Improve Your Presentations and Tell Better Stories as A Product Manager
You can categorise presenters or storytellers into two groups — one has a large impact on the audience, and one often doesn’t.
I first noticed this when observing All-hands company updates. One example from my past included different departments updating on what they’ve been doing, or the CEO updating on business performance.
I realised that these are just updates. It’s just relaying information, and it’s often boring, and people switch off.
I’ve seen other companies handle these activities differently, and it taught me a lesson about how to tell better stories.
It was all about the future the company was trying to create and why it was important. The purpose wasn’t to share information, it was to change my way of thinking and approach. Hundreds of eyes would be glued to the person delivering the message and nobody missed a word.
Once I internalised this, I started to notice it everywhere.
Some presenters relay information. They see their goal to talk through something, to get content of their heads into the room for the audience to do with it what they please.
Great presenters change behaviour. This is their primary goal — they stir action in the people listening, give them a different perspective and change how they see the world.
Relaying information starts with information and simply passes it on, hoping the audience understands what you’re really trying to do. It misses the point that the information is being shared to achieve something, usually to make the audience think, or feel differently — to change their behaviour.
Changing behaviour starts with the audience, “What do I want them to think and feel when leaving the room?” It crafts the whole message around that goal.
Relaying information requires bravado in the delivery to be engaging. It requires the ability to turn information into an exciting message through words and content.
Changing behaviour doesn’t need any bravado, because your worldview is being altered as you listen, you want to listen. Bravado is distracting.
Why is this important to product managers?
It’s because for product managers, driving behaviour change is the job.
You need engineers, designers and internal stakeholders to change their behaviour in order to align with your strategy, then ultimately change the behaviour of your users.
It requires that you build confidence in your approach.
“How do I make these specific people have full confidence in my plans” is very different from,“I’m going to share my plans and hope for the best”.
Think about yourself and the companies you’ve worked at, compare the difference from when you’ve truly bought into strategy as opposed to being indifferent, or even disagreeing and just going along for the ride. It’s likely you produced far better work when you were truly bought in.
This is a skill worth dedicating time to improving.
Some practical tips
Before your next presentation starts, know what you want the people in the room to think and feel when they leave the room before you plan what to say.
Think about the barriers to that goal. What anxiety will it create? What unanswered questions does it spawn? And how does this message impact the specific people in the room? Address those along the way.
Create intrigue, say something at the start that hooks your audience and lets them know that something novel or truly worthwhile is coming and they should listen intently.
Think about the important context for your message to truly land. What previous information and knowledge does everyone need for this to make the impact you want?
Make your information come alive by utilizing tools like Miro and other whiteboarding platforms to illustrate your message vividly. Whether mapping out a hierarchy of content blocks, illustrating a series of events, or connecting data points, presenting your information visually can make it easier and more enjoyable for your audience to absorb. This not only enhances your narrative but also leaves a lasting impression on your listeners, helping to engrain your message in their memory.
Invite questions along the way never at the end. People understand and think differently from you, so let them ask clarifying questions, it makes it two-way and a conversation, as opposed to a one-way speech. There’s nothing worse than somebody losing the audience 10 minutes in when it could have been easily avoided through a quick question.
Use personal anecdotes, admit mistakes, and remember that they are listening to a person, not just “content”.
Don’t be afraid to talk slowly, or pause.
Being good at telling stories and giving presentations is key for any product manager. This skill is about more than just passing on information. It’s about creating an experience that unites your team, sparks excitement among stakeholders, and ultimately creates better experiences for users.
It’s not just about sharing plans; it’s about building trust, stirring action and changing behaviour. Your job is to craft a story that not only connects with your audience but also motivates them to give their best. When people are truly invested, they work better and aim higher.
So, remember, your role as a product manager is also to be a source of inspiration and direction. Developing your presentation skills is a surefire way to foster a team that’s not only on the same page but also eager to turn plans into reality.
It’s a simple yet powerful tool for bringing everyone together to work towards common goals.
“Simon Sinek says that leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting, and most importantly, a way of communicating. It means communicating to those people that you care, that you have what it takes to solve their problem. Leaders inspire others around them and make them believe what they believe, as Dr. Martin Luther King did with his vision of “I have a Dream.” In this seminar, Simon Sinek explains what makes a good leader and how you can master the skills of leadership.”
Taken from “How to Master the Art of Leadership” by Simon Sinek:
