Board presentations can be a source of anxiety for admissions and marketing professionals. We are currently at a time of the year when we find ourselves in the boardroom presenting how enrollment goals were achieved or missed. Regardless of which you are presenting, the board wants to know that there is a sustainable future for the institution, given enrollment is the largest revenue generator. Board agendas are often packed, so professionals typically have about fifteen minutes to present the institution's sustainability. No wonder these presentations can be anxiety-provoking! To help reduce some of that anxiety, here are some tips to guide you through the practical and psychological preparation.
- Let go
First, let go of the idea that you can truly help them understand everything you and your team did and will do to make goals. Think highlights, not summaries.
- Choose content based on how you want the board to feel
As you review the steps below and consider the content for your presentation, look through the lens of what you can speak about confidently. In the 1970s, Professor Albert Mehrabian of the University of California in Los Angeles found that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, and 7% words only. Research continues to demonstrate that communication is nonverbal and vocal, and less about content. With this in mind, think about how you want the board to feel about your work and choose content that you will feel that way as you present.
If you want them to feel confident that the enrollment approach will lead to healthy and sustainable enrollment, you must be confident. It will be harder for them to understand and see your confidence if you get too technical or communicate too much. Therefore, skip more impressive initiatives if they are complex to explain and don’t attempt to cover everything. Talk about what you know and what you think they’ll find interesting. Be yourself when you present. Don't try to be formal if you aren’t a formal person. This authenticity will make you more comfortable and help them to trust you more. Steps 3 and 4 below guide how to choose the content; as you do so, don’t forget about this lens of what you can present confidently.
- Tell them about the framework
You can’t describe your entire strategic enrollment plan or all of your initiatives in fifteen minutes. However, you can explain that there is a thoughtful, intentional, and data-driven approach to identifying and executing initiatives. Knowing that a framework exists and that you are using current results to tweak and optimize the system will build their confidence, and they know you can’t describe the entire operation in the time you have with them. Describe the process you use to identify, prioritize, and assess strategic initiatives.
- Highlight the results, strengths, and opportunities
Now that you’ve described the approach, highlight three or four initiatives to give them a window into what went well. Be authentic and balanced in your presentation. Whether you missed or made the overall goal, there is probably a mix of successes and lessons in the quantitative and qualitative enrollment outcomes. Share examples that include what went well and what you learned. Highlight examples of initiatives you’ll drop, add, keep, and improve and the related data that led your team to those decisions. In your delivery, focus on a general description of each of the selected highlights and then the associated results. Knowing that you are using data to strengthen the approach and optimize future opportunities will give them confidence. Remind them that the approach is data-driven and adaptable, and you will watch data closely to plan while remaining agile to landscape changes.
- Share other factors at play
Share relevant market demand, historical data, and trends (institutionally, regionally, and nationally). Most people in the room are interested in the larger picture and will appreciate knowing that you see the big picture and know the industry and community. Share how this information has informed your next steps.
- Bounce your presentation off several others
Talk to people internally and externally about your presentation ideas. Like when you were applying to college and had at least five people review your college essay, do the same with these other important moments. Annual enrollment outcomes are typically a significant indicator of institutional health, and the board of trustees are charged with monitoring the institution's health. Choose a mix of people who are both fairly close to the work you and the institution do and people who don’t know much about it (while assuring necessary confidentiality is maintained). You’ll want to practice your presentation several times so might as well practice in front of trusted others who can also give feedback!
In summary, here are some quick tips to get you started planning a low-anxiety board presentation prep:
- ● Introduction to your plan for the time with them.
- ● Describe your approach for identifying, prioritizing, and assessing initiatives.
- ● Share three to four highlighted initiatives and their associated result.
- ● Share relevant market and industry trends.
- ● Invite feedback for your presentation plan from several stakeholders.