How to Prepare a Presentation for the Board Meeting

A presentation for a board meeting differs from a normal presentation because of time pressure and the requirement for unanimity. Board members have the greatest stake in a company’s success so their decisions will have implications for the business. In order to make the best decision, they need all the relevant information in the fastest time feasible and weighing all risk. It is crucial to understand what the board wants to achieve through your presentation and that your presentation be geared towards achieving this objective.

The best method to do that is by putting your data points in context. For example it’s not enough to simply display the conversion rate of a product that’s new, it’s also important to provide the board the context of how that compares with expectations or industry norms. If the board can draw right conclusions from the information they are seeking, it will be much easier for them trust your recommendations or vision for the future.

Before presenting to the audience, spend some time studying their background and the kinds of topics they are best presentation for the board meeting interested in. You can then anticipate their questions and create a thoughtful answer to the questions and answers that follows the presentation. I’ve seen presentations where the presenter tried to guess the answer to the question. If they got it wrong, it could affect their credibility.