’s our shop floor. And if it doesn’t work well, customers will go elsewhere.”

In less than a minute he had given the board context for the numbers that followed.

It wasn’t storytelling for entertainment, it was about giving clarity.

So yes it depends but there are three keys principles which will make a significant difference to your next boardroom presentation.

1. Be super clear on the purpose (and no it’s not get to the end)

Before you start preparing slides, ask yourself: What do I need from the board and what do they need from me?

Do you want investment?
Approval?
Clarity?
Support?

The board should leave the discussion clear about the decision, strategy or reassurance you are seeking.

2. Structure your message clearly

A strong board presentation still has a beginning, middle and end.

Explain the situation. What happened, what worked and what didn’t and where you are now and how this informs what happens next.
Highlight the numbers that matter.
Outline the options.
Recommend next steps to achieving whatever it is you want to achieve and what support you need. 

Oh and don’t drown the board in data. Point them to the numbers that matter.

3. Don’t forget the human element

Gravitas matters, but so does connection.

If the board is bored, they won’t listen –  particularly if you’re leader number 15 that day and it’s 4.30 in the afternoon.
If you sound robotic and overly rehearsed, they may not trust you.
If you sound like a dodgy used car salesman* (even if that’s your business), they’ll trust you even less.

The most effective presenters come across as confident, authentic leaders with a clear vision but also willing to listen.

In other words, the same leaders their teams already know.

Because especially in the boardroom, the best communication is still human.