Background: Presenting an idea to a senior leader
Jon had identified an opportunity to increase revenue within the business and needed to present the idea to a senior leader.
It was a high-stakes moment. He wanted to demonstrate his capability and potential - but wasn’t used to presenting at that level.
He prepared a six-slide deck, packed with detail. Despite the effort, he wasn’t confident it would land in the right way.
It was a high-stakes moment. He wanted to demonstrate his capability and potential - but wasn’t used to presenting at that level.
He prepared a six-slide deck, packed with detail. Despite the effort, he wasn’t confident it would land in the right way.
“Rob quickly understood what I was trying to do and helped me turn it into something much stronger in a short space of time.”
– Jon Graham
Process: Strip back and refocus
When we reviewed Jon's approach, it became clear this didn’t need to be a presentation - it needed to be a conversation.
We worked with Jon to strip the slides back to the essential points and refocus the message around key ideas rather than full explanations. The goal was to help him engage the stakeholder at the right level, not overload them.
We also shifted his approach from delivering a pitch to opening a two-way discussion - giving space to explore the stakeholder’s thinking and build the idea collaboratively.
We worked with Jon to strip the slides back to the essential points and refocus the message around key ideas rather than full explanations. The goal was to help him engage the stakeholder at the right level, not overload them.
We also shifted his approach from delivering a pitch to opening a two-way discussion - giving space to explore the stakeholder’s thinking and build the idea collaboratively.
"He really changed how I thought about the presentation - helping me see it from the audience’s perspective rather than just my own."
– Jon Graham
– Jon Graham
Takeaways: The meeting went better than expected
Jon was able to engage confidently at the right level, and the conversation quickly developed beyond the initial idea - creating immediate momentum within the business.
Jon was invited to present more widely, including to clients, began working more closely with global sales leaders, and gained broader exposure across the business.
The shift from presentation to conversation helped Jon communicate more effectively and turn a single meeting into ongoing opportunity.
"I don’t think it could have possibly gone better - it was absolutely invaluable. I’d recommend working with Presenting Virtually to anyone."
– Jon Graham