Page 75 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

66 CREATING THE PERFECT PRESENTATION

◆ “I see the Big Three growing again as early as this time next
year . . .”
◆ “And I see new opportunities in Asia that weren’t there just
two years ago . . .”
◆ “Put it all together, and the next eighteen months could prove
to be one of the most rapid periods of growth we have known
since this industry began forty years ago . . .”

Note: A good line to use for wrapping up any pitch ending with a pro-
jection is, “So where do we go from here?”

7. Tell an allegorical story that embraces your theme. This can be
difficult, and if not done correctly it may hinder more than help—

because a story, if told self-consciously or without conviction, can
sound precious and manipulative, even phony. So like humor, use of
allegory can be high risk. But if executed skillfully in the right hands
at the right time, there is no better way to end.
First of all, if you use a story you must pick one that hits the mark
exactly, doesn’t take too long to tell, and makes a clear business state-
ment. The story you choose should also be timeless and serve as a
kind of fable. For example, if you are making the point that your
company must build a first-rate marketing team to compete in the

global economy of the future, you could end this way:
When I think about the job ahead of us, I think of the lone trav-
eler in the Middle Ages who came to a place where three people
were working by the side of the road.

The traveler asked the first worker what he was doing, and
the first worker said he was shaping rock.

The traveler asked the second worker what he was doing, and
the second worker answered that he was building a wall.
Then the traveler asked the third man, and the third man
explained that he was building a cathedral. [pause]
Well, in a similar sense, while we’re not exactly building
cathedrals, I think it’s fair to say that we’re trying to take the