During a 2-day virtual training session for The Case Maker™, one of our participants from the Oil & Gas sector faced an unexpected challenge. On Day 1, just before the lunch break, he informed the class that a colleague had taken emergency leave due to health reasons. With little notice, he was asked to step in and present on behalf of his teammate — and the client was none other than Aramco.
By that point in the training, the group had been introduced to Audience Analysis and the Frame model. Drawing on these concepts, the participant scrambled to prepare for the session.
On Day 2, he surprised the class by saying, “I have something to share.” He recounted how, as he began his presentation, he quickly realised that his audience wasn’t who he had anticipated. Instead of a tech-savvy group, he was facing individuals with vastly different backgrounds — and it showed. The usual head nods and engagement cues were noticeably absent.
Relying on the Frame model, he made a real-time pivot — adjusting his message, reframing his content, and recalibrating his approach based on educated guesses about the audience’s brain preferences, knowledge level, and core values — all tools he had just learned the previous day. As he adapted, he noticed a shift. The audience became more engaged. The head nods returned. The feedback improved. It was a powerful moment — a live application of Audience Analysis and Frame under pressure.
Months later, he shared the story with one of our colleagues, still proud of how he had transformed a challenging moment into a success using the very tools he had just learned.
How frequently do your managers and technical experts have to make a real-time pivot during a presentation? Let’s talk about how The Case Maker™ can help them do just that.
Dr Kavitha Murulitharan
Practice Head – Business Presentations