A presentation for a board meeting is different to the normal presentation due to time pressure and the requirement for unanimity. Board members have the greatest stake in a company’s success therefore their decisions will have implications for the business. To make the best decision they must have all the relevant information in the shortest period of time possible and taking into account all possible risks. That is why it’s important to understand what the board is trying to achieve with your presentation and your presentation should be geared towards achieving this objective.
Place your data’s key information in context. For instance it’s not enough simply provide the conversion rate of a new product; you also need to give the board the context of how it compares to expectations or industry averages. If the board is able to draw the right conclusions from the information they are looking for it will be much easier for them believe in your affect of tech issues on your customer experience and sales recommendations or vision for the future.
Before presenting to the board, you should spend some time learning about their backgrounds and the types of issues they are interested in. You can then anticipate their questions and prepare an informed answer to the question and answer session that is held after the presentation. I’ve seen a few presentations where the presenter tried to guess what the question was. If they answered wrong, it could have a negative impact on their credibility.
