7 Rules for Success When Presenting to C-Suite Execs
By Jo Miller
A business idea pops into your head. It’s a good one—solid enough for you to summarize and run up the chain of command. A few weeks go by, and you nearly forgot about it—that is, until your manager informs you that you’re on the agenda to present your idea—to the CEO.
Minutes later, you’re having a mini-meltdown, imagining the worst-case scenario in which you humiliate yourself in front of the company head during the one face-time opportunity you’ve had since you got the job.
Presenting to a C-suite executive or senior manager, especially when you’re entry-level or somewhere in the middle, requires a different set of skills compared to run-of-the-mill speaking presentations. Because the roles of these high-level staff are quite different than the mid-level managers you may be used to working with, their objectives, communication styles, and decision-making methods are going to be distinct as well.
But whether you’re pitching an idea for a new product, process, or other special initiative, you’ve got this. All you need is some solid preparation and a few adjustments to your usual delivery style.
Read more of Jo Miller’s article at The Muse.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
By Jo Miller
A business idea pops into your head. It’s a good one—solid enough for you to summarize and run up the chain of command. A few weeks go by, and you nearly forgot about it—that is, until your manager informs you that you’re on the agenda to present your idea—to the CEO.
Minutes later, you’re having a mini-meltdown, imagining the worst-case scenario in which you humiliate yourself in front of the company head during the one face-time opportunity you’ve had since you got the job.
Presenting to a C-suite executive or senior manager, especially when you’re entry-level or somewhere in the middle, requires a different set of skills compared to run-of-the-mill speaking presentations. Because the roles of these high-level staff are quite different than the mid-level managers you may be used to working with, their objectives, communication styles, and decision-making methods are going to be distinct as well.
But whether you’re pitching an idea for a new product, process, or other special initiative, you’ve got this. All you need is some solid preparation and a few adjustments to your usual delivery style.
Read more of Jo Miller’s article at The Muse.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
