The Meetings That Matter: How to Show Up and Make an Impact When the Stakes Are High

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting with an owner or investor, you’ll know the moment when the room shifts. The questions get sharper. The atmosphere tightens. Every word counts.

As one senior hotel executive told me recently, “I’d spent weeks on the deck. Perfect numbers, perfect visuals ... but halfway through the owner just stopped me and said, ‘I still don’t get what you want from me.’ It was a brutal reminder that clarity beats detail every time.”

Emily Sexton making her point

Hotels are full of high-stakes conversations ─ presenting quarterly performance, pitching for investment, aligning stakeholders on a new brand direction, or preparing for an ownership review. These aren’t just routine updates. They’re moments that define credibility, trust, and your professional reputation.

And yet, so many presentations in our industry start the same way: by opening PowerPoint.

A decade inside a global hotel company taught me how the most effective communicators prepare for these moments. They think deeply about the message, the audience, and the impact they want to make. They start with the story. 

Whether you’re speaking to an owner, a corporate board, or your leadership team, these meetings are your opportunity to stand out for your clarity and presence, and to turn information into influence.

Here are a few practical ways to prepare when the stakes are high:

1. Plan your argument to get focus

Before you touch a slide, clarify your argument. What’s the logic that takes your audience from where they are now to where you want them to be? A clear throughline keeps you (and your listeners) on track. If you can explain it confidently without visuals, then you’re ready for slides.

2. Be assertive in your conclusion

Every great presentation has intent. Be clear about what you want people to think, feel, or do as a result. End with a decisive message or recommendation — not a vague “next steps” slide. In a high-stakes room, confidence in your conclusion signals credibility.

3. Build muscle memory

Even seasoned leaders underestimate the power of rehearsal. Run it out loud. More than once. Get to the end. Notice where you hesitate, speed up, or lose energy. The goal isn’t to memorise, but to create muscle memory — so that when the pressure’s on, your body already knows what to do.

4. Check-in 

Presenting isn’t about performing; it’s about engaging. Watch how your audience responds. Check in as you go — “Does that align with your view?” or “Would you like more detail here?” Every cue gives you data to adjust your delivery in real time.

High-stakes presentations are rarely just about information. They’re about influence. And in hospitality, where every decision ultimately connects to guest experience and owner confidence, those moments are where leadership is seen most clearly.

Emily Sexton is a UK-based Executive Coach and Presentation Specialist. In her role for Bulmer Group International, she helps hospitality leaders develop clarity, confidence, and impact in their communication.

Bulmer Group International is a world-leading coaching company specialising in presentation skills, effective communication, and self-belief. Their flagship Presenting to Win™ programme has helped hundreds of organisations and thousands of people perfect their presentation skills using proven techniques developed over three decades.