13 - How to Present Like You Belong in the Room

You can build the perfect EBR deck - beautiful slides, compelling data, clear outcomes - but if you don't know how to facilitate the conversation, you'll fail to create the strategic impact you're looking for.

In this episode, Mark Bernardin breaks down the critical shift from presenting at executives to facilitating strategic conversations with them. Drawing from hundreds of EBRs with Fortune 500 customers including Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Ernst & Young, Mark shares the systematic approach that allows Customer Success Managers to lead high-stakes meetings with confidence.

You'll learn:

• The fundamental difference between presenting and facilitating - and why most CSMs get this wrong
• The 5 Executive Questions framework that every effective EBR must answer
• How to open with a Strategic Alignment Check that proves you've been listening
• Why strategic pauses are more powerful than rushing through your content
• How to translate metrics into language that resonates with CFOs, CIOs, and CISOs
• The right way to surface problems proactively without looking defensive
• How to read the room and pivot in real-time when energy shifts
• The closing script that creates mutual accountability and locks in next steps
• Why the best facilitators aren't naturally charismatic - they're systematically prepared

This episode includes real examples from Mark's work at Swimlane, Deepwatch, and Palo Alto Networks, showing exactly how to handle challenging situations like executive turnover, security incidents, and roadmap delays while maintaining trust and driving expansion.

Whether you're preparing for your first EBR or looking to elevate your executive presence, this episode provides the frameworks, scripts, and preparation checklist you need to facilitate like you belong in the room.

All frameworks referenced in this episode are detailed in The Executive Business Review Playbook: The CSM's Guide to Owning the Room, available on Amazon.