Small Details, Big Consequences

It is the end of a big final presentation. You feel that you and your team have done quite well. In departing a crowded room, you shake many hands and make eye contact with many key people. But somehow, in the press of people at the door, you neglect to say good-bye...

How to Handle a Stoneface

Many years ago, I gave an important client presentation that went all wrong. Not because I was ill-prepared. Or lacking in confidence. It all went south in large part because of where I was positioned in the room—right across the conference table from a Stoneface. You...

On the Merits of Throwing Away the Script

A preliminary presentation to the board of a prestigious foundation does not go as well as planned because the principals of the investment firm insist on sticking to the script. The board members frequently interrupt the scripted presentation with questions. The...

A Risk Well Worth Taking

Examples of the investment process in action can be risky in a new business presentation. Everyone knows of a situation where a key decision-maker reacts negatively to an example, causing a smooth-running presentation to sputter and run out of gas. Examples also carry...