PASSION KEY INGREDIENT IN CORPORATE MESSAGE

On a flight from New York I found myself sitting next to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a manufacturing company. We chatted about the coming elections, power of the media and so on. He made reference to a media problem his company was facing. Naturally interested in corporate communications, I said: "Bill, exactly what does Environmental Dynamics do?"

His reply, which lasted about 15 minutes, was relaxed, illuminating, articulate, anecdotal, sometimes humorous and enthusiastic to the point of passion. I sat there absorbed in what he was saying and learned the history supporting his vision for the company, its strengths and weaknesses, and its expansion plans.

Later, he told me how tough he found making presentations. I was surprised he considered himself a dull speaker and dreaded talking to any group, to his staff, at customer conventions, at public meetings and to his shareholders.

His Public Relations department had recently put together a corporate slide presentation which covered the company's statistics but it hadn't helped him. Now, what I want you to consider is this: Why should there be such a massive gap between the interesting, stimulating view of both the company and the CEO himself that I was exposed to, and the uptight and not entirely credible performance given to Bill's unfortunate audiences. What golden opportunities are being missed to establish or develop the company's image and credibility.

This example highlights the single and most powerful weapon missing from most organisations' marketing arsenals - an exciting well-delivered corporate presentation. Many companies do not have one, or if they do, it is a dull, fact-filled delivery. This is often made by an executive who might be a boardroom genius but who should never speak in public on the company's behalf.

Unfortunately, when we stand up to speak today we are all being compared to the best speakers we see on TV, consciously or subconsciously. It's unavoidable. Over the years I have analysed the critical elements that work to put power into the corporate presentation and had the good fortune to work with companies who experienced great success with a similar formula. Here are its critical ingredients.

It begins with the CEO and the board. It is their vision and mission which must be projected. And I want to hear their story directly from them and not through an intermediary. Your story can then be developed and matched to your different audiences. It can also be adapted to the personalities of the different key presenters.

The facts and figures are then gathered and arranged to support your story. To add to the necessary emotive interest, personal experiences and anecdotes are used to enhance key points.

 Only then can we create supportive visuals and hand out materials which have to be graphically exciting, have relatively few words and be designed to complement the presenters' story.

Next come the key presenters. To ensure a top delivery, we review the final product. Anything from a brief run-through to rehearsal sessions with video-playback and analysis. This will complete that essential bond between the speakers and their support materials.

You will not need a script, and must never use one for a corporate presentation. If you can't speak freely and confidently about your own company, your credibility is blown already. This is why we begin with the key executives' own stories, in their own words. Without fail, they now discover they can give the corporate presentation with great interest and flexibility. They suddenly become a pleasure to listen to.

Now, you can take this core presentation throughout the company. Using it selectively and adding necessary modules for different company divisions and levels. You should use this same story for press releases. And most importantly, the entire staff should hear it.

The core presentation is a dynamic mechanism. It should be regularly updated to reflect commercial, political and social changes. A single executive must be assigned to manage this process to insure that the presentation is always a vital reflection of the company as it is today.

Now the corporate presentation is " choreographed" for maximum impact by the key players throughout your organisation. All your audiences now hear the same basic story from all your staff. Not by rote, but with the individuality of each presenter, whether it be at a formal meeting or a social occasion. It's impossible not to benefit from the power of these positive communications. And the corporate presentation is the nucleus of it.

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