NEWSLETTERS
Presenting To Decision Makers
by Roberta Prescott
"The number one criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals
is their ability to communicate effectively."
- Harvard Business Review
Do you spend more than half your business life in small group meetings?
Do you have only ten minutes to get your point across to senior management?
When the spotlight is on you, you can either shine, or damage perceptions
about your potential.
Here are some guidelines to help your presentation image match your
ability:
DO
YOUR PRE-MEETING HOMEWORK
•
Test
your core message with colleagues
•
Surface
potential objections
•
Ask
for support
• Know meeting details e.g., Is it the culture to present standing
or sitting? Use PowerPoint or Handouts? Distribute handouts in
advance? Have participants use them as notes?
•
Tips:
•
Hallway, coffeepot, and elevator conversations are
informal
ways to gauge off-line reactions
•
Check with the decision maker's administrative
assistant for information and hot buttons
ANALYZE
THE DECISION MAKERS
•
Their
priorities
•
Everything
must fit with the business plan?
•
Competitive
advantage?
•
Metrics?
•
Quality?
•
The Customer?
•
Their
style
•
Impatient -- Cut to the chase
-- “What’s your point”?
•
Logical -- No emotions in
business decisions
•
Likes to interrupt / engage
you in conversations
•
Probes your reasoning
•
Their
preferred way of receiving information
•
Interested
in business outcomes, not the process
•
Get
to the bottom line / the nub of the issue quickly
•
Be prepared, specific
and thorough with details
when
questioned
•
Tip:
•
Don't
be blindsided. Priorities change. Work
your
network.
WHAT
QUESTIONS MIGHT BE ON THEIR MIND?
•
Do you understand the
big picture?
•
Why will your strategy
work?
•
How does this support
our strategic goals?
•
How will this move
us forward?
•
Do we have the resources?
•
Are we headed for trouble?
•
What's the competition
doing?
•
Downside risk? Success
factors?
•
Will we meet the deadline?
Why not?
•
What could you accomplish
with less money?
•
What action do you want me to take today?
•
Tip:
•
Keep
an information reserve. Know the answers to
every question you think you might be asked, but
don't
address all of them in your presentation.
THINK
IT THROUGH
•
Ask yourself: Where are we? Where do we want to be? How
are we going to get there? Is there a problem, and how
important is it? What are the solutions? What milestones will
we use to define success?
•
What's
the benefit? Remember six important words -- "This
is
important to you because … “
•
What
is your core message? Can you say it in a sentence?
•
Tip:
•
Design your strategy and customize your message to
the decision maker's mindset.
ORGANIZE
YOUR MESSAGE
•
First
and last impressions are important. Design a strong
opening and close
•
Back
up each key point with evidence -- examples,
statistics, etc.
•
Avoid
a data dump by making sure your information passes
the
"so what / who cares” test
•
Write
your headlines concisely, and repeat them often
•
Flag
important information. e.g., "The key thing to
remember is ... "
•
Use transitional
phrases to link significant points in a smooth
and natural way
•
Tip:
•
Use
an appendix for the details that you can't let
go
of.
©
The Prescott Group
