In between, she serves on several boards and makes speeches on investing. In a busy week Hobson can be in front of an audience 15 times. Here are some of her top tips for a memorable presentation.
Give a road map
My business partner (founder John Rogers) is on the board of McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), and every time executives there present, they start with a headline. The idea is that you've summarized for the audience what you're going to tell them. It's like a newspaper story. The lead paragraph tells you everything you need to know and then the supporting documentation is underneath in increasing detail.
Personalize it
I'm amazed by people who don't inject themselves into their presentation. It's so bland. You want the uniqueness of who you are to come through.
When I'm making a new presentation about Ariel, I start by talking about how [Rogers's] father gave him stocks instead of toys every birthday and Christmas starting at age 12. I say Ariel is a childhood hobby that became an obsession that became a company.
But when I'm giving a speech to people who are interested in learning about the market, I say that I didn't grow up in a home where the stock market was discussed. In my house we didn't have a lot of money. I let them know this so they can feel safe.
Keep it narrow
Focus your talk on no more than three ideas and ideally on one theme. A lot of people feel like they have to put everything they know in a speech to show that they're smart or that they've done a lot of work. Count on the Q&A to allow you to dazzle with other knowledge. Also, reading from slides is the kiss of death; send the materials first.
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