C.E.O.s Are People Who Can’t Afford to Waste Time?

C.E.O.s Are People Who Can’t Afford to Waste Time

C.E.O.s have a thousand things happening at once—messages, meetings, urgent matters, “fires” to put out, and immediate decisions to make.

Knowing this, your presentation must be extremely concise. If it exceeds 7 minutes, you risk losing the CEO’s attention. To capture and hold their focus, you need to understand how their mind works. Two things hammer at their thoughts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year:

How do I make more money?
How do I spend less?

Your first slide must link the outcome of your presentation to one of these two factors. If there’s no link, don’t present—it will just waste your time.

Start with the End
First Slide: RESULT
Showcase the key outcome or benefit upfront.

Second Slide: The 3 STEPS to Achieve the RESULT
Outline the clear and actionable steps needed.

Third Slide: RESOURCES Required
Detail the time, money, people, and technology necessary to achieve the result.

That’s It. C’est Fini.
Keep all the details ready in case the CEO asks for something, and be prepared to answer questions.

The Key Takeaway? Be Extremely Objective.