Selling Ideas to Your Executive Team

Marketing

Selling Ideas to Your Executive Team
by Rob Sherman



You’ve taken weeks to prepare the 40-page document for the executive level meeting with your department heads.  You feel confident that your material will persuade the companies’ decision-makers that $5,000,000 should be allocated to your new project.  You worked hard.  The packet is ready for distribution to the meeting attendees.

Now it’s time for you to develop your presentation.

You diligently write out your presentation, distilling 40 pages to five core central points.  You rehearse your presentation and discover that it fits neatly into the 45-minute time slot.  You place the central points and supporting bullets into a slide presentation, using a nicely designed background template and now you’re ready for the meeting.  You’re confident that your project will receive the financial support it deserves.

It’s time for the presentation. 

After about 20 minutes into your presentation, you notice that the leadership team is only half listening.  Eyes seem tired.  Glazed over.  There is no energy in the room. Something is going wrong, but you keep plunging forward.  A few questions are asked that seem to break up the monotony of your voice.   Finally, the presentation ends.  You can sense that you failed to convince the executives that your project was worthy of support. 

What went wrong?

If you’ve ever been in this position, congratulation, you’re not alone.  Congratulations is due because you are at least aware that something is wrong with your presentation style.  So many executives muddle through their presentation, never understanding that they can drastically improve if they would simply “listen” carefully to what the environment is telling them.  In this case, the environment is shouting – “boring” – “lifeless” – “unpersuasive.”

So how do you increase your comfort level when making a meeting presentation?  How do you better connect with your listeners so that they might act favorably on your proposal?  How do you make presentations with power and confidence that inspire others to action?  Glad you asked.

Presenting to groups is an acquired skill

Begin with the understanding that it take times to acquire the skills necessary to speak persuasively to any group.  Many executives don’t consider the “presentations” in their day-to-day meetings with the same critical eye to preparation that they would give to a formal speech or luncheon presentation to a large group.

The truth is that the day-to-day presentations can make or break a successful career. Interestingly, little or no training on communications skills is ever considered by executives unless they are being specially prepared to handle media relations. The fact is that the vast bulk of executive/managerial life is spent in attempting to effectively communicate and negotiate. It’s not easy. When it’s done well, it just looks effortless!

Master presenters understand that the written word is significantly different from the spoken word.  Beautifully written proposals sound stilted and pretentious when read aloud.  The presenter fails to “connect” with the group members when using this language. 

Learning how to present effectively requires that the presenter speak conversationally.  Although this sounds simple, many presenters hide behind their written proposals out of fear that they will expose themselves.  In fact, that is exactly what your audience demands – giving of “yourself” to your audience is the key to connecting with them.   

Effective presenters learn how to present in the same way they learn the tools needed to operate their business. Speaking effectively, whether formally or informally, is like any learned skill.  It takes time and practice.   

When you present you negotiate

Effective presenters understand that they must possess a blend of strong negotiation and public speaking skills to successfully master the art of persuasion.  Kathy O’Brien, a Vice President with The Limited Inc., says that it is not enough to be knowledgeable about the subject matter when you speak.  You must also understand fundamental principles of negotiation to persuade and inspire.  It is a blend of these two skills that sets the master speaker apart from the average presenter.

Give them what they want . . . not what you want

Expert presenters understand that people’s needs and desires are satisfied by many different presentation approaches.  They recognize that a presentation should attempt to meet the needs of a diverse group.  So while some participants need data to satisfy those needs, others will react more favorably to an emotional appeal. 

For instance, a personal story that illustrates a point is frequently the most memorable portion of a presentation for key participants in the group.  Analogies are critical for others to better understand abstract concepts.  Visuals will graphically persuade some listeners who need “pictures” to fully appreciate concepts.

Many executives are frequently bottom-line thinkers and have difficulty with “process” and theoretical underpinnings that may form the basis of your presentation.  For these individuals you must talk in terms of results and stay clear of details.  You can refer to the data in your proposal, but don’t dwell on it unless you can clearly and quickly show its relevance.

By now you can see that your presentation is an attempt to balance the competing “thinking styles” of your audience.  I’ve watched some presenters successfully refer to these “styles” during their presentations by saying, “Now for you bottom-line thinkers who demand results, here is what the data shows.”  Or, “For those of you who want all the details and data that support the results that I’ve outlined here today, refer to the appendix at pages 38-40 of your packet.” 

Many experts in communication skills recommend that an “audience analysis” is the first step in building your message or presentation.  The Limited’s Kathy O’Brien suggests that if you are making that pitch to a small group of executives within your company, try defining the interests of all the parties. Carefully analyze and actually diagram on paper the interests of the stakeholders and how you intend to address their concerns. Do a little homework/brainstorming by putting yourself in the shoes of each of your key audience members. This will help you understand what they expect to hear. Then deliver the message in  a style that is designed to appeal to the key decision makers around the table.

Begin strong

The beginning of your presentation is an opportunity to capture your listeners’ attention and demonstrate that your information will bring them real value.  Create a memorable beginning.

How should you begin? Consider starting with a provocative statement, a rhetorical question, a surprising fact, or a story related to your topic.  You can also being by using your conclusion - "Begin with the end in mind."  Tell them what you intend to show by the end of the presentation.  Make it a powerful statement that “demands” their full attention until the conclusion.  And then make sure you deliver.

Don’t rely on your slide show

Many corporate presenters take their written presentation and place it almost word for word on a PowerPointTM template.  With a press of a button the bullets are transformed into slide handouts.  The bulleted words are then read verbatim from the slides.  To make matters worse, the lights are dimmed and the presenter is in the dark.  You may as well not show up if you plan to read your slides to an audience.  Just pass out your handouts and let them read the proposal. 

While visuals are essential for most presentations, you should use visuals to illustrate your point, not dominate the presentation.  Each bulleted point can serve as a keyword that allows you to explain conversationally the point represented.   You may even decide to limit your visuals to graphics, photos and illustrations that add strength to a concept. 

You should be able to conduct your presentation with the same effectiveness if the computer equipment fails to operate.  Count on it not operating and see how you feel about the persuasive power of your words. 

You may even want to incorporate a prop or two into the presentation.  Review your presentation and ask yourself if a prop could be incorporated to illustrate a point.  Using props is risky, but their effect can be long lasting.  Why not have a little fun with "dry" presentations?

Never read your presentation

It is tempting to use your slide show or notes and read your speech verbatim.  It’s safe.  It’s easy.  It’s . . .. boring.

You can practice your presentation until it becomes second nature. You may even memorize portions.  However, there is one rule you must not break: Never, never read your presentation.    

What are the results of reading? It's been said, "The last time someone deliberately read to you, it was your mother, and she was trying to put you to sleep."    Speakers who read a presentation will never connect with their listeners and rarely persuade. 

Excellent presenters have found that the key to looking spontaneous when giving a presentation is by using this three-step "keyword" method.

Step one: Write your presentation out completely - word for word.

Step two: From the finished product, make an outline.

Step three: Create a "keyword" outline, choosing words that will remind you of the content in


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Rob Sherman, Esq., Sherman Leadership Group.