5 Ways to Nail Presenting Your Company
Deb Noller, CEO of Switch Automation, talks about how she learned to pitch herself and her company like a pro.
Once upon a time, I spent three days immersed in the Springboard Enterprise Australia induction program. It was perhaps one of the most eye-opening experiences of my personal and professional life, and I will never forget the feedback I received at the boot camp. In short, the mentors critiqued my Aussie-taught, sarcastic, self-deprecation delivery. They were right, I did not know how to present myself or my company in a public forum. Learning to best deliver myself and my company is still a lesson I’m working on and a lesson that I would love to pass along to those who want to make a meaningful impact, regardless of topic or audience:
Tell the whole story.
Even though big audiences of smart, important people can often be intimidating, at the end of the day we are all just people. People love stories. They help us make sense of the world; and the problems and the solutions that we develop to tackle those problems. Learning to give context and the human angle to real estate technology, in my case, was huge. People don’t care about fancy features, they care about how you will help make their lives better. That requires a nuanced story, rather than just a bullited list of capabilities.
Brag authentically and comfortably.
The generation and culture that I call home taught me to avoid ‘I / me / my’ language. It taught me to give credit to everyone else and downplay my own credentials and successes. Springboard advisors snapped me from that habit, in lieu of talking confidently about my first person, professional journey. I learned to speak confidently about my computer science background, the four companies I built before Switch Automation and the business relationships I’ve cultivated over the years. For me, it’s always been important to be true to myself. So, soak up the ‘best practices’ you learn from mentors, but find a way to make each of them authentically work for you.
Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.
In the buildings industry, we’re looking to solve a massive problem. The way that buildings are operated and managed hasn’t changed too much in the last 30 years. And that means there are huge challenges to tackle, with equally huge opportunities. I’ve found that people really appreciate when we’re not afraid to acknowledge the hard stuff. Being honest about reality and how we can improve as an industry helps rally us all and shake up the innovation.
Think globally.
If you have a great idea that solves a major pain point, you need to think globally. The successful women in my network are successful because they created a solution to a problem and put GLOBAL ambition behind it. Don’t limit yourself to your neighborhood because you are ‘just one woman.’
Just practice.
This one needs no explanation. Though I will admit that these lessons are a cinch to serve up in a blog post and much harder to actualize in real life. And while speaking to large crowds is still not my favorite, as the CEO of a company, I need to do this for my team. And I need to be good at it. So I rarely turn down an opportunity to practice. It actually never ‘makes perfect’ as the adage suggests, but I’d be willing to bet that the Springboard Enterprise mentors who savaged me on that day years ago would be proud of the progress I’ve made.
Deb Noller is the dynamic CEO and co-founder of Switch Automation, a smart building software company specializing in building intelligence and performance optimization. With more than 20 years of experience in real estate, technology, business and sustainability, she is passionate about helping enterprises leverage next-generation facilities management technology to execute more efficient business operations. Deb was one of eight women in the first intake of the Springboard Enterprises Australia Accelerator program in 2013. She is also an active member of the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN), a Realcomm Advisor and was recognized as one of the Dell Founders 50 and by Rare Birds as one of the Top 50 Female Entrepreneurs in Australia.
