Speaking in Small Rooms with Confidence

Speaking in

Small Rooms

with Confidence

My Boss Me

Why Small Rooms

Require a Different

Talk Strategy?

Brian Sullivan. Hi, my name is

@BrianKSullivan @bigdesign

#smalltalk

Research and Testing Expert

Director of UX Operations at Sabre, where I run three User Research labs.

UX Dallas Founder & President

Writer of Books and Articles

International Speaker

Keynote Author on SlideShare

Founder of Big Design Conferences

Big rooms require a certain talk strategy.

Small rooms require a different approach.

People Conversations Stakes

Planning Presentation Delivery

My Boss Me


Planning for a Small Room of Executives

Preparation

Determines

Success

Stages Multiplier (by time) 50 Minute Talk

Researching Multiply by 2 100 minutes

Building Slides Multiply by 2 100 minutes

Practicing Multiply by 2 100 minutes

Updating Slides Multiply by 1 50 minutes

“Pre-Talk” Talks Multiply by 2 100 minutes

Back Channel Multiply by 2-3 100-150 minutes

Planning Formula

Use the Right Speed, Balance, and Altitude

Airspeed Indicator Attitude Gyro Altimeter

10,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

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min

20

min

30

min

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min

50

min

10,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10

min

20

min

30

min

40

min

50

min

10,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10

min

20

min

30

min

40

min

50

min

“I need you at 50,000 feet. You are at about 5,000 feet now.”

8am 8am 8am

2pm

3pm

Plan for Interruptions and Questions

Practice

• Your stories

• Main points on each slide

• Transitions

• Answers to questions

• Objections from people

• The flow of the slides

• Your tone of voice


Tips for Building an Executive Presentation

Do less…better!!!

1 slide/10 minutes

is a good rule.

18 Slides Took Over 90 Minutes

Conversation Types:

• Personal Connection

• Friendly Conversation

• Problem Investigation

• Possible Solutions

• Political Discussions

• Personal Motives

Your Relationship

• Person

• Employee

• Management

• Supplier

• Partner

• Trusted Advisor

Person

Trusted

Advisor

Partner

Supplier

Employee

Personal

Connection

Friendly

Conversation

Problem

Investigation

Possible

Solutions

Political

Discussions

Personal

Motives

Management

• Image association and recognition

• Internal dialogue

• Nonverbal communication

• Technical communications

• Intersecting activity or common ground

• Business operations language

• Confidential C-level language

The goal of a C-level

meeting is to get an

executive to expose

their internal dialogue

to you.

Three Keys to Success

1. Communicate Business Goals

2. Communicate in Terms of Risk

3. Envision a Future State

Bosses Have Bosses, Too

CEO Board of Directors

“I need you to craft this story in just 10 slides!”

Stories are Better Than Data

Stories Data

Basic Formula

• What? (3-4 slides)

The topic you want to discuss.

• So What? (2-3 slides)

The relevance of this topic.

• Now What? (3-4 slides)

The next steps to take.


Delivery Tips for an Executive Presentation

This small room can be terrifying to people.

Executive Sport?

Execuphobia:

It is an unhealthy fear

of C-level executives.

It is a real fear.

Executives Have a Lot of Fears, Too

CEO

• Fear of failure

• Loss of reputation

• Lawsuits

• Competitor moves

• Regulations

• Loss of customers

• Not hitting sales goals

• Wall Street

Body Language Matters with Executives

No Eye Contact Weak Handshake Slouching

Folded Arms Frowning Looking Down

Body Language Matters with Executives

No Eye Contact Weak Handshake Slouching

Folded Arms Frowning Looking Down

It’s about the

Situation,

not the

Presentation.

Work on Executive Presence

Executive presence is the ability

to project gravitas with others.

• Extreme confidence

• Poise under pressure

• Decisiveness

• Effective communication

• Ability to read situations

• Assertiveness

• Risk management

Make Executives Feel Special

• Maintain eye contact

• Listen to them

• Ask good questions

• Lean forward

• Use acknowledge tokens

• Don’t interrupt

• Use their first name

• Don’t speak over someone

Make Each Executive Feel Like the Only Person in the Room

Know the Subtext of a Question

The Subtext Might Be


Planning for a Small Room of Executives

Tips for Building an Executive Presentation

Delivery Tips for an Executive Presentation

Your Boss You

Speaking in

Small Rooms

with Confidence

Speaking in

Small Rooms

with Confidence