Coach Your Execs to Speaking Success

Early in my career, I worked for the most gifted, natural communicator I’ve ever known. He was the attorney general of Ohio and I was his press secretary. And honestly? It was downright intimidating.

More than once, I thought, “He’s better at this than I’ll ever be. How can I possibly be of value to him?” I’d sometimes daydream about working for someone who desperately needed my help.

Well, be careful what you wish for. Because a few years later, when I was at Ogilvy doing executive speechwriting, I had a C-suite client who was… let’s just say, “not what you’d call a gifted orator.”

I often found myself in the back of a ballroom mouthing the words along with him and, like a golfer trying to sink a putt, unconsciously using body English to mentally will him to hit the phrasing and emotional beats just right.

We eventually made progress, but it was a tough road. 

Between these two extremes, I’ve coached hundreds of executives of all abilities to become more effective presenters. So, whether you’re putting together slide decks, assembling talking points or writing full-on scripts, here’s what I’ve learned about bringing out the best in your leaders when they hit the stage.

Capture their voice.

The most important rule to remember is that it’s their speech or presentation, not yours. That means you not only need to capture their thoughts and ideas, but also how they express them — their style, tone and personality. 

Spend as much time with them as you can and watch video of them in action — especially when they’re speaking off the cuff, as in a Q&A session.

What’s their natural style? Formal or informal? Do they communicate like a coach, commander or professor? What are their go-to references — sports, movies, literature?

The goal is to get inside their heads, so the speech fits them like a custom-tailored suit.

Enlist an ally.

Don’t go it alone. Enlist a champion from the operational side of the organization to provide support and act as an intermediary.

They should have a strong relationship with the executive, an understanding of the value of communication, and the clout to get you the information and approvals you need by busting through organizational roadblocks. Also, make sure that they’re part of any meetings with the executive and have them review drafts in progress.

Make a plan.

At your first meeting, map it out. Who’s the audience? What are their wants, needs and possible objections? What do you want them to know, feel and do? 

Get buy-in on these priorities from the executive team and put them at the top of every draft. That way you can better fend off what I call the “Christmas Tree” effect, in which countless factions across the organization try to overload the speech with plugs for their pet projects.

Practice.

Too often, busy executives don’t turn their attention to their speeches until the 11^th hour. So, it’s important to hold regular meetings to review drafts in progress.

Do a couple of “table reads” where the exec goes through the presentation out loud. That’s the only way to ensure they’re comfortable with and fully committed to the content. Time it out to make sure it doesn’t run long. 

Deliver feedback.

Whenever possible, get video of the presentation, even if you’re just recording it on your phone. Go through it later with the executive and your champion. 

What worked? What didn’t? Was the pacing too fast, too slow? What about the energy level? Were they connected to the content and with the audience? 

Share audience feedback as well. Distribute evaluations asking, “Was the content clear?” “Was it presented effectively?” “What were the key takeaways?”

Obviously this process is a lot of work. But that’s nothing compared to the cost of being under-prepared — both in terms of audience understanding and the executive’s reputation.