Mastering Executive Presence: Start with Clarity

Have you ever wondered how you master executive presence?

One of the most important aspects is the ability to communicate effectively.

Recently, I was in a meeting where someone shared a story filled with interesting details. However, as I listened, I realized that the point of the story wasn’t clear from the beginning. People love stories, but without knowing why they’re hearing them, they quickly become confused or frustrated.

This is a great parallel for executive presence and how tied it is to clarity.

When presenting to an executive audience, it’s crucial to first state your main point clearly. What are you trying to communicate? Why does it matter to them? Once your audience understands the purpose of your message, you can fill in the details and share the stories.

But if you bring too much story before people know why they should even care about it, then you’ve lost them already.

Without initial clarity, your message risks being lost, no matter how compelling your story might be.

So BEFORE you start sharing a story in your next high-stakes presentation, first tell people WHY they should care about this story.

If not, you’re going to lose their interest – and your presence.

Read more: If You Get Anxious Right before a Meeting Try This