Ways to Prepare Teams for High-Stakes Presentations

I recently presented to our executive team—and it actually went well. 😆 Here are 5️⃣ things I did to prepare that I’d 100% do again (plus 1️⃣ I’d skip next time):   ✅ Used AI to stress-test my story and prep for tough questions Instead of hoping my narrative would land, I used AI to make sure it would. Then I planned out and practiced answers to the 5 most challenging questions. Some of the blind spots AI surfaced were exactly what the execs asked about. Steal the prompt I used with Rovo:  👉 I’m presenting this strategy to [names of executives]. Based on their recent comments, pages, and goals for FY26, what holes will they poke in my logic? What questions will catch me off guard? How can I best address those succinctly and with confidence?   ✅ Made the damn slides My original plan was to present a page of information vs. make slides, but I got some smart advice to rethink that. When in doubt, make the slides. It made a difference with engagement and storytelling. AI helped me organize my content into a presentation structure. Here’s a good starting prompt:   👉 “I’m presenting to executives who care about [business outcomes]. Help me generate a presentation outline that references this document and can only be 5 slides." ✅ Sent a Loom demo to my manager I recorded my full presentation and sent it ahead of time so my manager could leave async, time-stamped feedback (e.g., “slow down here,” “add an exampe on slide 2 ”). It made editing the slides (and my delivery of them!) so much easier and faster.   ✅ Created a “data on demand” backup plan I knew the executive team would ask for specifics I didn’t include in the main deck. So, I created a separate “appendix” document with metrics, timelines, and specifics that felt too detailed for the presentation itself. Just knowing I had the data at the ready made me feel more confident presenting the high-level story.   ✅ Practiced out loud with Loom recordings My favorite tip! I recorded my presentation in Loom and watched it back ahead of time, catching parts of my presentation that needed context or parts where I needed to slow down when I got nervous. Game-changer for self-awareness. (Side note: I used to do this to prep for interviews when I was job searching, too. 10/10 recommend.)   🚫 What I’d skip next time: Over-rehearsing the opening line. I memorized it so much that when I deviated slightly, I got flustered. Literally, I messed up my own introduction 🫠 Natural > perfect. 💡 In the end, executive presence isn’t about being flawless—it’s about being prepared enough that you can handle whatever comes up. What’s your go-to move when prepping for high-stakes presentations? What tools help you? I’d love to incorporate it next time 👇

Presenting with Confidence: My 3-Step Prep for Collaborative Sessions As someone who has delivered countless keynotes, webinars, and workshops, I’ve learned that great presentations don’t happen by accident—they’re built on purposeful preparation. Over the years, I’ve developed a three-step method that makes collaborative presentations feel seamless, well-paced, and engaging:   1. Align on the Outline: In a first meeting, we define our key messages, agree on what the title and abstract have promised, allocate time equitably, and choose a slide template to ensure a cohesive visual experience.   2. Share Drafts and Storylines: Next, we meet to present and review one another’s slides and talking points. This allows us to refine flow, avoid duplication, and align our messages to amplify each other’s contributions.   3. Rehearse Together: A dress rehearsal brings everything together. We practice as if it’s live, offering feedback, making final adjustments, and ensuring the overall presentation feels polished and connected. A tech check or second rehearsal may follow if needed. This week at NACCHO #PrepSummit25, I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Dr. Danielle Eiseman from Cornell University. She graciously accepted my presentation prep approach and I found her to be smart, proactive, communicative, and a total professional—making this collaboration a true joy. What are your favorite tips for delivering a great presentation? Let’s share ideas in the comments and keep learning from each other! #PresentationTips #Collaboration #PublicSpeaking #HealthGIS #Teamwork #PublicHealthPreparedness #LocationIntelligence #ClimateResilience #HealthEquity #PresentationSkills #ConferencePrep

Getting the opportunity to present on big stages at conferences is easier if you have a plan. During a 1:1 with a leader on my team, she brought up that some team members want to present at large user conferences such as re:Invent and AWS Summits. However, those speaking slots are very hard to obtain and usually go to speakers with proven sessions—ones that have been presented multiple times and have solid ratings. I'm not only a public speaker but also serve as a Speaker Bar Raiser, coaching others on public speaking and presenting. I've delivered dozens of sessions at large events worldwide and learned valuable lessons about getting ideas onto big stages. (Spoiler alert: It isn't enough to submit an abstract and hope for the best) It seems like a Catch-22, but there is a process that can tilt the odds in the aspiring speaker's favor. Content - Ensure your content is new, unique, relevant, insightful, timely, and/or important to your target audience. Irrelevant content is a non-starter. Structure - Have a framework for presenting the content that makes it easy to follow and understand. There is a science behind using the "Rule of Three" in public speaking. Keep things simple and interesting. Repetition - Give your presentation as many times as possible. Ask to present at brown bag lunches, weekly team calls, stand-alone learning sessions, your local Toastmaster's club meetings—even to your family and friends. After each presentation, ask for feedback and explore other presentation opportunities. These "at-bats" will improve your speaking skills and provide valuable feedback to enhance your session. (Hint: when presenting to larger groups, ask them to complete a survey capturing CSAT data. You can use this later when submitting for the biggest stages) Refine - Use all feedback to improve your presentation and make it more impactful. Collect notes from audience members and look for ways to incorporate their suggestions. If a joke or anecdote doesn't land, try something else. If your closing statement falls flat, take a different approach. Continuous iteration leads to improvement. Marketing - Once you have a relevant topic that you can present in a structured format, refined and updated through multiple presentations, you'll still need to market it effectively to track owners. Share data about your presentation frequency, CSAT scores, and audience testimonials. Don't let rejection discourage you—keep going until you get a "Yes." Developing and following a plan like this will help increase your chances of getting on big stages, more often.

A couple of weeks ago one of the tech VPs I work with asked me to send him some articles on how to deal with "curve balls" in a presentation and/or larger meetings. We got to talk about it in more detail yesterday in our coaching session. Here's the list we came up with together that I refined a bit: 1) PRACTICE: Before a preso, we are usually trained to practice going through the PPT slides out loud. Keep doing that, and more importantly, practice "thinking on your feet" with hard questions. Ask your coach (or a teammate, or your boss, or your exec comms person) to pepper you with questions. Start with questions you come up with and then ask your conversation partner to riff a bit and make it hard, on purpose. 2) MINDSET: Come into the preso calm and your mind free. Usually, if you're prepared, it's easier to be calm; however, if you practice breathing before and during, it sure helps. 3) CREATE SPACE: Use transitional phrases to give you time and space to think. Here are a few: "Great question,” “Thanks for the question,” or "Please give me a bit more context regarding _____." 4) 1, 2, 3: The very best advice we have is to enumerate your response. This demonstrates clarity of thought and helps the audience focus. You can start with a transitional sentence: "I have two ideas on that...first...second..." 5) WIT: Respond to questions with wit/humor. You don't have to be "haha" funny. Instead, try to be "aha" funny with a quick response or even a self-deprecating quip...sometimes. 6) DON'T KNOW: Admit you don’t know the answer and say when you will get back to the questioner. That might be 5 minutes later if you have colleagues with you who know the answer or can look something up. Or it might be two days from now; it's ok to punt...sometimes. 7) DEBRIEF: Many Zoom meetings are recorded. Go back and look at the instances you had to be quick on your feet. How did you do? By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it's a good one. How do YOU best deal with "curve balls"? ----- Want to learn more about "thinking on your feet"? If you're a Director+, consider enrolling in “Cracking the C-suite,” March 8-9, with Ethan Evans and me. We would love for you to join us: https://buff.ly/4gvVQuQ ----- Want to chat more about a leadership dilemma you have or questions about the course? https://lnkd.in/gvaJrMVY