Julianne Ponan knows how to win over a room. Since she founded allergen-free brand Creative Nature, the entrepreneur has won over supermarket buyers, big retail bosses and a string of investors (she even rejected an offer from ‘Dragon’ Deborah Meaden back in 2017). But even she still finds it tough sometimes. We find out how to own any room (or Zoom) you walk into.

“Even now, I'll walk into a room with colleagues and immediately people will fail to look at me as the founder,” says Julianne Ponan. “I've been brushed past by investors, who've introduced themselves to another person on the team. I was recommended by consultants to take a male counterpart to any investor meetings as I wouldn’t be taken seriously. And I’ve even been called ‘little girl’ publicly on a crowdfunding campaign.”

The reality is that women in business can face a unique set of preconceptions when they walk into a meeting room. They’re sometimes talked down to, or talked over. Even when, like Ponan, they’re the owner of a multimillion pound business. And the shift to Zoom or Google Teams during the pandemic has made things even harder in some cases. One piece of research in 2020 showed that one in five female business leaders said they’d felt overlooked or ignored during a virtual meeting.

Here are five steps to take to ensure you don’t ever have to feel that way again.

Remember that their preconceptions are not your problem.

“When I began my journey as an entrepreneur, I was completely unprepared for the reaction to a woman owning her own company, especially working in the extremely male dominated world of technology,” says Tina Wilson, founder of dating app Wingman. Since starting the company Wilson says she’s been called “emotional and demanding in the same sentence,” and even asked “if it was ‘my time of the month’ when she’s pushed back on something.  

“But after many of these experiences I’ve learned that it isn’t about me, or any female entrepreneur, it is actually a result of their ignorance, ego and lack of confidence.  I’ve pushed myself to rise above their lack of education and thank them for showing their true colours early on, so that I can move away from their inadequacies.”

Remember, she says, “their ignorance is not a product of your intelligence.

Give yourself a mini pep talk

If you feel nervous before a big meeting Ponan recommends standing in front of a mirror and trying out a few positive affirmations. “It really does help,” she says, to combat any negativity niggling in the back of your mind. Draw strength from the examples of other successful businesswomen too. “Look to other women out there, and what they're achieving. Look at the founder of Bumble who just IPO’d with a baby in her hands. That shows how incredible she is, and for me looking to women like that really makes a difference.”

Don’t try to fit in – consciously stand out

You don’t need to adopt a ‘masculine’ style of leadership to assert yourself in a meeting – even where you’re operating in a male dominated space. At one event, Laura Lambert, founder of ethical jeweller Fenton, says she took the conscious decision to not shy away from the thing that made her different to others in the room.

“I was fairly conscious that there were far fewer women presenting that day and a number of presenters came from deep tech backgrounds which can be seen as more ‘serious,’” she says. “I wore a dress and slight heel that day even though my usual go to is jeans and trainers because I made the conscious choice to own my femininity in front of that audience, rather than try to hide from it.”

Demand their attention - and their respect

Don’t be afraid to demand that others in a meeting are respectful and listening to what you have to say. That can be even more important during an online meeting where it’s so easy for people to pick up their phone and scroll through social media when they should be paying attention to your presentation.

“You’re allowed to call people out on that,” says Ponan. “In order to capture any audience it’s really important that they listen to you from the beginning. I’ve asked everyone to put their phones down during a presentation before.”

And where there’s a really obnoxious remark, she recommends taking a moment to compose yourself, even leaving the room for a few minutes. “It's important you compose yourself first, and once you've done that you have a much better ability to assert yourself.”

Practice your presentation skills from every angle

Developing the skills it takes to ‘own’ a room takes time, experience and lots of practice. But even if you’re relatively new to this, you can help make sure you look the part (even when you don’t feel it) by ensuring you’re 100% prepared for anything a meeting might throw at you.

That includes knowing what you want to say, back to front. “Make sure you are well researched and versed in anything you talk about,” says Wilson. “Do not expect the ‘right answers’ to just come to you.  Know your competitors, know your industry, know your numbers.”

But it also means having a clear idea of how you want to say it. “If you were to envisage the best version of yourself, how does that look?” says Wilson. “Is there anyone in your life whose demeanour and confidence you admire?  Be aware of that and try to channel it.”  You could even try it out first on family and friends, filming a mock meeting so you can watch it back and learn how to improve. “Have them ask you questions and force yourself to watch it back, to get used to hearing your voice and listening to your message,” she recommends.

“That was one of the hardest things that I had to master, and quite honestly I felt like a total loser, but what pushed me through the uncomfortable self-doubting moments wasn’t about me.  It was about sharing my company vision with others and doing justice to the project.”

Carol Kinsey Gorman, body language expert and author of ‘Stand Out’ on how to use the subtle art of body language

• Right before the meeting or interview begins, take five deep breaths. This silent breathing technique is a secret weapon of all on-camera presenters to help them get centered and focused. 

• If you’re online, get framed. Pull back slightly so you aren’t just a talking head. The more of your body we can see, the more trustworthy and confident you look. 

• It takes less than seven seconds for you to make a first impression. While a face-to-face meeting gave you added opportunities (entering the meeting room, shaking hands with people, etc.), on a computer screen, it’s only your visual image that sets that initiaimpression. So start with a smile. It’s warm, friendly, and engaging.

• Sit or stand with good posture. On Zoom, be sure to face the screen with shoulders squared, head straight, and feet flat on the ground (hip-width apart if standing).

• Make eye contact. This sends a nonverbal message of confidence and connection. In a virtual meeting put a post-it note with a smiley face next to the camera dot on your computer to remind you to keep your eyes here.