The business meeting was scheduled to last two hours.
A dozen very busy professionals were in attendance.
There was a lot of ground to cover and many of us had to leave as soon as we adjourned to catch flights.
Expectations
The project lead started by telling everyone that we needed to keep things moving. She deftly steered the discussion from one topic to the next. The participants asked questions as needed. All communication was succinct and on-point UNTIL one man asked if he could introduce some new business.
The lead asked him if it would take five minutes or twenty minutes. If he could do it in five, then he could proceed. If not, they should discuss it offline because many of us had to leave soon.
He assured her that his new business would only take five minutes, so she gave him the floor. Unfortunately, it actually took him closer to twenty minutes.
Impressions
As the man rambled on, I looked around the room. Everyone had lost patience with him. Most people were shaking their heads or rolling their eyes. Even though he was very talented at what he did, he was unable to express his thoughts quickly or convincingly. As a result, almost every person in that room thought less of him.
Fair?
Maybe not. But it reminded me that presentation skills coaching isn’t just for people who give speeches. It’s also for people who have difficulty expressing themselves in the most basic of settings: business meetings.
More Blogs
If you’d like to learn more communication tips like this one, check out our other presentation skills blogs.
And if you’re interested in learning more about our executive presentation skills coaching offerings, please contact us. We would be delighted to customize a program that fits your exact needs.
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