“Ask me anything you want to ask me, and I’ll tell you what I want you to hear!”   Dolly Parton

Dolly said it best, and did it best.

While it sounds like a witty quip, it’s a masterclass in strategic communication.

To get heard above the noise and command the room, incorporate these three strategies during your next presentation or Q&A opportunity ➡

• 🎤  The Pivot: If a sensitive question catches you off guard, acknowledge the question briefly and pivot back to your core objectives. Know your boundaries and what message(s) you want to present.

Did we ever know anything about Dolly’s personal life or her family?

• 🎤  The Strategic Smile: Deliver heavy messages with grace. A strategic smile requires a warm facial expression, not an all-out wide grin. Your warmth will defuse room tension and you’ll maintain control over the narrative.

Dolly exuded this strategic smile at all times, no matter what.

• 🎤  The Headline First: Lead with your primary message. In short, punchy sentences, give the audience your most critical information immediately before diving into supporting data. If you don’t define the takeaway, your audience will invent their own. They will fill in the space.

Ok, you’re not Dolly. But you are the author of your organization’s story.

The next time you face a tough town hall or a high-pressure board meeting, channel your inner Dolly.

• Command the room.
• Know what you can and cannot say.
• Anticipate difficult questions.
• Stay authentic.

Thank you to Ann Zimmerman Gallant, former Wall Street Journal journalist, for this blog idea.