So you want your Board members to employ more women. Do you persuade them that this is ethically desirable option or do you present research to demonstrate organisations with female board members tend to be more successful and profitable?
The key to being heard is to understand the motivations and interests of the audience.
The first step to preparing an impactful presentation is therefore gaining an understanding of the audience, with a bit of background about the organisation and its culture. If you focus solely on your own agenda with no reference to the audience, your presentation will seem irrelevant. We are all hardwired to take note of only that which is interesting and relevant to us – the rest is noise
The second step is to start with a bang – make them sit up and listen. In an era where people are used to being entertained – a dull opening will be an invitation to sleep. If you have dramatic facts, results or a good story – tell that first.
If greater diversity means the company will be richer….that’s a great place to start for most organisations.