Hey Reader,

Happy Tuesday, friends.

Early on in my career, I had a meeting with a CFO that was a learning experience for me.

It was a regular meeting, walking him through our billing for the month, making sure the invoices were okay and such. (Very exciting agenda.) I was a senior manager at the time, and I'll admit, I got a bit nervous around this client. He was known for being direct, especially if he didn’t like what he was hearing, so I thought that if I just stayed calm and stuck to the script, things would be fine.

About halfway through, he interrupted and asked a question about something we were doing on the project - something he wasn’t happy about. I heard him out, said we'd look into it, and went straight back into the billing.

He got quieter. Then visibly frustrated. Everyone in the room could feel it, but I kept going. I thought to myself, "Just stick to the script."

Eventually, we adjourned the meeting, and a partner I trusted pulled me aside and asked, "Did you realize what was going on? Why didn't you stop things sooner?"

I told him honestly that I could tell things weren't headed the way I hoped, and once I did realize what was going on, I didn't know how to step away from what I'd prepared and respond to what was actually in front of me.

So I just kept going.

Most of us have been in a version of that situation. Maybe not a billing meeting, but a presentation where you could feel the room starting to drift and you kept going anyway. Where someone asked a question that signaled they needed something different, and instead of following that thread, you found your place in the notes and carried on.

I think a lot of that comes from something we learned a long time ago. Cast your mind back to school, standing up in front of the class, notecards in hand, trying to get every word exactly right. The goal wasn't to connect with anyone. It was to get through it without forgetting something. Most of us grew up believing that's what a good presentation looks like, and honestly, I think for many of us that instinct never fully went away. We just got better at hiding it.

So we go into rooms with a version of the presentation already playing in our heads, and we hold onto that version because it feels like the only guarantee we have. If we just stick to what we prepared, at least we can't get it wrong.

What actually happens is that the script becomes a way of managing anxiety rather than engaging with our team. Part of our focus is always on what comes next rather than what's happening in the room. We hide behind that promise of perfection because deviating feels…well, scary.

The problem is, the people in the room with you didn't rehearse. They came in with whatever energy they've had that day. Someone might be distracted by what’s going on at home. Someone else is new and full of questions, eager to understand every detail. Someone has been in back-to-back meetings since 9 am and is just trying to get through the afternoon. They're all in the same room, and they're all somewhere completely different.

There isn't a script in the world that can account for all of that.

So when the energy drops or an unexpected question comes up, we face the same choice I faced in that meeting: put down what we prepared and respond to the moment, or keep going so we keep feeling safe.

A speaker who’s paying attention feels different from one who is focused on getting to the next slide. And that difference is what determines if we genuinely connect with everyone. We all want our presentations to be productive and engaging, but the fact of the matter is, that's not always going to be the case. And we have to adapt to the situation in front of us, and connect with others as best we can from there.

That can only happen if we let go of the safety net of the script, and really pay attention to what's actually in the room.

Now look, that doesn't mean we do a complete 180 and go into a presentation with nothing prepared. Instead, we can rethink how we start preparing in the first place. Instead of going back to our childhood selves, reading off notecards and trying to be perfect, we can approach it differently now.

So before your next presentation, it's worth asking yourself one question first:

Am I preparing to get through this, or am I preparing to actually be with the people in the room?

Those are two very different goals. One puts the focus on the material. The other puts it on the people sitting in front of you. And when people feel that you're genuinely present with them, adapting to where they are rather than just delivering what you planned, that's when we can actually lead presentations that resonate with everyone.

Is there a presentation that sticks with you even now? Hit reply and tell me about it, I’d love to hear.