What are the most effective ways to present complex program information to senior stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you create any presentation, you need to understand who your senior stakeholders are, what they care about, and what they expect from you. Do some research on their roles, responsibilities, goals, challenges, preferences, and communication styles. Ask yourself: What is their level of involvement and interest in your program? What are their main questions and concerns? How do they like to receive and process information? How do they make decisions and take actions? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, tone, format, and level of detail to suit their needs and expectations.

2 Define your purpose

Once you know your audience, you need to define the purpose of your presentation. What is the main message you want to convey? What is the desired outcome you want to achieve? How do you want your senior stakeholders to feel, think, and act after your presentation? Having a clear and specific purpose will help you focus your content, structure your narrative, and measure your success. Your purpose should be aligned with your program objectives, stakeholder expectations, and organizational strategy.

3 Simplify your content

Presenting complex program information to senior stakeholders can be challenging, as you want to avoid overwhelming or confusing them with too much data. To simplify your content, use simple and clear language, avoiding acronyms or technical terms. Explain any essential concepts or terms. Additionally, use visuals and stories to illustrate points, show relationships, and create emotional impact. For example, charts, graphs, diagrams, icons, images, or videos can display data and highlight trends. Also, stories, anecdotes, or examples can provide context and evidence. Moreover, the rule of three is a principle that suggests people can only remember three main points or ideas at a time; organize your content into three key messages or actionable recommendations and use repetition to reinforce your points throughout your presentation.

4 Engage your audience

Presenting complex program information to senior stakeholders can be challenging, as you need to engage your audience and make them feel that your presentation is valuable, relevant, and meaningful. To do this, start with a hook that captures your audience's attention and curiosity. The WIIFM principle (What's In It For Me) is also important to answer – show how your presentation will benefit your audience, what value they will get from it, and how it will help them achieve their goals or overcome their challenges. Involving your audience is also key – ask for their input, feedback, opinions, or questions during or after your presentation. This can help you build rapport, trust, and credibility, as well as address any doubts or objections. Depending on the format and context of your presentation, you can involve your audience by using polls, surveys, quizzes, exercises, or discussions.

5 End with a call to action

The last and most important part of your presentation is to end with a call to action. A call to action is a statement that tells your audience what you want them to do next, how they can do it, and why they should do it. A call to action should be aligned with your purpose, audience, and topic, and should be clear, specific, and urgent. A call to action can be a request, a recommendation, a suggestion, or a proposal, depending on the nature and scope of your presentation. A call to action should also include a follow-up plan, such as a deadline, a contact person, or a next meeting.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?